The Church of St. James the Less is a historic Episcopal church in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Pennsylvania, United States, that was architecturally influential. As St. James-the-Less Episcopal Church, it was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

for its

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

, which influenced a generation of subsequent churches.

History

Philanthropist and merchant Robert Ralston wanted to found a church near his land on Ridge Road, but died shortly before this church's founding. His friend Samuel Jarvis had helped found the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating ...

in New York and knew about the

Cambridge Camden Society The Cambridge Camden Society, known from 1845 (when it moved to London) as the Ecclesiological Society,

Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is a diocese of the Episcopal Church of the United States, encompassing the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, and Delaware in the state of Pennsylvania. The diocese has 36,641 members ...

and on September 26th, took the corporate name of "Rector, Church Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James the Less." The new congregation acquired land from nearby

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery, also called Laurel Hill East to distinguish it from the affiliated West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Bala Cynwyd, is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls, Philadelphia, East Falls neighborhood ...

to build a church that could serve not only the wealthy families with mansions overlooking the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...

or on Hunting Park Avenue, but also the working-class people of the nearby industrial neighborhood, now known as Allegheny West. The parish was traditionally

Tractarian The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Uni ...

High Church A ''high church'' is a Christian Church whose beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, Christian liturgy, liturgy, and Christian theology, theology emphasize "ritual, priestly authority, ndsacraments," and a standard liturgy. Although ...

in churchmanship orientation. It chose to not install gas lighting when the opportunity was presented in 1869, but did allow oil lamps to replace the original candles circa 1885. Further modernization occurred in the early 20th century, including not only the tower and chimes, which were dedicated in 1910, but also electric lighting and central heat around 1913. Documents exist concerning its Anglo-Catholic practices in the early 20th century. St-James-the-Less-Church

Architecture

The

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

was nearly accidental. The congregation applied to the

Cambridge Camden Society The Cambridge Camden Society, known from 1845 (when it moved to London) as the Ecclesiological Society,

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

students interested in gothic architecture, the group advocated combining the piety of gothic architecture with church reform associated with the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Un ...

. It was inadvertently sent measured drawings prepared by English architect George Gordon Place for St. Michael's Church in

Longstanton Longstanton is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, north-west of Cambridge city centre. Longstanton occupies . Longstanton was created in 1953 from the two parishes of Long Stanton All Saints and Long Stanton St Michae ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

, built circa 1230, which were then followed in every detail under the supervision of architect John E. Carver. The building was added to the list of

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1974 and designated a

in 1985. The

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

called it "the first example of the pure English Parish church style in America, and one of the best examples of a 19th-century American Gothic church for its coherence and authenticity of design. Its influence on the major architects of the Gothic Revival in the United States was profound."Later American churches, also on the National Register of Historic Places, influenced by St. James' design include All Saint's Memorial Church Navesink, New Jersey, designed by

Richard Upjohn Richard Upjohn (22 January 1802 – 16 August 1878) was a British-American architect who immigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches. He was partially responsible for launching the movement to popula ...

first President of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

, and St. Peter's Episcopal Church Neligh, Nebraska. The setting on the edge of a hill, north of Mount Vernon Cemetery and east of

, is no longer rural. West Hunting Park Avenue, a major artery, is just beyond the churchyard's south wall and industrial buildings lie directly to the west. In an interesting evolution of urban neighborhoods, rather than representing the original point of development or civilization in an otherwise rural, if not exactly rustic setting, the shady and quiet churchyard is now considered a pastoral and idyllic oasis amongst the urban jungle. The Wanamaker Memorial Bell Tower and

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

(1908), designed by John T. Windrim, houses a set of

J.C. Deagan, Inc. J. C. Deagan, Inc. is a former musical instrument manufacturing company that developed and produced instruments from the late 19th- to mid-20th century. It was founded in 1880 by John Calhoun Deagan and initially manufactured glockenspiels. It wa ...

tower chimes and a chime of bells by the McShane foundry. A parish hall, which later housed the parish school, was built on the opposite side of West Clearfield Street.

Current parish(es)

The congregation of St. James the Less began withholding diocesan payments in protest over the ordination of women. After the bishop refused to renew the preaching license of assistant the Rev. Arthur Willis in 1999, the congregation attempted to form a nonprofit corporation and transfer the church property into it. In 2001, the diocese initiated litigation to seize its property and two years later the

Philadelphia County Philadelphia County is the most populous of the 67 counties of Pennsylvania and the 24th-most populous county in the nation. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,603,797. It is coextensive with Philadelphia, the nation's ...

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

ruled that the attempted merger was ''

ultra vires ('beyond the powers') is a Latin phrase used in law to describe an act that requires legal authority but is done without it. Its opposite, an act done under proper authority, is ('within the powers'). Acts that are may equivalently be termed ...

'' and invalid. The breakaway congregation lost two subsequent appeals, first to Commonwealth Court and then to the

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Judiciary of Pennsylvania, Unified Judicial System. It began in 1684 as the Provincial Court, and casual references to it as ...

. After the Supreme Court's decision, the Diocese assumed control of the St. James property. In 2008, the diocese's Standing Committee voted to allow historic St. Mark's Church in Philadelphia's center city neighborhood to adopt the Church of St. James the Less as a mission. Weekly celebration of

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

resumed on Sundays at 5:00 pm. The breakaway congregation largely entered the Roman Catholic Church under the provision of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter established by Pope Benedict.

School

During the controversy, the parish school closed circa 2006. As part of its mandate, Saint Mark's Church began a fundraising effort to open a new parish school to serve this local community. In 2009 and 2010, the St. Mark's congregation (together with St. Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, Maryland) sponsored Vacation Bible School at the historic church school. The following fall, a successful after-school program began, staff were hired, and renovations began. In September 2011, Saint James School, covering grades five to eight, opened. It is part of the NativityMiguel Network of Schools and the

National Association of Episcopal Schools The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) is a membership organization, serving the approximately 1200 pre-collegiate schools and early childhood education programs in the United States. Membership is restricted to schools owned, opera ...

Notable interments

The surrounding churchyard is the final resting place of several notable people. The cemetery is open to the public when the school is in session, generally weekdays from 7am–6pm, and on the weekends during school events. *

Chapman Biddle Chapman Biddle (January 22, 1822 – December 9, 1880) was a member of the prominent Biddle family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who served as an officer in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He commanded a brigade of infantry at the ...

(January 22, 1822 – December 9, 1880), Civil War Union Army officer.Church of St James the Less
/ref> * Horace Binney (January 4, 1780 – August 12, 1875), US Congressman. * F. Carroll Brewster (May 15, 1825 – December 30, 1898), prominent Philadelphia lawyer, judge, and State Attorney General * Mark Wilkes Collet (June 2, 1826 – May 3, 1863), Civil War Union Army officer and physician. * Constance Dallas (April 28, 1902 – January 13, 1983), first woman elected to

Philadelphia City Council The Philadelphia City Council is the legislative body of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is composed of 17 councilmembers: ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large from throughou ...

. *

James Barnet Fry James Barnet Fry (February 22, 1827 – July 11, 1894) was an American soldier and prolific author of historical books. Family and early career Fry, who was born in Carrollton, Illinois, was the first child of General Jacob G. Fry (September 20, ...

(February 22, 1827 – July 11, 1894), Civil War Union brigadier general. *

John R. Goldsborough John R. Goldsborough (2 July 1809 – 22 June 1877) was an American naval officer who fought in the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Goldsborough was made a cadet-midshipman in 1824 and as such saw action in the Mediterranean against p ...

(July 2, 1809 – June 22, 1877), Civil War Union naval officer and later United States Navy commodore *

Faustina Hasse Hodges Faustina Hasse Hodges (7 August 1822 – 4 February 1895) was an English-American organist and composer. Life and work She was born in Malmesbury, England, in 1822, as one of four children born to the organist and composer Edward Hodges. All of ...

(7 August 1822 – 4 February 1895), English-American organist and composer *

Henry K. Hoff Rear Admiral Henry Kuhn Hoff (c. 1809 – 25 December 1878) was a United States Navy officer. During his long career, he took part in combat in Sumatra and in the American Civil War. Biography Hoff was born in Pennsylvania. He was appointed a ...

(d. December 25, 1878), United States Navy Rear-Admiral. * Emlen Trenchard Littell, American church architect * Robert Morris, Jr. (d. August 13, 1863), Civil War Union Army officer. * The Rt. Rev. Henry Ustick Onderdonk, second bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is a diocese of the Episcopal Church of the United States, encompassing the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, and Delaware in the state of Pennsylvania. The diocese has 36,641 members ...

* John Grubb Parke (September 22, 1827 – December 16, 1900), Civil War Union Major General. *

William Stevens Perry William Stevens Perry (January 22, 1832 – May 13, 1898) was a 19th-century bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America and an educator. He served as the second bishop of the Diocese of Iowa from 1876 to 1898. Bio ...

(January 22, 1832 – May 13, 1898), historian, author, president of Hobart College, and second bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Iowa The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which covers all of Iowa. It is in Province VI. Its offices are in Des Moines, and it has two cathedrals: the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in De ...

. *

Walter Elmer Schofield Walter Elmer Schofield (September 10, 1866 – March 1, 1944) was an American Impressionist landscape and marine painter. Although he never lived in New Hope or Bucks County, Schofield is regarded as one of the Pennsylvania Impressionists ...

(September 10, 1867 – March 1, 1944), American Impressionist painter. * Anthony Taylor (October 11, 1837 – May 21, 1894), Civil War

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

Recipient. *

Martin Russell Thayer Martin Russell Thayer (January 27, 1819 – October 14, 1906) was a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. His grandnephew was John B. Thayer, who died on th ...

(1819–1906), US Congressman for Pennsylvania, 1863 to 1867. State Court Judge in 1867. *

Benjamin Chew Tilghman Benjamin Chew Tilghman (October 26, 1821 July 3, 1901) was an American soldier and inventor. He is best known as the inventor of the process of sandblasting. Early life He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 1821, the third ch ...

(October 26, 1821 – July 3, 1901), Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General, inventor of

sandblasting Sandblasting, sometimes known as abrasive blasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove su ...

. *

Stephen Decatur Trenchard Stephen Decatur Trenchard (July 10, 1818 – November 15, 1883) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was present at the Battle of Taku Forts in 1859, and commanded the supply ship and gunboat throughout the American Civil War, seein ...

(July 11, 1818 – November 15, 1883), United States Navy Rear-Admiral. *

John Wanamaker John Wanamaker (July 11, 1838December 12, 1922) was an American merchant and religious, civic and political figure, considered by some to be a proponent of advertising and a "pioneer in marketing". He served as United States Postmaster General ...

(July 11, 1838 – December 12, 1922), businessman, founder of chain of

Wanamaker's Wanamaker's was an American department store chain founded in 1861 by John Wanamaker. It was one of the first department stores in the United States, and peaked at 16 locations along the Delaware Valley in the 20th century. Wanamaker's was pur ...

Department Stores of Philadelphia and New York, founder of Bethany Presbyterian Church and a prominent Christian layman, and Postmaster General of the United States. * (Lewis) Rodman Wanamaker (13 February 1863 – 9 March 1928), son of John Wanamaker, philanthropist, artistic benefactor and patron of the

Wanamaker Organ The Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world, based on the number of playing pipes, the number of ranks and its weight. The Wanamaker Organ is located within a ...

. *

William Halsey Wood William Halsey Wood (April 24, 1855 – March 13, 1897) was an American architect. Early life Wood was the youngest of four sons born to Daniel Halsey Wood and Hannah Lippincott Wood. Shortly after his birth in 1855, the family relocated from D ...

(April 24, 1855 – March 13, 1897), architect, one of four finalists in the competition for the design of the

Cathedral of St. John the Divine The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (sometimes referred to as St. John's and also nicknamed St. John the Unfinished) is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhoo ...

.''The Ancestry and Posterity of Matthew Clarkson'', by J. R. T. Craine

Gallery

Image:Lych-gate-at-St-James-the-Less.png,

Lychgate A lychgate (from Old English ''līc'', corpse) or resurrection gate is a covered gateway found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard. Examples also exist outside the British Isles in places such as Newfoundland, the ...

at St. James the Less File:St. James the Less. Falls of Schuylkill, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg, Church interior, circa 1870s-90s File:StJamestheLessCeiling.jpg, Painted ceiling of the chancel

References

External links

* *

Historic American Buildings Survey The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

(HABS) documentation, filed under 3200 West Clearfield Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA: ** ** ** ** ** *
A discussion of the court battle and its ramificationsJohn E. Carver, architect2010 dissertation
on the deterioration of the Wanamaker Memorial Tower, final resting place of

and his family.
Article
on the heritage of the Wanamaker Memorial Tower spotlighting its uncertain future in light of structural deterioration.
Church of St. James the Less: 125th Anniversary Booklet (1971)
from Philadelphia Studies
A Brief History and Guide to the Church of St. James the Less (1983)
from Philadelphia Studies
Let us Give Thanks to the Lord: An Act of Thanksgiving on the One Hundredth Anniversary of Church of St. James the Less (1946)
from Philadelphia Studies
Charter and Bylaws of the Church of St. James the Less (1918)
from Philadelphia Studies
History of Church of St. James the Less (1923)
{{DEFAULTSORT:James the Less, Church of Saint Cemeteries in Philadelphia Churches in Philadelphia Episcopal churches in Pennsylvania Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Historic American Buildings Survey in Philadelphia Churches completed in 1846 19th-century Episcopal church buildings National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania 1846 establishments in Pennsylvania Upper North Philadelphia Gothic Revival architecture in Pennsylvania Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania