The Church of the New Jerusalem was a former nineteenth-century

Swedenborgian The New Church (or Swedenborgianism) can refer to any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed under the influence of the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). The Swedenborgian tradition is considered to ...

church located in downtown

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 Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, at 22nd and Chestnut Streets. The church was erected in 1881 to designs by Theophilus Parsons Chandler. When the congregation diminished, the church closed in the mid-1980s, and the structure was reused in 1989 as office space. The

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 ...

profiled the structure as a good example of

adaptive reuse Adaptive reuse is the reuse of an existing building for a purpose other than that for which it was originally built or designed. It is also known as recycling and conversion. The adaptive reuse of buildings can be a viable alternative to new con ...

: "The congregation worked closely with the buyer of the property, the Preservation Fund, and the Philadelphia Historical Commission to devise a design that would be sensitive to the historic fabric." The project "added two floors for office space and enclosed the interior space facing the chancel with a floor to- ceiling glass wall. Updated

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...

, electrical systems, and emergency equipment installed." "In an area of many churches, the successful conversion to office space was a welcome sight for many of the neighbors who had feared an abandoned church building." The 1990 conversion by Mark B. Thompson Associates into of executive office space with room for expansion for Graduate Health System Corporate Headquarters, and later occupied by the advertising agency The Weightman Group, which is also gone. "Two balconies were added in four of the six bays, leaving the altar area an unchanged space for reception. A glass curtain wall was inserted in the interior to define the space and keep noise down. Additionally, a large spiral staircase and an elevator were placed to give access to all levels."

Partners for Sacred Places Partners for Sacred Places is an American non-sectarian, non-profit organization whose mission is the support of older and historic sacred places by helping congregations and local communities sustain and actively use the structures. Founded in ...

, "Adaptive Re-Use for Institutional Use," (accessed 4 May 2008).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Jerusalem, Church Of The Swedenborgian churches in Pennsylvania Churches in Philadelphia Churches completed in 1881 19th-century Swedenborgian church buildings Victorian architecture in Pennsylvania Center City, Philadelphia 1881 establishments in Pennsylvania