Christ Church (Philadelphia, PA)

Philadelphia’s Christ Church is one of the most historic churches in the United States- and for good reason. Throughout the colonial era, it served the people of Philadelphia, to include well-known historic figures such as John Penn, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, and Robert Morris just to name a few. It even hosted our first two American presidents, George Washington and John Adams! Today, Christ Church continues to serve the people as an active parish and offers fantastic tours to visitors.

History

The congregation of Christ Church began in 1695, when it was founded by members of the Church of England. By 1696, a small wooden church was built to serve as a house of worship and by 1700, a man named Evan Evans travelled from Wales to serve as the first rector of the church. As the congregation quickly grew, the need for a larger church became apparent. From 1727 to 1744, the beautiful Christ Church was built in the Georgian-style and when the steeple was added in 1754, it was the tallest building in the colonies at 196 feet!

As colonial America continued to grow throughout the mid-1700s, Philadelphia burst onto the scene as the largest and most important city in the colonies. It quickly became the center of commerce and social life, which naturally drew together a cast of remarkable characters. For Christ Church, its congregation included some of the most famous names in the colonies not just today, but even in the colonies at the time.

In all, there were 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence who attended services there, to include Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, James Wilson, and Francis Hopkinson. Additionally, Betsy Ross (often attributed with the design of the first United States flag) was a member of the congregation and had her own pew there. The pews used by these well-known members are marked with brass plates today.

During the American Revolutionary War, Reverend William White of Christ Church served as chaplain for the Continental Congress and the parish largely remained active throughout the war (even during the British occupation of the city). In his role as reverend, William White also ordained Absalom Jones, the first person of African descent to be ordained a priest in the United States!

Thankfully, the building has survived the centuries and today, Christ Church is an active Episcopal Parish that also offers tours/access to visitors who wish to explore its historic interior.

Interesting Facts

• The baptismal font that was used to baptize William Penn in London was sent as a gift in 1697 by London’s All-Hallows-by-the-Tower church. It is still in use at Christ Church today. Another original piece is the chandelier, which has hung in that spot since it was installed in 1740
• Surprisingly, the architect of Christ Church is unknown; however, construction of the church was supervised by physician John Kearsley, who may have helped design the church along with John Harrison
• At 196 feet tall, Christ Church was the tallest building in the colonies (and then, the United States) until 1810!

Our Visit & Recommendations

Christ Church (20 N. American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106) is an active Episcopal Church that offers Sunday services to anyone and everyone. Additionally, they offer tours to the public of the interior from Wednesday through Sunday from 11AM – 5PM, which cost $5 for adults and $2 for children 12 & under (self-guided tour maps are included). If you just wish to explore the surrounding burial ground, it is open 7 days a week from 11AM – 5PM. We visited on a sunny late-summer day during a trip exploring Independence National Historic Park (for a recommended walking tour of historic Philadelphia, check out our blog post here).

Before touring Christ Church, we took the time to meander about the burial ground, which surrounds the church. There are numerous famous individuals laid to rest at Christ Church, to include Pierce Butler (South Carolina signer of the US Constitution), Andrew Hamilton (known as “the Philadelphia Lawyer”), Robert Morris (Pennsylvania signer of the Declaration of Independence and “financier of the revolution”), General Charles Lee (famous and controversial officer in the Continental Army), James Wilson (Pennsylvania signer of the Declaration of Independence), and Jacob Broom (Delaware signer of the US Constitution). Below are some pictures of these gravesites.

We were greeted by the friendly volunteer staff and given a concise, but detailed run-down on the history of Christ Church. As I usually do, I asked the guide to point out the interesting, important, and historic pieces and locations inside the church. He kindly walked us around and showed us the famous pews, which were frequented by men such as Benjamin Franklin (pew 70), George Washington (pew 56-58), Francis Hopkinson (pew 65), Robert Morris (pew 52), and Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross (pew 12). In fact, you can even sit in these pews!

The interior of the church is reminiscent of other historic Georgian-style houses of worship (with the iconic box pews), such as the North Church in Boston and Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island. Some things to notice as you walk about are the amazing chandelier (ca. 1740), the baptismal font (from the 1300s), and the tablets placed in the floor near the altar, which mark the graves of John Penn (grandson of William Penn) and Reverend William White.

It is incredible that such a historic church, which has hosted some of America’s most famous founding fathers, still stands, still operates as an active parish, and is available for the public to visit, sit, pray, and explore. We enjoyed a fun and informative visit and are thankful that the church welcomes the public to appreciate the history of their beautiful church!