Philadelphia’s position as an important mid-Atlantic east coast city meant it was an important center in the development of Protestantism. Many developments in American Presbyterianism, for instance the founding of Princeton Theological Seminary from Log College, and the divides that arose with the Great Awakening led to the construction or demise of church buildings in the area. However, in this session, we will focus instead thematically on issues that are central to Philadelphia’s identity. One issue was the impact of the American Revolution on the Quakers, the faith of William Penn. The issue of whether to forego pacifism in support of the patriots divided the Quakers early in the 18th century and the establishment of Free Quakers. Despite the utopian vision of a diverse society, white hostility mounted as talented preachers, such as Richard Allen, attracted larger and larger congregants of color. Allen and Absalom Jones started their own churches rather than abide by the segregationist restrictions for when and where in the church they could worship and pray. Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church (1787) that would become Mother Bethel; Jones, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas (1794). Mikveh Israel’s establishment of religious space followed a similar path of other religions—first being granted space for a cemetery, then organizing the funds and site to build, and finally relocating as demographics shifted. Perhaps most interesting at the present moment, the nativist, “Know-Nothing” riots of the 1840s not only led to the destruction of important Catholic meeting places, but also affected the architecture of the Cathedral Basilica SS. Peter and Paul, the Renaissance Revival masterpiece begun in 1846, but not completed until 1894.
Consider visiting: The Skyspace at Chestnut Hill Meeting ; Mother Bethel church; The Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul