A guide book of art, architecture, and historic interests in Pennsylvania
History
A guide book of art, architecture, and historic interests in Pennsylvania
Architecture -- Pennsylvania; Art -- Pennsylvania; Historic buildings -- Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania -- Guidebooks; Pennsylvania -- History
=Protestant Episcopal.= ST. ALBAN’S, Olney, consecrated, 1915; decorated
French Gothic; buttresses run up to above the cornice line, ending in
gables with crockets and finials; there is a belfry tower and porch;
interior lines are very beautiful; the high arches and lofty piers give
an impression of great dignity and simplicity, well adapted for
rendering the services, with all the accompaniment of advanced
churchmanship; architect, George T. Pearson. CHRIST CHURCH, Second
Street north of Market; first Protestant Episcopal Church in the
province; hours of service, September to July, Sundays 10.00 A.M., 11.00
A.M., 3.30 P.M., open daily 9.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M.; founded in 1695,
under a provision in the original charter of King Charles II to William
Penn. John Penn, last male member of this line, is buried near the steps
of the pulpit. Present building, Georgian, erected 1747; Dr. John
Kearsley, Building Director; the old roof, its wooden balustrade with
carved spindles, and the steeple are ever of interest to architects and
antiquarians.
Here the colonial governors had their state pew, marked by coat of arms,
bearing the monogram of William and Mary; the parish was subsidized by
King William III, William of Orange; Communion silver presented in 1709
by Queen Anne; baptismal font dates from 1695, and was used for the
baptism of Bishop White in infancy. The chime of bells pealed forth the
Declaration of Independence, in response to the Liberty Bell, July 8,
1776; they were made in England, and came over in the same ship with the
Liberty Bell, were taken to Allentown with the Liberty Bell, and
subsequently rehung; are referred to by Longfellow in “Evangeline.”
George and Martha Washington regularly occupied pew 58 from 1790-97; it
was also the official pew of John Adams while President, and was used by
Lafayette in 1824; Franklin had pew 70, still used by his descendants;
Robert Morris’ pew was 52; Francis Hopkinson’s, 65. General Charles Lee,
of the Continental Army, is interred beside the southwest door, and near
by is General Hugh Mercer; Rt. Rev. William White, D.D., first Bishop of
Pennsylvania and long Presiding Bishop of the United States, is interred
before the chancel rail, and his Episcopal chair is beside the altar.
The church was organized; its constitution framed; and the amended
Prayer Book adopted in this church, in 1785; Bishop White and Provost
William Smith, D.D., were the Committee for revising and altering the
liturgy of the English Prayer Book, for use in America. Rev. Jacob Duché
was rector for many years. Windows illustrate the history of the
Christian Church; made by Heaton, Butler and Bains. ST. CLEMENT’S,
Twentieth and Cherry Streets, Norman Gothic, brownstone, built, 1857;
architect, John Notman; new roof of nave, apse, and high altar; choir
and lady chapel; architect, Horace Wells Sellers; the sanctuary is
beautifully designed, with effect heightened by a magnificent reredos;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account