St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a historic

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, founded in 1823 in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and located at 19 South Tenth Street, on the corner of Tenth Street and Ludlow Street. St. Stephen's was designed by William Strickland in the Gothic revival style. It is the oldest extant building in Philadelphia in this style and was designed by an architect-engineer best known for

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

buildings, though, like his mentor

Benjamin Latrobe Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was an Anglo-American Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical architect who emigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in t ...

, he produced buildings in other "picturesque" styles as well.Martin Aurand, 1978, NRHP Nomination Form for St. Stephen's ChurchEnter "public" for ID and "public" for password to access the site. St. Stephen's first service was held on February 27, 1823. On June 4, 1979, it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. On May 28, 1957, it was designated a historic landmark by the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

History

Benjamin Franklin plaque, Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 20060906

Called "bold" in its time, St. Stephen's is an example of Philadelphia's earliest Gothic Revival buildings that responded to the great local demand for this type since the 1780s. Long considered "misunderstood" Gothic, this early or "Georgian" Gothic, popular in 18th-century Britain, recalls the architecture of Protestant Tudor England (1485–1603) rather than the high Gothic of the Pre-Reformation 12th century that inspired the familiar Gothic Revival from the 1830s on. Architect Frank Furness added a transept and vestry room in 1878. A plaque on the outside front wall, apparently unrelated to the oval Philadelphia Historical Commission marker above it, reads: "THIS CHURCH IS BUILT ON THE SITE WHERE BENJ. FRANKLIN FLEW HIS FAMOUS KITE," though the history of the marker is unclear, and apparently unrelated to the oval Philadelphia Historical Commission marker above it.

Artwork

The sanctuary contains a great deal of artwork from throughout the church's history. Sculptor Carl Johann Steinhauser was commissioned to create two sculptures for the church: the "Angel of the Resurrection" (also known as the Burd Children's Memorial, for three of the children of Edward Shippen Burd and Eliza Howard Sims Burd) in 1852 and the Burd Baptismal font, completed in 1857. Architect

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

designed a side chapel (1849–1853) to house the Burd Children's Monument. Other artwork includes the Burd Canopy Tomb (c. 1860), designed by architect Frank Wills and sculpted by Henry Kirke Brown; various memorials to former rectors; and, until it was purchased by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2004, the sculpture ''The Angel of Purity'' by

Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens (; March 1, 1848 – August 3, 1907) was an American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance. From a French-Irish family, Saint-Gaudens was raised in New York City, he trav ...

. The sanctuary features stained glass windows created by D'Ascenzo Studios as well as

Louis Comfort Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art NouveauL ...

of Tiffany Studios. Architect Henry Holiday designed two of the stained glass windows in the sanctuary in addition to the Venetian glass mosaic of The Last Supper (1887–1889) above the altar.

Rectors

In the

Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop o ...

, the

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

is the priest elected to head a self-supporting parish. * The Rev. Dr. James Montgomery (1823–1834) * The Rev. Dr. H. W. Ducachet (1834–1865) * The Rev. Dr. William Rudder (1865–1880) * The Rev. Dr. Samuel D. McConnell (1882–1896) * The Rev. Dr. Elwood Worcester (1896–1904) * The Rev. Dr.

Carl E. Grammer Carl Eckhardt Grammer (November 11, 1858 - March 17, 1944) was a prominent Episcopal priest, author, and commentator on American Indian affairs. He was an exponent of liberal evangelical positions in church controversy. Grammer was a supporter of ...

(1905–1936) * The Rev. Dr. Vincent C. Franks (1937–1939) * The Rev. Dr. Alfred W. Price (1942–) * The Rev. Roy Hendricks (1971–1983) * The Rev. Patricia A. Oglesby, interim (1983–1985) * The Rev. Robert A. Schiesler (1985–1990) * The Rev. Charles T. Flood Priest-in-Charge and then rector (1990–2016) * The Rev. Peter Kountz, PhD, Vicar (2016–2019) and then Priest-in-Residence (2019–present) * The Rev. Michael Giansiracusa, Vicar (2019–present)

References

Notes

External links

*
St. Stephen's Church PhiladelphiaSt. Stephen ChurchSt. Stephen's Protestant Episcopal ChurchPennsylvania Historical and Museum CommissionPhiladelphia Historical CommissionThe Immortals of St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia: A Paper Read at the Parish's 125th Anniversary Dinner (1948)Reports and Financial Statements Rendered at the Annual Parish Meeting of St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia (1937-1953)Address of Roland S. Morris Delivered at the Centennial Anniversary of St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia (1923)Service Leaflet for the Presentation of Recent Improvements by Ms. Anne Magee on the 100th Anniversary of the Consecration of St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia (1923)Service Leaflet for the Presentation of Alternations and Decorations by Ms. Anne Magee at St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia (1918)The Rich Heritage of 125 Years of Christian Service: St. Stephen's Church in the City of Philadelphia (1948)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Stephens Episcopal Church, Philadelphia Churches completed in 1823 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Churches in Philadelphia Episcopal churches in Pennsylvania Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Frank Furness buildings Gothic Revival church buildings in Pennsylvania Market East, Philadelphia Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania

History

Artwork

Rectors

See also

References

External links