Christ Church
Philadelphia
Christ Church is an Episcopal church founded in 1695. It is famous for its 1754 steeple and for the people who worshipped here when the United States was born.
A church called for by Penn's charter
The congregation was born in 1695: William Penn's charter called for a Church of England church in the city. At first there was a smaller church. Today's building was finished in 1744, in the Georgian style. Many consider it one of the most beautiful early American churches, with large windows and red bricks.
Robert Smith's steeple
The steeple was added in 1754. It was designed by Robert Smith, one of the first American architects. Benjamin Franklin helped find the money for the steeple. For many years it was the tallest structure on the continent.
Who sat in these pews
Among the worshippers were George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and many others. After the colonies broke away from Britain, leaders of the country's Anglican churches met here. Those meetings gave birth to the American Episcopal Church, which still exists today.
A recent restoration
In 2019 a major restoration of the steeple began, with help from foundations and many donors. Before the work, the old fire protection system from 1908, which lets down a sheet of water, was tested. Hundreds of people stopped to watch it. The golden objects at the top were also taken to a workshop, cleaned and regilded. Today the church is still a parish.
