Between the end of the Civil War and the First World War, Philadelphia’s newspapers recorded with remarkable detail the daily life of its Center City Episcopal parishes—and St. Peter’s was no exception. From the calling of new rectors to vivid descriptions of Easter Day services, the local press chronicled the rhythms of parish life with […]
A St. Peter’s Wedding from 1902 Read More »
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the volunteer archivist of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, I received several requests for information about the 1918 influenza epidemic—how parishes responded, what they endured, and what long-term effects followed. With the archives closed, I turned to digitized parish records I had collected over the past decade,
St. Peter’s Church, the 1918 Influenza Epidemic, and Today Read More »
Dorothy Krotzer, a neighbor who lives just a block from St. Peter’s, was walking her dog Romeo through the churchyard as she often does. Although most of the gravestones around her were in good condition, a few damaged ones caught her eye. Several marble grave markers were cracked and one had been pushed off its
Churchyard Gravestone Repairs Read More »
St. Peter’s Church is adorned with plaques and memorials throughout the church and parish house, each telling the stories of those who have shaped its legacy. Portraits of past rectors and images of the church’s picturesque campus line the parish house walls, offering glimpses of generations gone by. Though these memorials once held deep significance,
A Simple Document with a Powerful Message Read More »
Last summer, Parish Administrator Kate Randall was contacted by a patriotic historical organization composed of and incorporated as the “Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.” Unbeknownst to us, that group had discovered that Elizabeth Matthews Heyward, the wife of one of the signers (Thomas Heyward of South Carolina), had been buried in
The Newest Revolutionary War Marker in St. Peter’s Churchyard Read More »
The little light that is hanging from the chancel is an Epiphany star lamp, but we really don’t know much about it! Every year, it is brought down from its home above and behind the front of the chancel on or about January 6, the start of the Epiphany season, and goes back before Ash
The Epiphany Star Lamp Read More »
This article was written by St. Peter’s historian and parishioner Libby Browne. A remarkable discovery has been made in the last year which pertains to St. Peter’s. I was contacted last summer by an old school friend of mine, Phoebe Griswold. She and her husband, Frank, a Philadelphian and the former Presiding Bishop of the
Hidden in Plain Sight Read More »
This special post was written by Libby Browne, a parishioner and historian at St. Peter’s Church. My daughter Katrina and I participated in the streamed March 22, 11 a.m. service at her house in Washington, DC, where I am staying. When it was over, she wondered what St. Peter’s would have been like during the
St. Peter’s in the Midst of the Yellow Fever Epidemic Read More »
This article was submitted by Libby Browne of the St. Peter’s History Committee. St. Peter’s Church has been involved in reaching out to its community since its earliest days, especially after 1832 when it became independent of Christ Church. In the years before the Civil War, the surrounding neighborhood became home to Irish immigrants fleeing
Looking Back as We Look Forward: Open Doors Read More »
This article was written by Judy Van Hoy. One day, 5-10 years ago (I really don’t remember when), I was walking home from my job at Germantown Friends School. As I was walking, either on Greene Street or School House Lane, I saw this beautiful old chair out on the sidewalk. It was out by
The Journey of the Vestry Chair Read More »
