Arch Street Friends - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.132 W 075° 08.751
18S E 487541 N 4422462
A beautiful interpretive, part of a large series placed in front of the various religious institutions in the city, recounts the history of this meeting house, the largest and oldest on the planet.
Waymark Code: WMD4RP
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 11/18/2011
Views: 5
An organization called Old Philadelphia Congregations has produced and erected a series of informational interpretives which tell about the history of some of Philadelphia's oldest congregations. This church is unique in that it is the largest meetinghouse on the planet and the oldest meetinghouse still in service.
Along the sidewalk in front of the meetinghouse is this marker, part Old Philadelphia Congregations historical interpretive/marker on one side, the other side, dedicated to this site. All the markers in front of the fifteen historic, religious sites feature the same sign of history (already mentioned in last sentence) on one side and the other, the history of the church or meetinghouse on the front of the sign. These tall, upright, markers can be found in front of almost every church or religious institution of consequence within Independence Hall National Historic Park. They are designed to aid in tourism and to encourage tourist to learn more about the history of Philadelphia and its designs for religious freedom. Each sign describes its religious site and explains how it was part of the early fabric of religious freedom as well as the contributions each made. The marker features thhe statue of William Penn (on top of City Hall) on the left side. On the middle right are the original plans for the meeting house from 1803, drawn by Owen Biddle. The bottom left of the sign features the interior of the meeting house. This beautiful sign reads:
he Arch Street Meeting House stands as an enduring symbol of the people who created Pennsylvania as a “Holy Experiment.” Built to house the men's and women’s Yearly Meetings, the business sessions of the Religious Society of Friends for Philadelphia and Environs, it remains one of the oldest active houses of worship in the city.
Begun in 1803, the building was financed by the sale of the Greater Meeting House, which stood at Second and High (now Market) Streets, the site of Quaker Meetings since 1696. The Friends did not follow the classic revival style then in vogue. Master carpenter Owen Biddle built the Arch Street Meeting House according to the Quaker principles of plainness and simplicity.
The beautiful but unadorned interior of the Meeting House is well suited to a form of worship in silence, as Friends seek to feel the presence of "The Light that lighteth everyman." Over the past three centuries, Friends have been in the forefront of the struggle for womens' rights, the abolition of slavery, prison reform, humane treatment for the mentally ill, and non-violent resolution of conflict.
The Religious Society of Friends, called Quakers by their early critics, grew out of the teachings of George Fox in England in the 17th century. William Penn, a Fox disciple, founded Philadelphia in 1681 as a haven of religious freedom. His "Holy Experiment" was to build a society according to Quaker ideals: absolute right of conscience, human equality, and non-violence. Today, in Quaker Meetings around the world, Friends still strive to adhere to these ideals.