Celebrating National Historic Preservation Month
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May is National Historic Preservation Month.
To celebrate, the Preservation Alliance asked 31 historic preservation leaders in Philadelphia to name a building that has inspired them and why. We invite you to watch this space daily and hear from leaders in the local preservation movement as they reveal the historic buildings that have inspired them.
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A. Robert Jaeger
First Presbyterian Church
201 South 21st Street, Philadelphia
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When I first moved to Philadelphia in 1984, I spent a few months shopping around for a church, and ended up joining First Presbyterian at 21st and Walnut Streets, in no small part because of its history and architecture. Although I now belong to a different church, I still have very dear friends at First Presbyterian, and admire it every time I walk by.
How do I love it... let me count the ways… First, it’s the Mother Church of American Presbyterianism. The congregation hosted the organization of the first Presbytery and the first Synod, laying the foundation for the national church in subsequent years. Although there are several variations of Presbyterianism today, First Presbyterian belongs to the largest denomination: Presbyterian Church (USA).
However, First Presbyterian now occupies a building originally built by the Second Presbyterian Church, which comes as a surprise to many. Previously, First Presbyterian occupied a magnificent Greek Revival building on Washington Square, and after the congregation chose to merge with Calvary Church (another wonderful building, located on Locust near 15th Street, since demolished) and later with Second Church, the building was torn down. The site eventually became home of Hopkinson House, an important Mid Century building which is now beloved in its own right.
This history is important and fascinating, but what I really came to understand and love is First Presbyterian’s architecture and artistry. Yes, Frank Furness designed the upper part of the tower, but I think the original Victorian Gothic building is magnificent all on its own. It was designed by Henry Augustus Sims, an architect who, tragically, died young and is not as well known or appreciated as he should be. Go take a look at the Episcopal Church of the Advent, another one of his designs, if you are ever down in Cape May, NJ.
The building is further enriched with the best artistry of its day, starting with carved capitals surmounting the columns flanking the front door that boast symbols of Scotland (where Presbyterianism started), such as the thistle, as well as symbols of American agriculture such as corn, wheat and, tobacco. The sculptor was no less than Alexander Milne Calder, who went on to spend most of his life creating dozens of sculptures for City Hall, among other notable works.
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The interior is decked out with a kaleidoscope of colored columns – each a different kind of polished stone, and an array of windows, including several by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The chancel area, which was modified and redesigned after First and Second Churches merged, is highly unique, combining post-War Gothic Revival with late Art Deco. Like many churches in that era, it did away with the central pulpit platform, instead creating a separate lectern and pulpit, and a high altar against the far wall, not unlike its Episcopal brethren.
Today, the church is cared for with pride and faithfulness by a healthy, vibrant congregation. I hope you will get to know them, and their home, when the doors are open once again.
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A. Robert Jaeger
President, Partners for Sacred Places
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NEW VIRTUAL LECTURES
Watch from the safety and
comfort of your own home!
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Tuesday, May 19, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Art Deco in Philadelphia
Presented by Dr. David Brownlee
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Frances Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of 19th Century European Art,
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia contributed an exhilarating chapter to the history of "Art Deco," the colorful, invented modern style that offered an exciting alternative to the austere functionalism in the 1920s and 30s. The quintessential style of the Jazz Age, Art Deco brought brilliant color to the decoration of the Art Museum, introduced exotic motifs (including Mayan and Spanish Colonial) to the city's new skyscrapers, and contributed zig-zagging ornament to our radio stations and "automat" restaurants. It was also one of the components of the brilliant stylistic synthesis created by George Howe and William Lescaze in the era's greatest landmark, the PSFS Building.
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Tuesday, May 26, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Penn Square, City Hall, and the Emergence of Modern Philadelphia
Presented by Paul Steinke
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Executive Director,
Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
The building of Philadelphia City Hall at Center Square in the late 19th century was not only a monumental feat of art, architecture and engineering. It was also a powerful catalyst for city building, and for the forging of a civic identity. Preservation Alliance executive director Paul Steinke discusses the forces that led our municipal headquarters to be located where it is, as well as the forces it unleashed to transform the surrounding neighborhood.
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