Inscription
1681
The 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.
Details
| HM Number | HM5Y8 |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Placed By | Old Philadelphia Congregations |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 at 6:31am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] CAROLYN MARTIENSSEN
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 487527 N 4422471 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 39.95228333, -75.14601667 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 39° 57.137', W 75° 8.761' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 39° 57' 8.22" N, 75° 8' 45.66" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 267, 484, 215, 610 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 301-327 PA-3007, Philadelphia PA 19106, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.
Nearby Markersshow on map
Show me all markers in: Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia County | 19106 | Pennsylvania | United States of America
Maintenance Issues
- Is this marker part of a series?
- What historical period does the marker represent?
- What historical place does the marker represent?
- What type of marker is it?
- What class is the marker?
- What style is the marker?
- Does the marker have a number?
- What year was the marker erected?
- This marker could use another picture or two.
- Can this marker be seen from the road?
- Is the marker in the median?
Comments 0 comments