The First Presbyterian Church, as the name indicates, was the first Presbyterian congregation to be organized in Philadelphia in 1698, just 16 years after the arrival of William Penn. For many years our members occupied a site on High (now Market) Street. The first American presbytery and the first Presbyterian synod were formed in our first meetinghouse.

In the 1820s the congregation moved to the south side of Washington Square where it remained until the late 1920s when, due to demographic changes, The First Presbyterian Church moved to 15th and Locust Streets.

In 1743, a second Presbyterian Church was formed and erected a large building at Third and Arch Streets. In 1789, the first General Assembly (a national meeting of the Presbyterian Church) was held there. In the years following the Civil War, again reflecting demographic changes, the Second Presbyterian Church constructed a new building at 21st and Walnut Streets.

In 1949 the two congregations united to form one church, retaining the name The First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and occupying the building of the Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. For more than 300 years men and women have been called to worship, to serve, and to bear witness of the Word by The First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.

A history of the church entitled “The Mother of Us All” was published in 1998 in conjunction with the celebration of our tercentenary. Written by the late Rev. Donald Kocher, copies are still available through the church office.

The building is Gothic in style and is filled with stained glass windows done by world-renowned artisans.

Our Church Building

Our Stained Glass Windows