Arch Street Friends Meeting House
About this property
The Arch Street Meeting House, at 320 Arch Street at the corner of 4th Street in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a Friends meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Built to reflect Friends' testimonies of simplicity and equality, this building is little changed after more than two centuries of continuous use. Pennsylvania founder and Quaker William Penn deeded land to the Society of Friends in 1701 to be used as a burial ground. The east wing and center of the meetinghouse was built between 1803 and 1805 according to a design by the Quaker master-builder Owen Biddle Jr. Biddle is best known as the author of a builder's handbook, The Young Carpenter's Assistant, published in 1805. The building was enlarged in 1810–11, with the addition of the west wing. Architects Walter Ferris Price and Morris & Erskine also contributed to the design and construction of the building. The firm Cope & Lippincott renovated the interior of the east wing and designed the two-story addition behind the center building in 1968–69. Today, the Meeting House continues to be a center for worship and the activities of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Notable members of the Religious Society of Friends who worshiped at this meetinghouse include abolitionists and woman rights advocates, Sarah and Angelina Grimke. Edward Hicks, the noted painter and cousin of Elias Hicks, also attended meeting here. The meetinghouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 2011. The latter designation was as a consequence of the building being the only surviving documented work by Owen Biddle.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Arch Street Friends Meeting House
This page lists Arch Street Friends Meeting House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Arch Street Friends Meeting House listed on the National Register?
Arch Street Friends Meeting House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 26, 1971.
What type of historic resource is Arch Street Friends Meeting House?
Arch Street Friends Meeting House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Arch Street Friends Meeting House a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Arch Street Friends Meeting House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Arch Street Friends Meeting House?
The period of significance for Arch Street Friends Meeting House is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Arch Street Friends Meeting House?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Arch Street Friends Meeting House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Philadelphia County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Philadelphia County.
Explore PhiladelphiaCounty ›More historic places in Pennsylvania
Browse all historic places in Pennsylvania.
View Pennsylvaniahistoric sites ›Pennsylvania history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Pennsylvaniahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Arch Street Friends Meeting House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.