Free Quaker Meetinghouse
National Register of Historic Places

Free Quaker Meetinghouse

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
September 21, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
71000063

About this property

The Free Quaker Meetinghouse is a historic Free Quaker meeting house at the southeast corner of 5th and Arch Streets in the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house within the original boundaries of the city of Philadelphia, and the only surviving historic structure remaining on Independence Mall (the three blocks between Chestnut Street and Race Street). The structure is a plain 2 1⁄2-story Georgian-style brick building with a gable roof first constructed in 1783, with the second floor added in 1788. In 1961, the building was moved 38 feet (12 m) west and 8 feet (2.4 m) south to its present site to allow for the widening of Fifth Street as part of the creation of Independence Mall State Park. Quaker meetings were held in the building until 1836, after which it was occupied by the Apprentices' Library Company of Philadelphia until 1897. In the 20th century, the building was used as a warehouse for plumbing supplies prior to its restoration in the Independence Mall Improvement Project. The meetinghouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The building is open seasonally as part of Independence National Historical Park.

Location

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.95288, -75.14241

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURERELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Elfreth's Alley Historic District
Colonial
0 mi
Girard Group
Industrial
0.2 mi
Christ Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Old City Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Arch Street Friends Meeting House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.1 mi
Battle of Gloucester (NJ) 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.3 mi
Fort Mercer siege Oct-Nov 1777
1777Revolutionary War
5.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Free Quaker Meetinghouse listed on the National Register?

Free Quaker Meetinghouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 21, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Free Quaker Meetinghouse?

Free Quaker Meetinghouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Free Quaker Meetinghouse?

The period of significance for Free Quaker Meetinghouse is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1783.

Can I research the history near Free Quaker Meetinghouse?

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