First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia was founded in 1698, only 16 years after William Penn’s arrival. During its first century, it was located on Market Street, where both the first American presbytery and the first synod convened in its meetinghouse. In the 1820s, the congregation relocated to the south side of Washington Square, remaining there until the late 1920s, when it moved to 15th and Locust Streets.

Following the Civil War, Second Presbyterian Church built a new sanctuary at 21st and Walnut Streets. In 1949, the two congregations merged, continuing under the name First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia while worshiping in the former Second Presbyterian Church building.