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George Fox created the Religious Society of Friends in England during the 17th century in opposition to the Church of England. Quakers — as the Friends became known — embraced equality as a religious tenet, believing there is “that of God” in every human.
Bringing with him concepts of peace, equality and simplicity, Quaker William Penn founded Pennsylvania in 1682, aiming to create a free, equal and democratic society. Back across the pond, Quakers faced persecution for their beliefs and wanted to find a place where they could practice their religion freely. Many came to a growing America.
Arch Street Meeting House — located on land Penn originally deeded to be a Friends burial ground — was built in the 1800s to accommodate Philadelphia’s expanding Quaker community. Today, the National Historic Landmark continues to serve as an active place of Quaker worship.
After undergoing a renovation for the Semiquincentennial, the attraction now hosts a small museum that tells the stories of the revolutionary impact early Quakers had in carving out the nation’s path to democracy.
Visitors can see the original 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery — the country’s first — plus interactive exhibits about Quaker beliefs and a preserved interior space, including horsehair-filled cushions from the 1700s.
Read on for a guide to the history-making Arch Street Meeting House.
Arch Street Meeting House sits on two acres of land, with the grounds surrounding the building offering a place for quiet contemplation, including mature trees, a historic brick pathway and a grassy lawn.
— Photo courtesy Arch Street Meeting House
The land remains the final resting place for approximately 20,000 Philadelphians, many who succumbed during the Yellow Fever Epidemic in 1793. Visitors may notice an occasional grave marker, but Quakers shun adornment, even in the form of tombstones.
Arch Street’s architecture follows Quaker views of simplicity, with a bench-lined meeting space to hold those who worship in silence. As Quakers do not have religious hierarchies, there’s no need for an altar to hold clergy.
The first burial at this site happened in 1683, with Penn deeding the land in 1701 to become a Friends burial ground.
Early Philadelphia Quakers would often meet in private homes to worship, but as the Quaker community continued to grow, a need arose to provide a meeting space where larger groups of Friends could gather to worship.
Prominent Philadelphia Quaker and master builder Owen Biddle Jr. designed and built the meeting house in 1804, mixing Georgian style with simple Quaker aesthetics. The onsite museum displays an exhibit detailing the building’s architecture and features some of Biddle’s original tools, including a square and a compass.
Biddle began his design of the meeting house in 1803, with construction happening in stages until the three-room building was completed in 1811.
Once built, Arch Street Meeting House would become the central hub for the region’s Quaker community, serving as a vital gathering spot for Quakers advocating for equality and social justice reforms.
A historic marker on the site memorializes the Philadelphia Conference of Quakers who gathered at Arch Street in 1979 to plan the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, garnering 100,000 demonstrators to march.
The museum opens daily from 10 a.m to 4 p.m., with the grounds free and open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to dusk. The site suggests a donation of $2 to $5, but does not require a donation for access.
Sunday worship happens from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., and all are welcome.
For more on Arch Street Meeting House, click the button below.
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