Church of the Advocate

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George W. South Memorial Protestant Episcopal Church of the Advocate
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Location: 18th & Diamond Sts.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 39°59′9″N 75°9′49″W / 39.98583, -75.16361Coordinates: 39°59′9″N 75°9′49″W / 39.98583, -75.16361
Built/Founded: 1887
Architect: Charles Marquedant Burns; Arthur H. Williams & Sons
Architectural style(s): Gothic Revival
Added to NRHP: February 08, 1980
NRHP Reference#: 80003620[1]
Governing body: Private

The George W. South Memorial Church of the Advocate, also known as the George W. South Memorial Protestant Episcopal Church, is a historic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The church was built from 1887 to 1897 as a memorial to the merchant and civil leader George W. South. The church was designed by Charles Marquedant Burns (1838 – 1922), a prominent church architect in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was intended to serve as the Episcopal Cathedral of Philadelphia.[2]

The church was the site in 1974 of the first ordinations of women as priests in the Episcopal Church.[3]

Murals at the Church of the Advocate
Murals at the Church of the Advocate

The church contains a series of 14 murals depicting vignettes of the Black experience in America, including slavery, emancipation, and scenes from the Civil Rights Movement. They were painted between 1973 and 1976 by Philadelphia artists Walter Edmonds and Richard Watson.

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 19, 1996.

The Church of the Advocate serves as host space for Art Sanctuary, a Black art performance program in the heart of the Black community.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Philadelphia Portal
  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
  2. ^ Listing as a National Historic Landmark at the National Park Service.
  3. ^ "Woman in the News: Advocate of Equality, Barbara C. Harris", New York Times, by Peter Steinfels, September 26, 1988.

[edit] External links

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