St. Augustine Church, Philadelphia
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| St. Augustine's Catholic Church | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | 4th and New Streets., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1848 |
| Architect: | Napoleon LeBrun |
| Architectural style(s): | Italian Revival, Palladian |
| Added to NRHP: | June 15, 1976 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 76001670 |
| Governing body: | Private |
St. Augustine Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Consecrated in 1848, the Palladian style church was designed by Napoleon LeBrun and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church was built to replace the Old St. Augustine Church which was completed in 1801. The first Order of Hermits of St. Augustine church founded in the United States, the original St Augustine housed the Liberty Bell's "Sister Bell". The church was burned down in anti-Catholic riot on May 8, 1844 in the Philadelphia Nativist Riots. The church sued the city of Philadelphia for not providing and the church with adequate protection. The money awarded to the church went to rebuilding the current church which broke ground on May 27, 1847. Organizations founded by the church led to the creation of both Villanova University and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
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[edit] History
[edit] Old church
Fathers Matthew Carr and John Rosseter were sent to Philadelphia by the Roman Catholic Church to buy land build a church in the city. St. Augustine's Church began construction in 1796 and was the first the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine church founded in the United States. After delays as a result of yellow fever outbreaks among the workers and funding issues, the church was completed in 1801. Among the contributors for the funding of the construction of St. Augustine's included George Washington, John Barry, Stephen Girard, and Thomas Fitzsimons.[1]
In 1811 the St. Augustine Academy, a boy's school, was founded, the school included the largest theological library in the city. The origins of Villanova University are traced back to St. Augustine Academy. The church became a center of musical activity in the city.[1] In 1820 a musical celebration to raise funds for the church attracted attention and musicians around the United States. On May 27, 1821 Bishop Henry Conwell excommunicated William Hogan at the church.[2] A cupola and tower was added to the church in 1829. Loaned to the church in the late 1820s by Independence Hall, the "Sister Bell", a bell that was cast to replace the Liberty Bell, was placed in St. Augustine's tower.[1]
By the 1840s Philadelphia's Irish Catholic population was growing rapidly due to immigrants from Europe settling in the city. In 1838, half the church's parishioners were Irish-born and only one-sixth of St. Augustine's parishioners were born in the United States. The rising immigrant and Catholic population was fueling nativist and anti-Catholic groups in Philadelphia. Tensions spread by untrue rumors that Catholics were trying to ban the Bible from public schools led to the Nativist Riots of 1844. Violence beginning on May 6 in the Kensington District eventually led to a mob gathering in front of St Augustine's Church on May 8. The city troop had stationed itself near the church and Mayor John Morin Scott pleaded to rioters for calm. Despite Mayor Scott's pleas he was pelted with rocks and the church was set on fire. The church was destroyed, the crowd cheering when the cupola fell. The St. Augustine Academy, including many of its rare books, was also destroyed.[3][4]
[edit] Current church
| Pastor | Years of appointment |
|---|---|
| Matthew Carr | 1801–1820 |
| Michael Hurley | 1820–1837 |
| Nicholas O'Donnell | 1837–1839 |
| Patrick Eugene Moriarty | 1839–1844 |
| John Possidius O'Dwyer | 1844–1850 |
| Patrick Eugene Moriarty | 1850–1855 |
| Patrick Augustine Stanton | 1855–1857 |
| Ambrose Augustine Mullen | 1857–1861 |
| Mark Crane | 1861–1871 |
| Peter Crane | 1871–? |
| Joseph S. Mostardi | 2003–Present |
| Sources: John T. Scharf, History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884[2] and Augustinians, Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova[5] |
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During the three months after the church was destroyed, St. Augustine's congregation was allowed to use St. Joseph's Fathers Church. Three months after the riot a new temporary church, the chapel of Our Lady of Consolidation, was built. The friars of St. Augustine sued the city of Philadelphia for not providing the church enough protection during the riots, claiming US$80,000 in damages. The city argued that the friars could not claim their civil rights were violated as the Order of St. Augustine were a foreign organization under the Pope. Furthermore the city argued that the friars took a vow of poverty and could not be property owners. The Augustinians ended up proving the Order St. Augustine was incorporated in 1804 and was awarded US$45,000.[1]
Construction on the new church began on May 27, 1847 and the church was completed in December of 1848. The church was consecrated by Bishop Francis Kenrick and Archbishop John Hughes presided over High Mass. The church continued to be a center of musical activity. A choral director at St. Augustine founded the Choral Society of Philadelphia, which would eventually turn into the Philadelphia Orchestra. Philadelphia's first performance of George Frideric Handel's Messiah was held at the church.[1]
On June 15, 1976 St. Augustine's Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6] Ever since December 1992, the month an exact replica of Santo Niño de Cebú was dedicated, Filipino Catholics from Philadelphia and the city's suburbs have held a special mass. Also in December 1992 a severe storm severely damaged the church's steeple. Debris from the steeple fell right onto the Benjamin Franklin Bridge which had to be closed for three days. The damage was severe enough the church's steeple had to be disassembled and removed.[7] As a result from a hole in the ceiling the church and the art inside suffered water damage.[1] A new steeple was erected on October 18, 1995.[8]
[edit] Architecture
The Old St. Augustine Church was designed by Nicholas Fagan, whose father-in-law, lumber merchant John Walsh, provided most of the lumber for the church. The church was designed in Roman Style and was twenty-five feet long and sixty-two feet wide. The tower and cupola added in 1829 was designed by William Strickland who also designed the Merchant's Exchange and the Second Bank of the United States.[2]
The current church was designed by architect Napoleon LeBrun who also designed the Academy of Music. The church is an example of Palladian architecture. The main arched altar consist of white marble with shafts of Mexican onyx that border the tabernacle. Framing the altar is an archway supported by Corinthian columns. Above the altar sits a domed skylight. Stained-glass windows, each dedicated to a saint, allow in throughout the church.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Olde St. Augustine Church. Independence Hall Association. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ a b c Scharf, John Thomas; Thompson Westcott (1884). History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884. L. H. Everts & co., Pages 1376 - 1379.
- ^ Margaret E. Fitzgerald (1992). The Philadelphia Nativists Riots. Irish Cultural Society of the Garden City Area. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Peixotto, Ernest C.; Agnes Repplier (1898). Philadelphia: The Place and the People. The Macmillan Company, Pages 348 - 349.
- ^ New Ministries at Old Saint Augustine Church. Augustinians, Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Landry, Peter (December 13 1992). In Phila., Storm had Historic Impact St. Augustine's Damage Steeple will Come Down Today. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Tobia, Peter (October 19 1995). A Church, a Steeple and Many Thankful People. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
[edit] External links
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