Saint Mary's Church, Hamilton Village
The church is a remnant of the Hamilton Village neighborhood that existed in West Philadelphia prior to being subsumed by the University. The land was given to the church by the Hamilton family for whom the town was named.
Background
Founded in the early 19th century to serve as a summer congregation for Philadelphians who were vacationing west of the Schuylkill River, it soon had year-round services. The current building dates from 1872 and the parish hall from 1896. During the mid-19th century the parish became a focal point for the Anglo-Catholic movement, which the Rector and congregation supported. St. Mary's played a leading role in supporting African-American civil rights, the anti-war movement of the Vietnam era, women's ordination within the Episcopal Church, and the lesbian/gay community's quest for full acceptance.
A former rector, the Rev. John Scott, was known for having performed an exorcism of the Philadelphia campaign headquarters of Richard Nixon, and was the founder of the Philadelphia Third Order Franciscans, a worldwide lay religious community. In the 1970s the parish was host to the local chapter of IntegrityUSA, immediately after the chapter's founding, and before the chapter moved to Center City. Due to its proximity to the Philadelphia Divinity School (which has now merged with Episcopal Divinity School and closed its facilities in Philadelphia), many seminarians often attended services here in the days immediately preceding the ordination of the Philadelphia Eleven and the eventual admission of women to the priesthood in 1976.
The church houses St. Mary's Nursery School and formerly hosted Neighborhood Bike Works and the Bearded Ladies Cabaret. The sanctuary is often used for concerts, such as the long-running, Gatherings Concert Series.
See also
References
- ^ Saint Mary's Episcopal Church
- ^ History of Hamilton Village
- ^ Philadelphia Neighborhoods
- ^ 07/11/06, Deaths - Almanac, Vol. 53, No. 1
- ^ August-September1976 [HTML]
- ^ King, Allison (2015-02-06). "Bike Works". Partners for Sacred Places. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
External links
- Official website
- St. Mary's Nursery School official website
- The Gatherings Concert Series
- Guidebook to St. Mary's Church, Hamilton Village (1946)
- Directory for St. Mary's Church, Hamilton Village 1928-1949
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1642, "St. Mary's Protestant Episcopal Church, 3916 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA", 3 photos, 1 photo caption page