Portal:Philadelphia/Selected picture archive/15

Christ Church, 2008

Christ Church is an Episcopal church in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1695 as a parish of the Church of England, it played an integral role in the founding of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. In 1785, its rector, William White, became the first Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. From 1754 to 1810, the church's 196-foot (60 m.) tower and steeple was the tallest structure in North America. Christ Church's congregation included 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Revolutionary War leaders who attended Christ Church include George Washington, Robert Morris, and Benjamin Franklin. Christ Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.