Christ Church
2nd Street above Market

Established on November 15, 1695, Christ Church was the only Church of England parish in the city of Philadelphia. The present building was started in 1727 and completed in 1744. The Tower and steeple, financed in part by lotteries managed by Benjamin Franklin was completed in 1754. The building is an outstanding example of colonial architecture in the Georgian spirit. With a 180- foot steeple, Christ Church was once the tallest structure in North America. The sanctuary, a luminous, two -tiered expanse of white-painted pews, Palladian windows and fluted columns, contains the pews of Betsy Ross and George Washington. It also features an octagonal baptismal font, a gift from a London church, where William Penn was baptized as an infant.