African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Philadelphia

#124 among attractions in Philadelphia

Church

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Facts and practical information

The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas was founded in 1792 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the first black Episcopal Church in the United States. Its congregation developed from the Free African Society, a non-denominational group formed by blacks who had left St. George's Methodist Church because of discrimination and segregation by class. They were led by Absalom Jones, a free black and lay Methodist preacher. As his congregation became established, he was ordained in 1802 by Presiding Bishop William White as the first black priest in the Episcopal Church. Bishop White also ordained William Levington as a deacon at this church, although he soon became a missionary in the South, establishing St. James Church in Baltimore in 1824. ()

Coordinates: 39°59'14"N, 75°15'4"W

Address

6361 Lancaster AvenueWest Philadelphia (Overbrook)Philadelphia United States

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Day trips

African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: City Line Avenue Bridge, Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship, Merion Botanical Park.

0.4 miW
Bridge
City Line Avenue Bridge, Philadelphia
12 min walk • City Line Avenue Bridge is a historic concrete barrel arch bridge spanning the East Branch of Indian Creek and located in the Overbrook Farms neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1913, and is a single-span bridge. The barrel arch measures 20-foot-wide.
0.9 miNE
Park, Art museum, Museum
Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
23 min walk • The Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation is an arboretum and the former site of the Barnes Foundation art gallery located at 300 North Latch's Lane, Merion, Pennsylvania with entrance at 50 Lapsley Lane.
0.5 miNE
Mosque
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship, Philadelphia
14 min walk • The Mosque of Shaikh M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the grounds of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship. The building of the mosque took 6 months and was done by the members of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship under the direction of M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.
0.5 miN
Botanical garden, Park
Merion Botanical Park, Philadelphia
14 min walk • The Merion Botanical Park is a city park and botanical garden located at 100 Merion Road, Merion, Pennsylvania, USA. It is open daily without charge.
0.9 miN
Synagogue, Modernist architecture
Temple Adath Israel of the Main Line, Philadelphia
23 min walk • Temple Adath Israel of the Main Line is a Conservative synagogue located in Merion, Pennsylvania with 800 families. The synagogue offers religious services, pre-school, Hebrew Sunday school, adult education, and community programming. It was founded in 1946 and moved to its current location in 1953.
1.2 miNE
Colonial revival architecture
Wynnestay, Philadelphia
31 min walk • Wynnestay or Wynnstay is a historic house, one of the oldest extant houses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two-and-a-half-story house was first built in 1689 as the residence of Dr.
1.6 miNE
Theater, Egyptian revival architecture
Bala Theatre, Philadelphia
41 min walk • Bala Theatre is a historic 1926 theater building at 157 Bala Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Philadelphia architectural firm Hoffman-Henon. The 1,450-seat theater opened as an Egyptian Theatre on September 15, 1926. It features Egyptian Revival architecture stylings.
1.2 miS
Church
St. Donato Roman Catholic Church, Philadelphia
32 min walk • St. Donato Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1910, is a Catholic parish in Overbrook, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The parish is still a Personal Parish within the archdiocese. The current pastor is Rev. Ferdinand Buccafurni.
1.2 miNE
Library
Lower Merion Library System, Philadelphia
31 min walk • The Lower Merion Library System is the public library system of the township of Lower Merion, in Pennsylvania. It is among the largest public library systems in Pennsylvania. While Lower Merion accounts for 7% of the population of Montgomery County, it accounts for 20% of its library circulation.
0.8 miS
Colonial revival architecture
Lewis C. Cassidy School, Philadelphia
22 min walk • Lewis C. Cassidy Academics Plus School is a historic elementary school located in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is part of the School District of Philadelphia. The building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine and built in 1922–1924.
0.5 miE
Neoclassical architecture
Dimner Beeber Middle School, Philadelphia
13 min walk • Dimner Beeber Middle School was a historic middle school located in the Wynnefield neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is part of the School District of Philadelphia. The building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine and built in 1931–1932.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which popular attractions are close to African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas?

Nearby attractions include Overbrook, Philadelphia (2 min walk), Overbrook Farms, Philadelphia (4 min walk), City Line Avenue Bridge, Philadelphia (12 min walk), Dimner Beeber Middle School, Philadelphia (13 min walk).

How to get to African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas by public transport?

The nearest stations to African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas:

Train

Overbrook (5 min walk)
Merion (19 min walk)

Bus

Malvern Avenue & 63rd Street (9 min walk)

Tram

Malvern Avenue & 63rd Street • Lines: 10 (9 min walk)
63rd Street & Jefferson Street • Lines: 10 (18 min walk)