Arch Street Meeting House
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The meetinghouse was built in 1804 on a burial ground granted by William Penn in 1701. It has been continuously used as a place of worship and center for activities of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) of the Philadelphia region.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
This brick meetinghouse rose in 1804 on ground William Penn had set aside as a Quaker burial place in 1701, at the very heart of the colony he founded as a haven for the Religious Society of Friends. For more than two centuries it has served without interruption as a place of worship and a gathering point for Philadelphia's Quaker community.
Why it matters
As one of the oldest continuously used Quaker meetinghouses in the country, it embodies the tradition of religious freedom on which Penn's "holy experiment" of Pennsylvania was built.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Betsy Ross Housenearby · 239 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Paradigm Gallery + Studio0.1 mi away · 12 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Illadelph Glass Gallery0.1 mi away · 68 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Muse Gallery0.1 mi away · 52 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Museum of Illusions Philadelphia0.1 mi away · 401 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Larry Becker Contemporary Art0.2 mi away · 43 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
Attractions
- Benjamin Franklin Grave0.1 mi away
- U.S. Mint at Philadelphia Tour0.1 mi away
- Elfreth's Alley0.2 mi away
- President's House0.3 mi away
- Second Bank of the United States0.3 mi away · 420 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- First Bank of the United States0.3 mi away · 120 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
Food & drink
- 3J's Cafe0.1 mi away · 317 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Bubble Tea Room0.1 mi away · 319 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- PrimoHoagies0.2 mi away · 304 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Fork0.2 mi away · 306 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Mall Cafe0.2 mi away · 50 North Independence Mall East, Philadelphia
- Menagerie Coffee0.2 mi away · 18 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- Wyndham Philadelphia Historic Districtnearby · 400 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- The Philadelphia House0.2 mi away · 17 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Penn's View Hotel0.2 mi away · 14 North Front Street, Philadelphia
- Apple Hostels0.2 mi away · 33 Bank Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Best Western Plus Independence Park Hotel0.2 mi away · 237 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Apple Hostels Philadelphia0.2 mi away · 32 South Bank Street, Philadelphia, PA
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Related people
- · William Penn
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Kahal Kodosh Mikveh Israel
Philadelphia, PA · est. 1991
Congregation Mikveh Israel traces its roots to about 1740, when Philadelphia's small community of Jewish settlers first gathered to worship in rented rooms. In 1782, in the young republic taking shape after independence, they built the city's first synagogue on this ground. One of the oldest congregations in the nation, it wove Jewish life into the fabric of colonial and early American Philadelphia.
Haym Salomon (1740-1785)
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Haym Salomon arrived in America around 1772, an immigrant who threw himself into the Revolutionary cause and was twice imprisoned by the British. From Philadelphia he worked as a broker and money-lender, extending enormous credit to help keep the struggling war effort and the young government solvent. Active in the city's Jewish community, he was never repaid and died in debt.
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Mathew Carey emigrated from Ireland to Philadelphia in 1784 and built one of the young nation's most influential publishing houses, operating his print shop on this site for two decades. A prolific writer and political economist, he championed American manufacturing, protective tariffs, and a strong national bank. In 1793 he helped found the Hibernian Society, which aided newly arrived Irish immigrants.
David Salisbury Franks (c.1740-1793)
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David Salisbury Franks was among the small number of Jewish officers to serve the American cause during the Revolution, rising to major and serving as aide-de-camp to General Benedict Arnold. When Arnold's treason was exposed, suspicion inevitably fell on the men closest to him, and Franks endured investigation before being formally cleared and going on to diplomatic service. He died in Philadelphia's 1793 yellow fever epidemic and, having no coreligionists to bury him, was laid to rest at Christ Church by a Christian neighbor.