Christ Church

Welcome! Christ Church, founded in 1695, is a wonderful place to explore Colonial and Revolution-Era history. Its burial ground, which includes the tomb of Benjamin Franklin, is an authentic historic site for learning about the lives of early Americans.

The original church structure was a small brick and wooden structure that fit into its Quaker-dominated surroundings in the late 1600s. The current church was started in 1727, and has long been considered one of the finest Georgian structures in America. The steeple, financed by a lottery organized by Benjamin Franklin, was the tallest structure in the colonies for 56 years.

The interior of the church is as impressive as the exterior. It includes the baptismal font from the 1300s donated by All Hallows Church London in which William Penn was baptized, a pulpit from 1769 built by Thomas Folwell and a chandelier still in use since its installation in 1740.

Those who worshiped regularly at Christ Church include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Robert Morris, Absalom Jones, Benjamin Rush, John Penn (William Penn's grandson), Francis Hopkinson and many others.

The church today is still an active Episcopal parish and also the location of daily talks for visitors about the history of the church.

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