George W. South Memorial Episcopal Church of the Advocate
http://www.churchoftheadvocate.org/history-of-the-church.html
An anchor in largely African-American North Philadelphia, the first Episcopal Church in the world to ordain women, the George W. South Memorial Church of the Advocate is a landmark in the religious, social and architectural history of the United States. Built as a memorial to the merchant and civil leader George W. South, the church was the centerpiece of a sprawling complex including a chapel, parish house, curacy and rectory. Once intended to serve as the Episcopal Cathedral of Philadelphia, The Church of the Advocate is one of the best American examples of Gothic Revival style and the only major one of its period based systematically on French sources.
No other church in America has been built in such a grand scale specifically for the working class. Also, none offers such a comprehensive repertoire of the Gothic Revival architecture: complete programs of lavish architectural sculpture; stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell, one of the leading English firms of the period; a full apparatus of flying buttresses and an orientation to the true East. The church demonstrates the Ruskinian doctrine of involving workmen in the design process, echoing the socially progressive programs that are part of the Advocate’s history and in contrast to the industrial, mechanized age in which it was created.
Editor's Note
This is an amazing building. I'm including it as a tourist destination... To see a great photograph of the interior of the church, click the link at the top of this page.
Stan 06:19, 5 June 2011 (EDT)
See Also
Info
Address:
1801 W. Diamond St.
Philadelphia, PA 19121-1509
Phone: 215-978-8000
Fax: 215-978-8008
Email: office@churchoftheadvocate.org