Dear Neighbor,
Since 1761, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church has worshiped at the corner of Third and Pine Streets and served the people of this neighborhood and city. Forty years ago, we had an average Sunday attendance of about 35. Today, almost 200 people attend three services at St. Peter’s each Sunday morning. Our congregation totals more than 300 people. Simply, we have outgrown our space.
In order to grow the fellowship of our congregation and our outreach to the community, we have hired architectural firm KieranTimberlake to design a new building on the northwest corner of Third and Lombard Streets, currently the site of the church parking lot. KieranTimberlake is a Philadelphia-based firm known for its thoughtful commitment to environmentally sustainable construction. Our goal is to build a welcoming, beautiful parish house, constructed with natural materials and careful attention to the aesthetics of our neighborhood.
No plans have been generated yet, but we wish to hear your hopes and/or concerns at this stage. We’d like to invite you to a public meeting of the Society Hill Civic Association’s Zoning & Historic Preservation Committee at 7 p.m. Monday, November 14 at Society Hill Synagogue, 418 Spruce Street (use the entrance on the side walkway). Architects from KieranTimberlake and members of the church’s Architect Task Force will attend the meeting to listen, gather information, and answer your questions.
There will be other public meetings in future months, and we will post regular updates online at www.stpetersphila.org/building. On our website, you can submit questions and also sign up for our St. Peter’s Building mailing list to receive updates and notices of future meetings.
Peace,
The Rev. Claire Nevin-Field
Rector of St. Peter’s Church
St. Peter’s Church Architect Liaison Task Force:
Katherine Hansen, Emy Halpert, Kate Julyan, Jim Keller, Lathrop Nelson, Peggy Hatch, Vincent DiPentino, Rick Fitzgerald, Sean Lanigan