Twelfth Street Meeting House
| Twelfth Street Meeting House | |
|---|---|
 Twelfth Street Meeting House, in its original location. | |
 | |
| Former names | Central Philadelphia Meeting House Friends Institute |
| Alternative names | George School Meeting House |
| General information | |
| Type | Quaker meeting house |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Location | Original location:
Current location:
|
| Country |  United States |
| Coordinates | Original location:
Current location: |
| Completed | 1812–13 |
| Relocated | 1972–74 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Abraham Carlisle (1755) John D. Smith (1812-13)[1] |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect(s) | Charles S. Hough (1972-74)[2] |
Twelfth Street Meeting House was a Quaker meeting house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built on the west side of 12th Street, south of Market, 1812–14; it was dismantled and relocated to Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1972–74. It survives as the meeting house for The George School.
History
The Philadelphia Greater Meeting House was built at the southwest corner of 2nd and Market Streets in 1755. It was designed by carpenter Abraham Carlisle, and built by Carlisle and his apprentice, Isaac Coates.[3] In 1812, it was dismantled by carpenter John D. Smith; and its roof trusses, windows, doors, and other architectural elements were used in construction of the Twelfth Street Meeting House.
From 1874 to 1925, the meeting house was in daily use by the adjacent William Penn Charter School, a Quaker private school for boys. The school moved to a suburban campus in 1925, and its school building at the southwest corner of 12th and Market Streets was demolished to build the PSFS Building (1930).
Relocation
In 1956, the Twelfth Street Meeting and the Race Street Meeting merged to form the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. The two bodies consolidated at the Race Street Meeting House, making the 12th Street building superfluous. The land on which it stood was sold in 1969.
The building embodied more than 200 years of Philadelphia Quaker history, and there was a strong movement to preserve it. Architect Charles S. Hough supervised the dismantling of the building in 1972. In addition to the architectural elements, the bricks were salvaged and reused.[4]
References
- ^ John D. Smith, from Philadelphia Architects and Buildings.
- ^ Mark Franek, "Who Moved the Twelfth Street Meetinghouse?" Archived 2010-01-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ One of the floorboards found in the 1972 relocation was signed "1755 AC + IC."
- ^ Obituaries: "Charles Hough," The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 20, 2016.
External links
- Twelfth Street Meeting House, from Historic American Buildings Survey.
- Twelfth Street Meeting House, from Philadelphia Architects and Buildings.