Saint Clement's Church (Philadelphia) facts for kids

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Saint Clement's Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


Location	2013 Appletree Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Built	1856–1859
Architect	John Notman
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.	70000555
Added to NRHP	1970

Saint Clement's Church is a very old and important church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Logan Square area. This church is part of the Episcopal faith.

The church was designed by a famous architect named John Notman. It was built starting in 1856. When it was first built, it had a tall, pointy tower called a spire. This spire was over 200 feet (about 61 meters) high! But it was too heavy for the church's base. So, it had to be taken down in 1869.

In 1929, something amazing happened. The whole church building, which weighs about 5,000 tons, was moved! Workers lifted it onto steel rollers. They moved it 40 feet (about 12 meters) to the west. This was done to make room for a wider street. Saint Clement's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1970. This means it is a special historical site.

History of Saint Clement's Church
Architecture of Saint Clement's
- Moving the Church Building
- Inside the Church
Liturgy and Services
Rectors of Saint Clement's Church
Images for kids
See also

History of Saint Clement's Church

St. Clement's in an 1863 photo. You can see its original tall tower and spire.

The official group for Saint Clement's Church was created on September 13, 1855. The first leader of the church was Reverend Henry S. Spackman. He started his job on January 1, 1856. The first stone of the church building was placed on May 12, 1856. A bishop named Alonzo Potter led this special event.

The land for the church was given by William S. Wilson. He was a businessman who owned a lot of land in that part of the city. He wanted a church built there. He thought it would make the area more attractive for people to live in.

Building the Church

Saint Clement's was one of three Episcopal churches designed by architect John Notman in Philadelphia. He also designed other important buildings. Notman believed that different church styles fit different types of worship. He designed Saint Clement's in the Romanesque Revival style. This style was often used for churches with a more traditional worship. Like his other churches, Saint Clement's was built using brownstone.

When the church's first stone was laid, the area was mostly open fields. There were not many houses nearby. The city's streets had not yet spread far west. The church building took three years to finish. This was because they often ran out of money. At one point, work stopped completely. The building stood without a roof for a long time. Finally, the church opened for services in January 1859. It was officially made sacred on April 12, 1864.

Changes in Worship Style

In 1869, a new leader named Hermon Griswold Batterson arrived. He brought new ideas to the church. These ideas were part of a movement called the Oxford Movement. This movement encouraged more traditional Catholic practices within the Church of England.

These changes included using colorful robes during services. They also lit candles on the altar during Mass. People would also kneel before the special bread and wine. These new practices caused some disagreements. Some people in the church did not like these changes. They thought they were too "Catholic."

There was a big disagreement between two groups in the church. One group wanted to keep the church more traditional. The other group wanted to remove Batterson. Even though many people supported the traditional group, they could not remove him easily. Eventually, the church's leaders voted to remove Batterson. But they did not follow all the rules. This made many people upset.

After this, the church leaders changed. New leaders were chosen who supported the traditional style. Theodore M. Riley became the new leader. He continued to bring more traditional practices to Saint Clement's.

Helping the Community

From 1876 to 1891, a group of priests called the Cowley Fathers led the church. They did a lot of work to help poor and needy people in Philadelphia. This work may have helped the church avoid more criticism for its traditional practices.

One priest, Father Charles Neale Field, started a group called the Guild of the Iron Cross. This group was for working men and boys. It helped thousands of men across the United States. The group focused on good behavior and helping others. It was also a fun place for recreation. Saint Clement's was near many factories. So, many working families were part of the church.

Saint Clement's was also one of the first churches in the city to welcome everyone. Unlike other churches, it did not have separate services for African-Americans. Father Field was known for helping people of color. This showed that the church had a long history of being open to everyone.

Another leader, Father Basil Maturin, wanted to open a hospital for adults. They started with a small clinic in 1885. It was open in the evenings so working people could visit. The only rule was that you had to be poor and sick. The hospital grew. But it became too expensive for the church to run. Later, the building was sold to a group of sisters. They used it as a mission house.

A New Era of Growth

The Cowley Fathers left Saint Clement's in 1891. In 1895, Reverend George Herbert Moffett became the new leader. He brought a time of growth for the church. He built the current clergy house. He also started using the term "Mass" officially. He added the first side altar in the church.

In 1895, Saint Clement's became the first church in its area to keep the special bread and wine (Blessed Sacrament) in the church at all times. This is called "perpetual reservation." Moffett served until he passed away in 1904.

Later in the 20th century, the area around the church changed. Factories closed, and families moved away. Saint Clement's became more of a "shrine church." People from far away would travel to attend its traditional services.

Today, the neighborhood is growing again. Many young people and families are moving nearby. Saint Clement's continues to be a welcoming church. It still follows the traditional Anglo-Catholic style. This means it has beautiful worship services with music, incense, bells, and a professional choir. Mass is held every day.

Architecture of Saint Clement's

The way Saint Clement's Church was built is very interesting. The main entrance of a church is usually on the west side. But Saint Clement's land was in the middle of a city block. The architect, John Notman, wanted to keep the church facing east for religious reasons. So, he put the main entrance on the east side, where the rounded part (apse) of the church is.

The front of the church has a bell tower. It also has a rounded section with arches. This section has large stained glass windows. The bell tower once had a tall spire, over 200 feet high. But it was too heavy and was removed in 1869.

The main part of the church, called the nave, is very tall. It has arched windows in the Romanesque style. Strong supports called buttresses are on the outside walls. The roofs of the church are made of gray slate. There are also small decorative towers on the roof.

In the early 1900s, the roof of the rounded section was raised about 15 feet. This was done to add a large artwork above the main altar. This artwork is called a triptych. The church's roof and supports were also rebuilt around this time. The old ones were falling apart.

Moving the Church Building

In 1929, the City of Philadelphia decided to make North 20th Street wider. Saint Clement's Church was in the way. To save the church, its leaders decided to move it. They bought and tore down two houses next to the church. Then, the huge church building was lifted onto steel beams. It was moved 40 feet to the west. A new foundation was built for it. The actual move happened between July 11 and July 16, 1929.

Inside the Church

The inside of the church is very grand. It has a large, carved oak screen behind the main altar. This screen was added in 1908. It has a triptych, which is a three-part artwork. The middle part shows Jesus on the cross.

To the south of the main altar is the Lady Chapel. This chapel has its own altar. It has statues of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and Saint Elizabeth. In the main part of the church, there is a tall shrine to Our Lady of Clemency. It has a statue of the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven. There are also shrines dedicated to Saint Clement I and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The church also has a large pipe organ with 51 ranks of pipes. It was installed in 1914.

Liturgy and Services

Saint Clement's Church uses the English Missal for its services. This is an English translation of an older Catholic Mass. A shorter service called Low Mass is offered every day. A longer, more formal service called High Mass or Sung Mass is held every Sunday. It is also held on most major feast days. In the evenings, a service called Evening Prayer is said. This is followed by special prayers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Clemency.