Free previewStop 6 of Philadelphia Walking Tour: Independence Hall to Elfreth's Alley
How Do You Make a Bishop Without a King?
You're on North 2nd Street in Old City, standing in front of Christ Church. Tip your head back and follow that white steeple all the way up. When it was finished in 1754, it stood 196 feet tall, which made it the tallest building in what would become the United States. For years, the highest point in the colonies belonged to the Church of England.
That's the problem at the heart of this story. Christ Church was founded in 1695 as a Church of England parish, and the Church of England had a head: the king. Yet the congregation that filled these pews included 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence. George Washington and Robert Morris worshipped here, and brass plaques still mark the pews where they sat.
So when the war ended, the church faced an odd question.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 6 of Philadelphia Walking Tour: Independence Hall to Elfreth's Alley (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
