St. Peter's Church

St. Peter’s Church is a historic Episcopal landmark. Founded in newly developed Society Hill to relieve overcrowding at Christ Church.

St. Peter’s became an important gathering place during the Revolutionary era, serving many of Philadelphia’s Founding Fathers and members of the Continental Congresses. 

The church retains much of its 18th-century Georgian interior, including its original high-backed box pews. 

The churchyard contains the graves of numerous prominent Philadelphians, including financier Nicholas Biddle, naval hero Stephen Decatur, artist Charles Willson Peale, and many political, military, religious, and cultural figures. It also contains the remains of eight Native American chiefs who died in Philadelphia during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic.

Today, St. Peter’s remains an active Episcopal parish and preserves a remarkable connection between colonial Philadelphia, the American Revolution, the development of the Episcopal Church, and the diverse people who shaped the early city.