Guide to the Evangelical Society of Philadelphia Records
Open for research.
To browse this collection's digital content visit Pearl.
Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.
In 1806, the Rev. Archibald Alexander, pastor of Philadelphia's Pine Street Church, founded the Evangelical Society of Philadelphia. Its purpose was to establish a black Presbyterian congregation in the city; to build a house of worship and to find a black pastor. In 1807 John Gloucester, a noted black preacher from Tennessee, arrived in Philadelphia, and the Society began recruiting subscribers for the erection of a church. In 1811 the First African Church of Philadelphia was dedicated, with Gloucester as pastor and a congregation of 123 people.
Record Group 313 contains records of the Evangelical Society from 1809-1815, including reports, lists of subscribers, and circular letters. It is arranged chronologically.
To browse this collection's digitized content visit Pearl.
Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not have been digitized in their entirety.
Related collections include RG 314, records of the First African Church of Philadelphia.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared: September 1992
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist
| Box | Folder | Description | Alternative Formats |
| 1 | 1 | Finding Aid to Record Group 313 | |
| The manuscripts in this collection are fragile and should be handled with care. Facsimiles are available in folders 2-5. | |||
| 1 | 2 | Photocopies of manuscripts, 1809 | |
| 1 | 3 | Photocopies of manuscripts, 1810 | |
| 1 | 4 | Photocopies of manuscripts, 1811 | |
| 1 | 5 | Photocopies of manuscripts, 1815, undated | |
| 1 | 6 | Manuscripts, 1809 | Digital |
| 1 | 7 | Manuscripts, 1810 | |
| 1 | 8 | Manuscripts, 1811 | |
| 1 | 9 | Manuscripts, 1815, undated |