Making History
Today
An anchor in largely
African-American North Philadelphia, the site of the first ordination
of the first women priests in the Episcopal
Church, the George W. South Memorial Church of the Advocate (1887-1897)
is a landmark in the religious, social and architectural history
of the United States. Born of the greatest single act of religious
philanthropy in the history of Philadelphia at the time, the Church
of the Advocate was built as a memorial to the merchant and civil
leader George W. South. Its architect was Charles Burns one of
the most prominent ecclesiastical architects in the late 19th
and early
20th century. The church is the centerpiece of a sprawling complex
including a chapel, parish house, curacy and newly constructed
multi-purpose building (the Paul and Christine Washington Family
and Community
Center).
No other church
in America has been built in such a grand scale specifically for
the working class. Also, none exhibits such
a wide range of the
canonical elements of Gothic Revival architecture: lavish architectural
sculpture; stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell, one of
the leading English firms of the period; a full apparatus of flying
buttresses
and an orientation to the true East. The church demonstrates the
doctrine of involving workmen in the design process, echoing the
programs that
are part of the Advocate’s history.
The socially-conscious
goals of its founders, who specified that the church should be “free
for all time” (abolishing the practice
of pew rent) continue. The Advocate became a center of activism
for the Civil Rights Movement embracing the cause of both African-American
and women’s rights. It was the site of several nationally
significant events of these movements including the National
Conference of Black
Power (1968), the Black Panther Conference (1970) and the first
ordination of women in the Episcopal Church (1974). An inspiring
collection of
large and vivid wall murals commissioned in the 1970's records
the “stations” of
the Civil Rights movement. As in medieval churches, whose art
served to illustrate and reinforce this liturgical message, these
murals draw
on Old Testament verses to dramatically illuminate parallels
in African American history. Together, the medieval revival presentation
of the
building and the modern murals document the critical social role
played by America’s inner city churches.
Walter Edmonds and
Richard Watson •
1974
The Guardian Campaign
— The
Rt. Reverend Barbara C. Harris, Chairperson
A
native of Philadelphia, Barbara Clementine Harris had a journalism
and public relations career leading to her role as manager
of community and urban affairs at Sun Corporation and later
as head of Sun’s
Public Relations Department.
She attended Villanova University and studied at the Urban
Theology Unit in Sheffield, England. Ordained to the diaconate
in September
1979, she
was ordained a priest in 1980.
She served as priest-in-charge of St. Augustine of Hippo Church in
Norristown, Pennsylvania from 1980-1984. She also served as chaplain
to the Philadelphia
County prisons, and as counsel to industrial corporations for public
policy issues and social concerns.
In 1984, she was named executive director of the Episcopal
Church Publishing Company and publisher of The Witness magazine.
In 1988,
she took on
additional duties as interim rector of Philadelphia’s
Church of the Advocate. In September 1988, she was elected
suffragan (assisting) bishop of the
Diocese of Massachusetts. On February 11, 1989, she was consecrated
a bishop, the first woman to be ordained to the episcopate
in the worldwide
Anglican Communion.
Bishop Harris has been active in professional and community
organizations, as well as in national church service. A member
of the Union of Black
Episcopalians and a past president of the Episcopal Urban
Caucus, she has represented the Episcopal Church on the board
of the Prisoner
Visitation
and Support Committee and was a member of the Episcopal Church’s
Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with
Justice Concerns.
She retired on Nov. 1, 2002. Beginning in the summer of 2003, she
began serving as an assisting bishop to Bishop John B. Chane in the
Diocese
of Washington (D.C.).
Save
America's Treasures
The Church of the
Advocate was honored to receive $500,000 toward its historic
restoration from the highly competitive Save America's Treasures
Program in January 2006. This grant is one of the largest Save
America's Treasures received in the nation.
Save America's Treasures is a program operated by the Department of Interior
which provides a small number of grants each year for endangered
buildings with national significance. The
receipt of these funds is contingent on the recipients raising
matching funds. An anonymous donor matched these funds
and made it possible critical work on the exterior of the Church
of the Advocate's buildings. With
these funds, the Church has repaired its gutters, downspouts
and roofs to ensure that the safety and integrity of the building
and the people who use it.
The Church of the Advocate received this grant based on its
National Historic Landmark status received because of its religious, social
and architectural significance. Established as one of the greatest single acts
of religious philanthropy in the history of the city, The Advocate was built
from 1887-1897 as a memorial to the merchant and civil leader George W. South. The architect was Charles Burns, one
of the most prominent ecclesiastical architects in the 19th century. No
other church in America has been built in such a grand style specifically for
the working class. The church
demonstrates a wide range of Gothic Revival architectural elements including
stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell, one of the leading English firms
of the period; a full apparatus of flying buttresses and an orientation to
the true East.
In addition to its architectural significance, The Advocate was considered
for this award for its role as a center of activism for the Civil Rights
Movement embracing the cause of both African-American and womenÕs rights. It
was the site of several nationally significant events of these movements
including the National Conference of Black Power (1968), the Black Panther
Conference (1970) and the first ordination of women in the Episcopal Church
(1974). An inspiring collection
of large and vivid wall murals created by artists Walter Edmonds and Richard
Watson record the ÒstationsÓ of the Civil Rights Movement.
Current activities that take place at the Church of the Advocate include
the Arts Sanctuary Program which brings professional artists to perform and
work with the community; a Soup Kitchen operated daily by the Church to feed
the hungry; and its Washington Wonderkids preschool program and Whiz Kids afterschool
program for elementary age children.
This grant served to launch The Guardian Campaign which is raising necessary funds for restoring the sanctuary's outer
envelope. The historic Church of the Advocate is suffering from serious deterioration
which is primarily the result of water penetration. Water is entering the building through
the gutters, stone walls and window frames and is causing serious damage. These changes include repairs to the
roof and gutters; repairing the stained glass windows, window wells and installing
protective glazing; and repairing and repointing glazing as well as lighting
protection system to enhance the security of the building. Once the exterior repairs are made, the
interior needs can be addressed in the next phase of the campaign and the long
awaited transformation of the church can take place.
A unique aspect of the Advocate's restoration is an apprenticeship
program that will bring trainees to work along with contractors hired for each
component of the project. These
apprentices will obtain a fair wage, job training and skilled development in
the field of historic preservation and restoration. The goal of the Apprenticeship Program is to develop a core
of trained craftspeople able to work on the many historic buildings in Philadelphia,
particularly the city's churches. As the Advocate is located in North Philadelphia, with a strong
commitment to help our community, we will seek apprentices who live in or near
the neighborhood where the church is located.
Sealing
the Exterior – Guarding
the Core
The
funds raised during Phase II of the Capital Campaign will be used
to repair and restore the sanctuary of the historic
Church of
the Advocate
that is suffering from serious deterioration which
is primarily the result of water penetration. Water is entering
the building
through
the gutters, stone walls and windows frames and is
causing serious damage to the building’s plaster vaults. The damaged plaster is
progressively decaying and is being caught by netting which is unsightly
and intrusive in the sanctuary. The plaster needs to be removed and
replaced as does the deteriorated wood lath and several trusses in
the attic which have been decaying along with the plaster. There are
loose patching stones that pose a danger to the building and its users
and need to be repaired. The stained glass window’s
steel framing and glazing are in need of repair and
replacement as
well. The Clayton
and Bell windows need limited restoration work.
Project Budget
and Outline
The Guardian Campaign
allows donors and friends to focus on one aspect of the sanctuary’s
restoration — sealing the outer envelope.
Once this goal is met, the interior needs can be addressed
and the long awaited transformation of the church can take
place.
ROOF
Gutter Repairs .....................................................$678,000
Downspouts and Rainboots .....................................55,000
Lightning Protection System ................................75,000
WINDOWS
Protective Glazing ..................................................307,000
Stained Glass Repair ...............................................13,000
Window Wells ...........................................................35,000
MASONRY
Repairs.....................................................................116,000
Pointing....................................................................800,000
Scaffolding.............................................................. 213,000
APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAM.........................208,000
TOTAL ...............................................................$2,500,000
Apprenticeship Program
An apprenticeship
program will bring trainees to work along with the contractors hired
for each component of the project. They
will obtain
a fair wage,
job training and skill development in the field of historic
preservation and restoration. The goal of the
Apprenticeship Program
is to develop a core of trained craftspeople able to work on
the
many historic buildings in Philadelphia, particularly the
churches. As the
Advocate is located in North Philadelphia, with a strong commitment
to help our community, we will seek apprentices who live
in or near the
neighborhood where the church is located.
A Resource to the Community
Many
community programs call the Advocate “home” and
many of its neighbors rely on it to be there for them to
help with their physical,
spiritual, social service and soul filling (art and music) needs. Episcopal
Community Service’s afterschool program allow teens (an underserved
group in N. Phila.) to learn life skills, computer skills, drama and
art and safety on the streets. Grandparent groups offer support to
the many older grandparents raising their children’s children.
Young families meet for dinner and support weekly through the services
of the
Children’s Aid Society of Pennsylvania. A soup kitchen serves
hundreds of hungry neighbors Monday through Friday and on major holidays.
Temple
University offers GED programs for those who did not finish high school
to get their diploma equivalent and pursue the next level of learning.
Numerous other groups use the sanctuary and other spaces to help the
neighborhood meet some of its dire needs. The celebrated Art Sanctuary
organization, founded by author Lorene Cary, brings excellent arts
programming into the community.
The
priority of the Advocate in the use of its limited funds
has been to serve the people and not the buildings.
It is time to go beyond
basic maintenance and restore this treasure now.
Neighborhood
Tours 
The
Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation
operate a tour entitled, Philadelphia’s Civil Rights
Struggle several times each year. The setting is that North
Philadelphia was the epicenter of
Philadelphia’s civil rights struggle. This tour takes
visitors to Girard College, where they learn about the dramatic
protests
that brought
about the integration of a school that once only admitted poor,
white, orphan boys. The three-hour excursion also includes
a stop at Church
of the Advocate for a look at some stunning murals that celebrate
the leadership of local civil rights icons. Numerous other
tours take place
in the Church each year.
