First Presbyterian Church

The First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia was organized in 1698, among the earliest Presbyterian congregations established in the colonies. It was here at First Church in 1706 that representatives from other Presbyterian churches in the Delaware Valley met to organize the Presbytery of Philadelphia, the first expression of what would eventually become the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The congregation was deeply involved in both the Great Awakening of the 1740’s, leading to the establishment of Second Church in 1743, and in the American Revolution, counting three signers of the Declaration of Independence and two members of the Constitutional Convention among its members. In the years following the Revolution, both First and Second Churches moved several times as the city grew westward toward the Schuylkill River.

In 1949, First and Second reunited as one congregation meeting in our current building at 21st & Walnut that had been erected in 1872 by Second Church. Since that time the church has been an active presence in Center City and surrounding parts of the city proclaiming the gospel and ministering to the needs of the city’s people.

On Friday, July 3rd, 2026, First Presbyterian held a virtual concert premier of American Voices in Organ Music, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This program explores the development of an American voice for the organ through works by Horatio Parker, John Knowles Paine, Florence Price, Leo Sowerby, and Dudley Buck, along with two of Balint Karosi’s own compositions based on The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Click the link to watch the full performance!

Photo Gallery