Built in 1880, the church was designed for St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by prominent ecclesiastical architect Isaac Pursell. The Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, which had formed as the city expanded westward, purchased the building in 1903. The Lutheran congregation added interior elements by Frank Furness, designer of hundreds of notable buildings in Philadelphia.

Today, Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion is home to the Stevens Community Center, which hosts over 14 community groups on a regular basis, such as the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, a Cambodian dance group, and an elementary school chess club. The church is a hub for the LGBTQ+ arts community, including the Anna Crusis Feminist Choir, an LGBTQ+ square dance group, and the Philadelphia Freedom Band. The church has also hosted performances by the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, one of the oldest gay men’s choruses in the country. The church also hosts a food pantry and weekly meals.

Following a rare urban tornado/severe windstorm in 2021, Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion incurred major damage to its roof and a stained-glass window in the tower. Repair teams discovered stone fragments on the sidewalk near the entrance, and later determined that the stone was shearing. Left unaddressed, this condition risked both harming pedestrians and threatening the structural integrity of the building facade. 

An Intervention Fund grant of $15,000 awarded in 2022 allowed the church to remove the stone fragments. The church also erected scaffolding to avoid risk to pedestrians and prevent having to temporarily close the church. The Intervention Fund grant helped the church exceed their fundraising goals for the urgent repairs and continue providing space for community partners in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood.

Photo by Rachel Galton