Collections Assessment of the Archives of St. Peter's Church

FAIN: PG-258337-18

Historic St. Peter's Church Preservation Corporation (Philadelphia, PA 19106-4212)
Nancy Fago (Project Director: May 2017 to March 2021)

A preservation assessment and the purchase of archival supplies to rehouse 100 linear feet of materials related to the history of St. Peter’s Church from 1761 to the present.  The church was founded in 1758 and is located in the South Philadelphia neighborhood now known as Society Hill; its parishioners have included many of Philadelphia’s and the nation’s powerful figures as well as slaves, servants, working-class people, and immigrants.  The collection consists of vestry minutes; parish registers and records of service; accounting and financial records; condition assessment and conservation records for churchyard grave markers; landscape plans; deeds; blueprints; photographs; sound recordings; and materials from parish and affiliated organizations.  Materials are used by genealogists, church and parish historians, and students.

Project Description:  Historic St. Peter's Church Preservation Corporation requests $6000 towards efforts to preserve and make accessible to the public the archival records of St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, founded 1758. The bulk of the records covers the period from ca. 1832 to the present and reflects the history of the church and its neighborhood, one of the nation's most historic square miles. This phase of the project includes a Collections Assessment site visit by the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, a written report of conclusions and recommendations from that visit, and appropriate materials to carry out recommendations. The project will be completed between January and December 2018.