In December of 1870, a group of members of St. John's Lutheran Church including its Pastor of sixteen years, The Rev. Joseph A. Seiss, D.D.; and the Mayor of Philadelphia, The Hon. Daniel M. Fox, came together with leading members in the Mayor's office to consider the practicality of establishing a Lutheran Church in the 'western part' of the city.
The area that the group had in mind was the neighborhood of Broad and Arch Streets. The group agreed that the time had come. The undertaking met with the approval of the Board of St. John's Church, and a resolution was taken to begin the search for a property. Such was the inception of our Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion.
Land was bought at Broad and Arch and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion was established.
The new congregation began to worship in the hall at the northeast corner of Broad and Arch. The Sunday School was initiated at this time. Meanwhile, a parcel of land on the southwest corner of Broad and Arch was obtained and the architectural firm of Fraser, Furness, and Hewitt was commissioned to design the new structure. The interior and its appointments were designed by famed architect, Frank Furness.
The cornerstone was laid on November 28, 1871. The building was enclosed in the Autumn of 1873 at which time the Sunday School started meeting in the building in a room dedicated to that purpose on Christmas.
On February 17, 1875 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion was dedicated to the service of Almighty God with elaborate celebration.
The founding pastor was the Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Seiss who is widely known for having translated the hymn 'Beautiful Savior' into English from German.
The congregation worshiped at Broad and Arch for twenty years, at which time changes in the character of the neighborhood, deaths, relocation of members, and a heavy balloon debt made remaining at the site impractical. During the next five year period arrangements were made to sell and demolish the building with the cornerstone and some of the stone work being stored at the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in west Philadelphia.
Having preserved some of the precious contents, the congregation moved to temporary quarters in the Witherspoon Building where they remained for three years.
Also preserved were the altar and communion rails, the pulpit, the table which holds the alms basin, the reredos (now in the chapel), the baptismal font, and the two small angel statues.
The present location of the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion was purchased from St. Paul's Reformed Episcopal Church in 1903.
The building had been designed in Richardsonian Romanesque style by Isaac Pursell, an important Protestant Church designer. St. Paul's had commissioned the church to be built in 1879, (the date, 1880 can be seen etched into the limestone facade of the main entrance.) However, soon after the construction was completed, St. Paul's revised their intentions and offered the building for sale.
In October, 1903 Holy Communion's congregation decided to buy the property. The first service was held on November 22, 1903 and we have been at home here (2110 Chestnut Street) ever since.
The new congregation soon set its own stamp on the design of the Church interior. The original sanctuary had been surmounted by a second floor gallery, which was demolished. The congregation introduced their original Furness designed pulpit, baptismal font, organ panel, altar and its railing, and carved reredos.
The congregation belonged to the Ministerium of Pennsylvania established by the earliest Lutheran Church. In 1967 it gave up its independent status to join the Lutheran Church of America. In 1988 three of the country's Lutheran bodies merged to become The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, headquartered in Chicago.
Dr. Seiss, the founding pastor, joined his 'Beautiful Savior' when he died on June 20, 1904. He had served the congregation for 29 years.
A series of distinguished pastors followed:
- The Rev. Andrew S. Fichthorn, D.D. 1904-1906
- The Rev. Ernst P. Pfatteicher, D.D., Ph.D. 1907-1918
- The Rev. J. Henry Harms, D.D., Litt.D. 1918-1945
- The Rev. Robert D. Hershey, S.T.D., D.D., L.H.D. 1945-1953
- The Rev. William O. Moyer, S.T.M., D.D., 1953-1982
- The Rev. Gilbert E. Doan, Jr., D.D. 1984-1995
- The Rev. David E. Farley, Ph.D., 1997-2006
- The Rev. Karen Hart, 2003-present
We look back on our Church's past with reverence for those who have gone before us. With humility and joy, we realize that we are entrusted with continuing a long and important history of serving Philadelphia with God's Holy Word and Sacraments. We give thanks and fervent praise to God who makes this and all things possible.
We look for our future as the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion serving all people in all their complexities by the power of God's loving Spirit of truth.