Old City in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
About the Meeting House
⎯⎯⎯
A Master Builder
⎯⎯⎯
Arch Street Meeting House
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 19, 2022
1. About the Meeting House side of the marker
About the Meeting House
Quakers accounted for a substantial portion of the early Philadelphia population. As their community grew, so did the need for a larger worship space. Discussions about building a meetinghouse on the Arch Street burial grounds began in the early 1700s, but construction plans did not start until 1801. The meeting house was built in stages between 1803 and 1811, with both the East and West Rooms designed to hold around 1,200 people for worship.
Arch Street Meeting House's Georgian style of architecture reflects the Quaker values of simplicity and equality. The Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia still worships here today.
[Captions:]
ASMH was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011.
The Women's Business Meeting was instrumental in financing the construction of Arch Street Meeting House.
A Master Builder
Owen Biddle, Jr. (1774-1806) was the Quaker drafter and carpenter who designed and built Arch Street Meeting House. He was elected to the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia, a craftsmen's guild, at 26. Biddle also wrote one of the first architecture books in American
this page online
[Captions:]
While there are no known portraits of Biddle, original copies of his book exist.
Biddle's original design for the Arch Street Meeting House
Arch Street Meeting House
Visit With Us
Museum Hours: Thu. - Sun., 10 - 4
Grounds: Every Day, 9 -5
Quaker Worship: Wednesday Evenings; Sundays, 10:30 am
Erected by Arch Street Meeting House.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Landmarks • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in
Location. 39° 57.133′ N, 75° 8.79′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Old City. It can be reached from Arch Street just east of North 4th Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 325 Arch St, Philadelphia PA 19106, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Arch Street Meeting House (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Arch Street Meeting House (here, next to this marker); Philadelphia Conference (a few steps from this marker); You're Standing on a Burial Ground
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 19, 2022
3. Arch Street Meeting House side of the marker
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 19, 2022
4. About the Meeting House / A Master Builder / Arch Street Meeting House Marker
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 4, 2025
5. Indoor signage explaining Quaker architecture and practices
Credits. This page was last revised on April 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 461 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 21, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 5. submitted on April 6, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
