What if these stones could talk? St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church stands as a testament to faith. Its story spans centuries in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Founded before 1728 the congregation has occupied this location since that time. Imagine the voices that have echoed within these walls. St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church has been a cornerstone of the community.
Germantown was largely German from its start in 1683. The Lutheran denomination became well established after 1740. Different German religious groups grew and changed in America. St. Michael’s and other churches dealt with a shortage of ordained ministers. These ministers often traveled to serve many churches.
The first historical record of St. Michael’s congregation appears in 1728. It marks the death of its first pastor Anthony Jacob Henckel. He is buried in the cemetery here. Deeds and land leases between 1737 and 1751 covered about 4 acres. They stretched from Germantown Avenue to Musgrave Street. More than half of this area is still used by the church or cemetery.
The first stone church on this site may have been built in 1730. It was expanded in 1746. A bell tower and pipe organ were added in the 1750s. Beggarstown School is a small building next to St. Michael’s. Built around 1740 it taught local students basic skills.
Henry Melchior Muhlenberg was an early pastor here. He arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742. Muhlenberg was assigned to churches in Providence, New Hanover, and Philadelphia. The Philadelphia church was also called St. Michael’s confusingly.
Johann Frederick Schmidt served as pastor from 1769 through the Revolutionary War. He supported American independence. Schmidt fled during the Battle of Germantown in 1777. The church was damaged during the battle. The parsonage was looted. The organ and pews were destroyed. The cemetery around St. Michael’s holds graves of Revolutionary War veterans.
In 1785 St. Michael’s was officially incorporated by an Act of Assembly of Pennsylvania. By 1811 services were sometimes held in English. The church’s Sunday school began in 1817. It taught underprivileged children. Branches later opened in nearby neighborhoods. A new church was built in 1819 as the old one was torn down. The current Gothic Revival building was dedicated in 1897. It was designed by Philadelphia architect T. Frank Miller.
The Rev. Charles W. Schaeffer served as pastor from 1849 to 1875. He helped start the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. A new parsonage was built in 1855. A Sunday School building followed in 1866.
Elizabeth Fry Ashmead Schaeffer worked to elevate women’s roles in the church. She founded the Lutheran Home at Germantown for orphans. This institution still operates. By 1900 Germantown had become part of Philadelphia. Manufacturing grew in southern Germantown. More affluent residential areas developed to the north.
The St. Thomas German Church merged back into St. Michael’s in 1957. German services were restarted along with English services. The Rev. Andrena Ingram was pastor from 2006 to 2016. She was the first African American woman pastor here. The church worked with local charities. It promoted HIV/AIDS awareness.
By 2012 the congregation had only about 35 members. The church closed in the winter to save on heating costs. St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church closed on September 11, 2016. Bishop Claire Schenot Burkat led the final service. The Synod is now responsible for the church and cemetery.
The cemetery holds the remains of many notable people. They include Anthony Jacob Henckel and Christopher Ludwick. Several veterans of the Revolutionary War the War of 1812 and the Civil War are buried here as well. St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church stands as a landmark in Germantown. It is a reminder of the community’s rich history. It is a contributing building to the Colonial Germantown Historic District. Though the doors are now closed its legacy lives on in the stories and memories of those it served.