Immanuel Episcopal Church | |
---|---|
39°39′38.8″N75°33′45.5″W / 39.660778°N 75.562639°W | |
Location | New Castle, Delaware |
Country | United States |
Denomination | Episcopal Church |
Website | www.immanuelonthegreen.org |
History | |
Status | Parish church |
Founded | 1689 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Groundbreaking | 1703 |
Completed | 1708 |
Administration | |
Province | III |
Diocese | Delaware |
Clergy | |
Rector | The Rev'd Christopher P. Keene |
Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green | |
Part of | New Castle Historic District (ID67000003) |
Added to NRHP | December 24, 1967 [1] |
Immanuel on the Green (Episcopal) is an historic church in New Castle, Delaware, listed as a contributing property in the New Castle Historic District. [1] The church is situated near the center of New Castle at the northeast end of the Green, or town common, making it a prominent local landmark and tourist attraction. Operating continuously since 1689, it is the oldest Anglican parish in Delaware and the oldest continuously operating Anglican/Episcopal parish in the country. [2] The church building was constructed between 1703 and 1708 and enlarged in 1822. The interior and roof were rebuilt following a disastrous fire in 1980.
Immanuel Church was founded in 1689 as the first Anglican parish in the present-day state of Delaware, which at the time was still part of Pennsylvania. The first rector was the Rev. George Ross, who served from 1705 to 1708 and then from 1714 to 1754. [3] The church itself was constructed between 1703 and 1708, with the first services taking place there even before the building was completed. [2]
The church gradually fell into disrepair after the American Revolution. In 1820, Philadelphia architect William Strickland undertook a major renovation and expansion of the building which included a new transept, bell tower, steeple, roof, and interior. The interior was remodeled in the 1850s in the Victorian style, and again around 1900 in the Colonial Revival style. [3]
Immanuel Church caught fire on February 1, 1980 when embers from a nearby marsh fire landed on the roof. The roof, steeple, and interior of the building were completely destroyed, leaving only the exterior walls intact. Despite the severe damage, an outpouring of support from around the state that netted more than $2 million made it possible to rebuild the church. Restored to its 1822 appearance, the church was rededicated on December 18, 1982. [2]
The National Register of Historic Places listing for the New Castle Historic District describes Immanuel Episcopal Church as a "stuccoed stone, 5 bay, center aisle church with clipped gable roof, and stone and frame spire with clock". [1] The current appearance of the building is mostly due to architect William Strickland, who was responsible for the transept and crenellated tower. The reconstructed roof, steeple, and interior also follow Strickland's design. [2]
Several notable people are interred in the Immanuel Church cemetery:
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The city is located six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington and is situated on the Delaware River. As of 2020, the city's population was 5,551. New Castle constitutes part of the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area.
George Read was an American politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a Continental Congressman from Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, president of Delaware, and a member of the Federalist Party. In addition, Read served as U.S. Senator from Delaware and chief justice of Delaware.
William Strickland was a noted architect and civil engineer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Nashville, Tennessee. A student of Benjamin Latrobe and mentor to Thomas Ustick Walter, Strickland helped establish the Greek Revival movement in the United States. A pioneering engineer, he wrote a seminal book on railroad construction, helped build several early American railroads, and designed the first ocean breakwater in the Western Hemisphere. He was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1820.
Nicholas Van Dyke was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as Attorney General of Delaware, as U.S. Representative from Delaware, and as U.S. senator from Delaware.
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