Downtown Meeting Gospel Hall, Philadelphia, PA

From Peterson's North American open assembly history:

"An assembly known as the Old Meeting in Philadelphia at 18th Street and Fairmount Avenue is known to have existed in Philadelphia by 1881, for Miss Mary Ann Smith (later Mrs. Mary Harry), a recent immigrant to the United States, was directed there by the Irish evangelists James Campbell and William Matthews. A Mr. Reed was a leading elder in that assembly. But after Miss Smith visited a nearby ‘exclusive’ meeting, she was not allowed to return to the Old Meeting.

Mrs. Harry records that there was no other assembly in Philadelphia to which she could turn, so the Old Meeting was evidently was the only ‘open’ brethren meeting in the city at that time. The young girl wrote to the evangelists, pleading with them to come to Philadelphia, and they did in May 1884, holding tent meetings on South Broad Street below Federal Street. On the first Sunday of the tent meetings, seven Christians Broke Bread together, the beginning of what became known as the Philadelphia Assembly or the Downtown Meeting. Those present were Miss Mary Ann Smith, her brother Robert and mother Mrs. Charles Smith; James Campbell, William Matthews, William McEwen (brother of John Knox McEwen and father of Hugh and Sam McEwen), and John Greer.

Many were saved in the first season of these tent meetings. When winter came, the Philadelphia Assembly rented a room over a blacksmith’s shop at 1113 South Broad Street. It was there that the assembly had its first Conference on Christmas Day, 1887 at which Donald and Charles Ross, James Campbell, William Matthews, Norman Case (later with the China Inland Mission), Frank Crook, William Staner, David Oliver, and John Haliburton were preachers. (Mrs. Harry also mentions attendance by her future husband from the Harrisburg assembly, so the Harrisburg Assembly was in existence by 1887.)

The Christians met for several years over the blacksmith’s shop. Many were saved and added to the group, and many believers came from the ‘old country’ and joined them. Open-air meetings conducted by the assembly were common, and there the greatest opposition to the Gospel was felt, stones and bricks being thrown at the preachers.

The Christians at the Downtown Meeting went through several moves, to 13th and Wharton, 15th and Federal, 17th and Federal, 21st and Latona, and then to 20th and Dickinson, where they remained for many years and apparently erected their own building. This building was sold in 1945 and they moved to rented quarters at 71st Street and Woodland Avenue, and then to 64th and Woodland until 1952, when the meeting disbanded, after 68 years of existence."

In 1890, the U.S. Religious Census indicated one PB-II (OB) assembly in Philadelphia Co., with 90 meeting in a rented hall with capacity of 100. It is presumed that it was this meeting, rather than the "Old Meeting" on 18th & Fairmount.

Contents

Locations

• 1884: tent meetings @ S. Broad St., below Federal St.
• 1884+: 1113 S. Broad St. (above a blacksmith's shop)
• 13th & Wharton
• 15th & Federal
• 17th & Federal
• 21st & Latona
• 1904-1945: 1505 S. 20th St. (20th & Dickinson)
• 1945+: 71st & Woodland Ave. 1945+
• +1952: 64th & Woodland +1952

Correspondents

• David Simpson +1922-1927+

Also See

• Visiting Ministry at Downtown Meeting Gospel Hall, Philadelphia, PA conference reports, etc.
• Who's Who at Downtown Meeting Gospel Hall, Philadelphia, PA notable alumni