[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4941]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  TRINITY OXFORD CHURCH IN NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA, PA CELEBRATING ITS 
                         300TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ALLYSON Y. SCHWARTZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 31, 2011

  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the 
momentous 300th anniversary of the Trinity Church Oxford, one of the 
oldest churches in the United States, constructed in 1711 in what is 
now the Lawncrest neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia.
  The church's congregation pre-dates the building. A marble stone in 
the west wall of Church states that Church of England services were 
first held on the site in 1698 in a log meeting house that belonged to 
the Oxford Society of Friends. The Church still has in its possession 
the original land conveyance deed dated January 30, 1700. Queen Anne of 
England presented a solid silver communion chalice to the Church in 
1713.
  While small in physical dimensions, Trinity Church Oxford carries a 
rich history of rectors related to some of the most beloved people and 
institutions in our local and national history, including:
  Rev. Aneas Ross (rector 1742-1758), the father-in-law of Betsy Ross 
and the brother of George Ross, signer of the Declaration of 
Independence.
  Rev. Dr. William Smith (rector 1766-1779, 1791-1798), who helped 
found the University of Pennsylvania
  Rev. John Hobart (rector 1798-1801), who became bishop of New York in 
the new Protestant Episcopal Church formed after Independence and 
founded Hobart College.
  Rev. Edward Buchanan (rector 1854-1882) who was the brother of 
President James Buchanan. The church school is named in his honor.
  Frank Furness, acclaimed American architect who designed additions to 
the church in the mid-19th Century, decorated with Tiffany windows and 
elaborate woodwork.
  At first tied to the Church to England, after independence Trinity's 
rectors helped to organize the Diocese of Pennsylvania of the new 
Protestant Episcopal Church and the church was admitted to its 
Convention in 1786.
  As our nation grew and became more industrialized, Trinity Church 
Oxford welcomed industrialists and working class families to its 
congregation. A neighborhood that began as farmland and homes for 
gentry developed into a residential community for working people. With 
a parish house added in 1928 and a community center in 1962, Trinity 
Church Oxford holds true to its religious precepts of service, today 
housing a childcare center and hosting the Philadelphia Police Athletic 
League.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the 
generation of rectors and parishioners of Trinity Church Oxford who 
have dedicated themselves to sustaining their spiritual home and 
ensuring its contribution to history and community.

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