Christ Church United States

Legendary

From 1754 to 1810, the church's tower and steeple was the tallest structure in what is now the United States.

Photo by Aaron Vowels

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For 56 years, one church steeple stood taller than every other building in North America. That steeple belongs to Christ Church in Philadelphia, and it was funded by a lottery organized by Benjamin Franklin himself.

Christ Church was founded in 1695, making it one of the oldest churches in the country. It started small, with a simple wooden building, before growing into something much grander.

Construction on the church you see today began in 1727 and finished in 1744. Ten years later, in 1754, workers added the tall steeple, reaching 196 feet into the sky.

This wasn't just any neighborhood church. Members of the congregation included George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Betsy Ross.

In total, 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence were members of Christ Church. Some of them are even buried on the church grounds today.

During the American Revolution, members of the Continental Congress worshipped here too. The church's bells rang out on July 8, 1776, to help announce the very first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

After the war, church leaders decided to break away from the Church of England entirely. Christ Church became the birthplace of a brand-new religious group in America, known today as the Episcopal Church.

Walk through the church and look for the pews once used by some of America's most famous founders. Visit the nearby Christ Church Burial Ground, the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin and several other signers. Look up at the towering steeple, once the tallest structure anywhere in the colonies.