Pew Center for Arts and Heritage

Get our monthly newsletter in your inbox for the latest on cultural events, ideas, conversations, and grantmaking news in Philadelphia and beyond.

Main page contents

An Exploration of Interpretive Approaches to the Arch Street Meeting House

Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust
The historic worship space known as the West Room is little changed after more than two centuries of continuous use. Photo by Brian Kutner.
The historic worship space known as the West Room is little changed after more than two centuries of continuous use. Photo by Brian Kutner.
Most meetinghouses are ¼ of the size of the Arch Street Meeting House, which is so large because it was constructed to hold an annual meeting of Quakers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware. Photo by Brian Kutner.
Most meetinghouses are ¼ of the size of the Arch Street Meeting House, which is so large because it was constructed to hold an annual meeting of Quakers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware. Photo by Brian Kutner.
This funerary sled was used during the 18th and 19th centuries to move the deceased from a holding area to the burial site. Photo by Brian Kutner.
This funerary sled was used during the 18th and 19th centuries to move the deceased from a holding area to the burial site. Photo by Brian Kutner.
The Arch Street Meeting House was built in 1804 and its architecture reflects the Quaker principles of simplicity and equality. Photo by Brian Kutner.
The Arch Street Meeting House was built in 1804 and its architecture reflects the Quaker principles of simplicity and equality. Photo by Brian Kutner.

Through a series of pilot projects based on research and assessment, Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust will evaluate which interpretive stories, themes, and methods most successfully engage today's audiences with the Arch Street Meeting House and will offer participants a unique opportunity to learn about Quaker history. A National Historic Landmark and Philadelphia's first burial ground, the Arch Street Meeting House has never before undertaken assessment by non-Quaker professionals. With this project, the organization will enhance public understanding of Quaker values and contributions to society and connect those values to contemporary issues, inspiring audiences to take action in their own lives. From sharing the stories of those buried on the grounds to opening new exhibits that engage current issues in social justice and the environment, this project will encourage visitors to both learn about and experience Quaker culture.


*Additional unrestricted funds are added to each grant for general operating support.*
Recipient
Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust

Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust

Made up of over 100 local Quaker Meeting communities in Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Eastern Maryland, the Arch Street Meeting House is a regional hub for the Quaker community. The Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust aims to make this historic site the preeminent destination for learning about and experiencing Quaker values. In 2015, the organization was awarded a discovery grant to research new interpretive approaches to the Meeting House, leading to a series of pilot projects evaluating which stories, themes, and methods most successfully engage today's audiences.

More info
News

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Announces 2015 Grants for Philadelphia Artists and Organizations

Jun 15, 2015

Introducing the 2015 Grantees of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

Jun 15, 2015
Explore Connections
Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses, 2025 installation view, Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania. Photo by Constance Mensh.

Artist Carl Cheng on the Nature of Being Contemporary
Interview Tradition & Translation
Mary Testa, Taylor Trensch, and Jordan Dobson in Night Side Songs at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Photo by Nile Scott Studios.
Director Taibi Magar on Night Side Songs and the Power of Sharing Stories
Michelle Lopez, Ballast & Barricades solo exhibition, 2019-20. Photo by Constance Mensh, courtesy of the artist. 
Must-See Cultural Events in Philadelphia for Your 2025 Calendar
Pew Fellows Carmen Maria Machado and Vitche-Boul Ra. Photos by Neal Santos.
Fellow to Fellow: Carmen Maria Machado and Vitche-Boul Ra on Blending Genres and the Hidden Work of Being an Artist
Interview Cross-Disciplinary Practices
EgoPo Classic Theater, rehearsal for Ramayana with Papermoon Puppet Theatre and Kalanari Theatre Movement, 2023, Java, Indonesia. Photo courtesy of EgoPo. 

Projects in Process: Wilma Theater and EgoPo on Creative Collaborations
Essay Co-Authorship & Collaboration
Photography related to this content

Poet Ross Gay on Sport and the Act of Looking
Video Cross-Disciplinary Practices
The Barnes Foundation, Returning to Before, performed as part of William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision exhibition, choreographed by Brendan Fernandes. Photo by Daniel Jackson for Embassy: Interactive.
Choreographer Brendan Fernandes on Dance in Museums
Video Site-Specific Performance
Pew Fellows Candice Iloh and Armando Veve. Photos by Neal Santos.

Fellow to Fellow: Candice Iloh and Armando Veve Find Inspiration in Each Other’s Mediums
Interview Cross-Disciplinary Practices
Enrique Bostelmann, Portrait of Cora Flores, 1980, part of Mirages series.

Projects in Process: Discoveries in the Archives with Berman Museum and Japan America Society
Essay Legacy & Archives