PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One of Philadelphia’s oldest Center City landmarks is getting a major renovation.
Arch Street United Methodist Church was chartered in 1862.
"We’re older than City Hall, older than the Masonic Temple, so we’re the oldest building in Center Square," said Rev. Robin Hynicka, the church's lead pastor.
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Its 215-foot church steeple has stood as a beacon for the last 155 years, but it is in need of repair.
Thanks to a $125,000 grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places, that steeple is getting a facelift.
Rev. Hynicka said the renovation has a bigger meaning than what meets the eye.
"The foundation of that steeple goes deep into the ground," he said.
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"It reminds me not only what we can aspire to, but we need to be rooted in the community in order to be what I think God wants us to be, and that’s good to our neighbor and good for the community around us."
Rev. Hynicka described how the church's rootedness comes through how it offers "basic human services to our unhoused, unsheltered neighbors, showers, laundry, case management, a drop-in center, access to computer stations."
He said the multi-year steeple project may also include fixing other parts of the church. It is expected to cost a few million dollars. The church is fundraising to create a two-to-one match for the $125,000 grant.
