History of The Lord's New Church Philadelphia Society
The Lord's New Church was founded in 1937, under the principal leadership of Rev. Theodore Pitcairn and the Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer.  It was established by former members of the General Church of the New Jerusalem who had left as a result of a new vision concerning the nature of the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.
PictureRev. Theodore Pitcairn
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​In 1939, Rev. Pitcairn established a non-profit corporation for the purposes of promoting and maintaining the Lord's New Church worldwide.
The Philadelphia Society of the Lord's New Church is located on the grounds of Rev. Theodore Pitcairn's estate just outside Philadelphia, PA and bordering the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust.

The Property

The property was transformed from cornfields into a magnificent estate by Rev. Theodore Pitcairn in the 1930's, in the style of early French farm groups.  It was designed by architect George Howe of Mellor, Meigs, and Howe.
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The barn was filled with horses for Rev. Pitcairn's six children, and the pastures were filled with sheep.

The Home

The old farm house, built in the 1700's, was enlarged to be his elegant home.
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Rev. Theodore Pitcairn's Home

The Greenhouse and Orangery

The greenhouse and orangery were used often and beautifully kept. ​There were hedges outlining the fields, and apple trees lining the drives. 
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Orangery and Greenhouse
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Greenhouse
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Sheepfold and Hedges

The Chapel

What is now the Chapel was originally designed as an art studio for Theo's father-in-law, Philippe Smit.  

It was built in the French Romanesque style and modified in line, as influenced by the lines of old Pennsylvania barns.  

The Chapel has twelfth century French columns in the entrance and on the porch.
The property was bequeathed to the Lord's New Church in the 1970s.  The Studio had previously become the Chapel, the barn complex was transformed into a wonderful activity hall for the Church Society, and Pitcairn House became offices for the Corporation of the International Church until recently.  Other buildings on the property are used by the Church organization for various purposes.
For more information on the history of the church denomination, please see Formation of the Lord's New Church on our International Church website.