Holy Innocents / St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Torresdale and Tyson Phila. (Bing Maps) |
St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church "Aramingo" – formerly of 3825 Kensington Ave., Phila..
New Organ - 1939 |
St. Paul's
Church began in the Aramingo section of the city. Members of St. Mark's,
Frankford, started a Sunday School in what was still mostly farmland. Expansion
continued as Aramingo developed its own mills and factories. By 1870, St. Paul's
was viable enough to be admitted to convention as a parish. During the Great
Depression, St. Paul's gained some fame for its soup kitchen, started by women
of the parish.
Both
parishes were affected by the demise of manufacturing industries. The Disston
family sold its firm in 1954, and operations were moved. The parish declined
further in the late 1970's and early 80's. St. Paul's was suffering a similar
fate in the 1970's. By 1990, Holy Innocents was struggling to stay alive, and a
fire destroyed St. Paul's.
After a
period of wandering the urban wilderness, St. Paul's found a new home at Holy
Innocents' location. The parishes merged on November 18, 1992, eventually
making interior renovations and constructing a new addition, fronting
Torresdale Ave., in 1998.
St.Paul’s
Aramingo – Church Hall – 1956 – St.Paul’s Church, left of photo
.
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