We're Glad You're Here

Ever wonder about the history of RPPC? The church has a rich history. Read all about it here: 

1873: The first service of what was to become The Ridley Park Presbyterian Church was held at the Railroad Station Located over the tracks at Sellers Avenue.

1874:   On December 3, a meeting was held in the Ridley Park Hotel to plan a Presbyterian Church.

1875:  On the first Sunday of January, the first session of the Sunday School was held in the Ridley Park Hotel dining room.  On September 19th, a congregational meeting was held to inviteRev. Dr. Grier, D.D as Pastor.  On December 4, the Building Committee is authorized to build a church

1876:  The Ridley Park Presbyterian Church is dedicated on September 10th.  The wooden frame church was built for $5,726and was situated on two lots near the corner of Swarthmore and Ridley Avenues.  The entrance faced Swarthmore Avenue.

1877:  On February 18th, the first communion was held – 28 people were in attendance.  On March 1st, the Dutton House was rented for a manse for Rev. Dr. Grier.  It remained the manse until 1882.

1878:  On December 6th, 41 people planted 44 trees, of 26 varieties on the property.

1882:  Two additional lots were purchased and a new manse was built at a cost of $5,237

1883:  The frame church is enclosed to include a children’s room.

1884:  On October 14th, Rev. Dr. Grier retired. He lived in Philadelphia until his death in 1899.  At this time Rev. Henry Schlosser became our Pastor, although only for one year.

1887:  In April, Rev. Henry Northrup of Philadelphia became our second Pastor.

1892:  Rev. Northrup retired in April.  He moved to Yonkers, NY and lived there until his death in 1910.

1893:  In November, Rev.  Frederick Swartz Crawford from Pittsburg, Pa became our third Pastor.

1896:  The wooden church is enlarged again, doubling the seating capacity for a cost of $4160.84.

1900:  Electric lights are installed in the church.  Rev. Crawford left our church for a calling in Indiana, Pa.

1901:  Rev. Samuel Thomas Linton from the Reedsville, Pennsylvania Church became our 4th Pastor.  Electric lights were installed in the manse.

1903:  A pipe organ was added to the Sanctuary.  Andrew Carnegie donated $500 towards its’ purchase.

1907:  The subject of s new church (our present building) was referred to a committee of Mr. Hetzel, Mr. Halkett, and Mr. Mitchell to investigate.

1914:  On December 30, the President of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Pomeroy, dies after a short illness.  He lived in the building adjacent to the church property and was instrumental in overseeing the construction of the present stone church in 1913 – 1914.

1915:  Our present church building (minus the education wing and church offices) was dedicated on June 6.  The cost was $49,626 (equal to $1,557,000 in today’s dollars).  The architect was Thomas Kellogg of Rankin & Kellogg Architects located in Philadelphia.  The Pomeroy Construction Company was the principle builder.

1916:  Rev. Linton served our church until his death on January 10.  On November 28, Rev. Fredrick Limerick from Braddock, Pa assumed the pastorate.

1917:  USA enters World War I

1918:  October 6, Pastor Limerick passed away.

1919:  On November 11, the Rev. David Hughes Edwards from New York became our 6th Pastor.

1920:  Women are given the right to vote

1923:  The triple chancel windows were erected as a memorial to Richard S. Pomeroy (Trustee) by his family.  They were crafted by Nicola D’Ascenzo studios of Philadelphia.  Rev. Edwards accepted a call from the Church of the Redeemer, at Paterson, New Jersey and was released as our Pastor on September 25th.

1924:  Rev. Frederick Schweitzer came to us from the Second Presbyterian Church at Cranbury, New Jersey on May 9th.

1930:  Women were first ordained as Elders in PCUSA

1933:  First presentation of the annual Christmas Pageant was performed.  It was started by Pastor Schweitzer.

1940:  Due to a fire in the Ridley Park High School, the Junior High School enrollment used our building for classrooms.

1941:  USA enters World War II.

1945: Rev Schweitzer left our church to become President of Bloomfield College and Seminary.

1946:  Rev. James Harold Guy was installed on June 6th.

1952:  The church’s manse is torn down and the Guy family moved to their new home at 415 E. Ridley Avenue.  

1954:  A major addition was added to the north side of the building.  This included the present-day Pastor’s study, Church office, Choir room, Cradle room, Kitchen, and Restrooms.

1957:  The Rev. Alvin B. Gurley from Saranac Lake, New York became our First Minister of Visitation until 1960.

1960:  The Rev. Dr. William F. Wefer of Philadelphia, became our next Minister of Visitation until 1970.  A member of the church bequeathed her home on Glenloch road, Ridley Park to the church.  It was subsequently sold according to the wishes of the congregation in the same year.

1961:  The education wing is added to the Harrison St side of the building.  This included adding a second floor above the auditorium to establish classrooms for The Ridley Park Presbyterian Church Nursery School, and Sunday School.

1962:  Presbyterian John Glenn becomes the first American astronaut to orbit the earth

1963:  More renovations are performed on the church building including rearrangement of pews, new lighting, rebuilding the existing pipe organ, and a new organ pipe chamber on the Swarthmore Avenue side.

1974:  The Rev. Paul S. Montgomery, D.D. from Swarthmore, Pa became our third Minister of Visitation until 1980.  

1978:  Rev. Guy preached his last sermon as our Pastor on June 25th.  He continued living on E. Ridley Ave until his passing on June 29th, 1982.

1980:  Rev. Marwood B. Meredith, Jr. was installed as our new Pastor.  He came to us from Lawndale Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.  

1982:  The Rev. Karin Nelson from Swarthmore Presbyterian Church was our last Minister of Visitation.  She served our Church until 1984

1984:  Rev. Daniel Rinaldi was our last visitation minister and he served from 1984 to 1988.

1992:  Rev. Meredith was inducted as Moderator of the Philadelphia Presbytery.

1993:  Rev. Meredith left Ridley Park for a position at his alma mater, Tusculum College and Rev. Walter L. Dosch became our interim minister, filing the pulpit until 1996.

1996:  Rev. Noel Allen from The First Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Illinois became our 11th Pastor.  During his tenure we transitioned from a bi-cameral to a uni-cameral form of leadership.  Also during his tenure, the evening Contemporary Service was born.

2000:  Air Conditioning is added to the Sanctuary

2003:  Rev. Allen left Ridley Park to pursue a calling in upstate New York.  Rev. Bill Thompson became our interim Pastor.

2005:  Rev. Michael Smith, born in Florida, relocated from a church in South Carolina to became our 12th Pastor.  During his tenure the Contemporary Service moved from an evening to a morning service.  He retired from the ministry in 2018 and now resides in Georgia.

2018:  Rev. James Thomas relocated from Lewistown Presbyterian Church in central Pennsylvania to became our 13thand present-day Pastor.  

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