National Park Service Awards $365,313 Grant to Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust

Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust (ASMHPT) is thrilled to announce that Arch Street Meeting House (ASMH) has been awarded a Semiquincentennial Program grant of $365,313 by the National Park Service.

Arch Street Meeting House is a National Historic Landmark, museum, and cornerstone of Quaker history in the United States. The meetinghouse stands as a testament to Quaker contributions to U.S ideals of religious freedom, equality, and peace. This grant will provide essential funding to support preservation efforts at the meetinghouse through the installation of an HVAC system and protect Arch Street Meeting House’s cultural and architectural history. Arch Street Meeting House’s Rehabilitation Project is being supported in part by a Semiquincentennial grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Arch Street Meeting House welcomes approximately 60,000 visitors annually, providing a unique interpretive experience, educational programming, and rental venue that brings Quaker history and values to life. This grant will play a vital role in ensuring the site remains accessible and safe for all who visit.

“Arch Street Meeting House is not just a museum, but is the perfect place for weddings, conferences, and other large-scale community events," according to Jennifer Gray, ASMHPT's Museum and Education Manager. "Hosting these programs is imperative to our mission, but our lack of HVAC restricts our overall outreach."

“It’s easy to overlook how vital climate control is for preservation,” said Lisa Ogletree, Clerk of ASMHPT’s Board of Trustees. “Proper HVAC means our onsite museum archives – with centuries-old documents and artifacts – can be protected from environmental damage.”

Philadelphia, like the rest of the nation, is preparing for the United States' 250th Anniversary in 2026. This grant ensures that ASMHPT will complete the HVAC Rehabilitation project ahead of the Semiquincentennial celebrations, and the meetinghouse will continue to serve as a place of community, education, and inspiration for generations to come.

For more information about Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust and its ongoing preservation projects, please visit HistoricASMH.org.

About Arch Street Meeting House

Arch Street Meeting House (320 Arch Street) was built in 1804, and is a National Historic Landmark, museum, and active place of Quaker worship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The meetinghouse is a living symbol of Quaker history, values, and contributions to American democracy. Deeded by William Penn in 1701 as a burial ground for the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Arch Street Meeting House has had an estimated 20,000 burials occur on its historic grounds. The museum strives to share the stories of Quakers and their contributions to both the founding of Pennsylvania and U.S. history.

Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust preserves, operates, and interprets the meeting house and grounds which will serve to increase public understanding of the impact and continued relevance of Quakers and Quaker history.