Our History
The legacy of Mennonites in Germantown dates back to 1683, when thirteen Dutch speaking families from Krefeld, Germany arrived in Philadelphia. Most of them were formerly members of the Mennonite Church in Krefeld, but were now referring to themselves as “German Friends.” They were the first Germans to settle in the New World.
Learn about Germantown’s first European settlers and the 1688 Petition Against Slavery, signed only five years after their arrival. Find out more about the early history of the congregation and the 1745 edition of the Martyr’s Mirror: the largest single volume printed in the Colonies before the Revolutionary War (A New Translation). In the early 1950s, Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust was formed by the General Conference of the Mennonite Church to hold title to the Meetinghouse and preserve the property as “a monument to our Mennonite heritage.” You can read about our organizational history and learn about the Germantown Mennonite Congregation today, which continues active congregational life and now meets in the former Germantown Woman’s Club building just a few blocks away from the historic Meetinghouse. |
Support provided in part by
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Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust - 6133 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19144 - (215) 843-0943 - gmht@meetinghouse.info