The demolition of a former house of worship in Northern Liberties has provided a glimpse into the building’s history

The former Second Baptist Church on New Market Street–for decades obscured by a thick coat of stucco and home to the AA Fence Co.–is slated for demolition. Which makes the time ripe for a a look at the building’s history, courtesy Harry K’s Encyclopedia

Demolition on St. John the Evangelist begins on Monday. John and Joan Pettit, longtime parishioners of the church, share their experience there, and Chris Dougherty brings us this photo essay of the church before the salvaging began and the wrecking ball came

Along with factories and schools, churches bring our neighborhoods a sense of scale, history, and often beauty. Some 60-80 across the city are acutely threatened. We’ve selected 10 that really do matter–for various reasons, their survival is uncertain. Chris Mote has the details

Hidden City has covered more churches and schools that have closed, are closing, or might be closing, than we’d really care to. John Vidumsky has plotted them on a citywide map to illustrate just how widespread the closings have been, and to place them into their geographical context

The faded beauty of the former Fourth Reformed Church in Roxborough, through the lens of Laura Kicey

As we face a spate of newly abandoned sacred spaces, ideas and inspiration from the dozens of church reuses in Philadelphia, including the former Church of New Jerusalem.

Furness Week, Day 4: Winter is closing in, and the most endangered Frank Furness building in the city still has two gaping holes in its roof. Help is on the way, but will it arrive in time?