American Baptist Publication Society building
American Baptist Publication Society | |
 The American Baptist Publication Society Building in Philadelphia in June 2011 | |
  Location of the American Baptist Publication Society building in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania  American Baptist Publication Society building (Pennsylvania)  American Baptist Publication Society building (the United States) | |
| Location | 1420–1422 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°57′3″N 75°9′55″W / 39.95083°N 75.16528°W |
| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Frank Miles Day & Bro.; Payne, George W. & Bro. |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, French Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003607[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 1980 |
The American Baptist Publication Society is a historic building at 1420–1422 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History[edit]
The building's construction was completed in 1896 on the site of the former headquarters of the American Baptist Publication Society, which was destroyed in a February 2, 1896 fire. The society was founded in 1824 by preacher Luther Rice and others as the Baptist General Tract Society, which later became the American Baptist Publication Society and eventually the American Baptist Board of Educational Ministries. The society's goal was to use educational means "to disseminate evangelical truth and to articulate sound morals." Its work involved the printing of tracts and Bibles and publishing books and Sunday school curricula. Educational outreach was undertaken throughout many parts of the U.S. in the 19th century, including through colporters and chapel train cars.[citation needed]
The architect, Frank Miles Day, designed the building in the French Renaissance Revival style. Along with Jacob Reed's Sons Store to the immediate west and the Packard Building on 15th Street, the building set the standard for commercial buildings on fashionable Chestnut Street.
In 1980, in recognition of its significance as a national historical structure, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Thomas, George E. (1979). "American Baptist Publican Society" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
