The history of St. Philip's

Meeting in a picturesque former one-room schoolhouse, St Philip's Episcopal Church has represented the life and spirit of New Hope and the surrounding communities for nearly 85 years.

The original building was constructed of locally quarried stone sometime between 1800 and 1820 for use by the township as a school. The school was always known as "The Phillips School" because the land had been donated by a local family of that name. The building was abandoned for use as a school in 1919 due to declining enrollment.

In 1920 a number of missions of the Diocese of Pennsylvania were sponsored in Bucks County, known as the "Center County Missions." These missions were intended to serve the areas of Langhorne, Feasterville, Southamptom, Solebury, Buckingham, and New Hope.

In 1921 the old Phillips school was purchased by the Diocese of Pennsylvania for $1,475.00. The mission in New Hope was established in 1921. Between the years of 1921 and 1943 the chapel served not only the local community, but also the residents of the nearby Holmquist school for girls. St Philip's shared clergy with Trinity Solebury until 1954, when it became a separate and self-supporting mission operating under the canons of The Germantown Convocation.

In 1958 the membership of St Philip's Church established "The Friends of Saint Philip's," a non-profit corporation, and purchased a small house located nearby for a vicarage and meeting place.

In the late 1980's a beaver dam on nearby Primrose Creek created a pond that threatened the chapel building. After much deliberation on how to best manage this situation, the beaver was eventually moved and the threat to the chapel was relieved. One can still see the vestiges of the beaver pond on the property and there is also a monthly poetry sharing group that bears the name "Beaver Pond Poetry Forum."