One of Old Pine’s first ministers, George Duffield, established our lively personality soon after our founding in 1768 as the Third Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Rev. Duffield was renowned for his powerful pro-Independence sermons, which attracted many founding fathers to attend services at Old Pine. Duffield was selected to be the chaplain of the First Continental Congress in 1774 and then to be chaplain for Washington’s army at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. The British so feared Duffield’s influence that they placed a £50 bounty on his arrest.
The Old Pine Story
John Adams, writing to his wife Abigail, called Duffield a “man of genius and eloquence.” Adams termed Old Pine Church the “War Office” because of Duffield’s insistent calls for Independence from Britain. Old Pine sent over 500 soldiers to fight in Washington’s army, earning the nickname the “Church of the Patriots.” Today, over 200 of those soldiers are buried in our urban graveyard and our church building is the only Presbyterian structure in Philadelphia dating back to revolutionary times.
The British frequently blamed Presbyterians for the Revolution, with one soldier writing, “This war is nothing more or less than a Scotch Irish Presbyterian rebellion.” During the occupation of Philadelphia in 1777-1778, when our congregants fled the city, the British used Old Pine first as a hospital and later as a stable for their horses. They stripped the sanctuary of its plate and pews — anything that could be sold or burned. Adding insult to injury, they buried dozens of Hessian mercenaries in our churchyard!
By the time the first Presbyterian General Assembly met in Philadelphia in 1789, Old Pine had become a leader in shaping both the church and the new nation, and its leadership has continued through the centuries. George Duffield was the first stated clerk of the General Assembly; Archibald Alexander left the pastorate of Old Pine to become the first professor of theology at Princeton Theological Seminary; Pastor Ezra Stiles Ely provided the land for Jefferson Medical College; six of Old Pine’s pastors served as Moderators of the Presbyterian General Assembly; Pastor Thomas Brainerd led the crusade against slavery and joined in the founding of the Union League to support those fighting the Civil War.
Over the years, two congregations merged into Old Pine so that today, the official name of the church is The Third, Scots and Mariners Presbyterian Church.
By 1900, Old Pine and the neighborhood had begun to decline; by mid-century both church and churchyard stood in melancholy disrepair. Old Pine’s neighborhood declined as well. Many of the residences deteriorated. Many churches moved away, but Old Pine remained to serve its community through vocational training for immigrants and services conducted in the Polish language. However, had it not been for its unique role in Presbyterian and national history, the old church would probably have been closed and demolished.
In 1951, Dr. Alexander Mackie formed the Friends of Old Pine, a support organization dedicated to restore Old Pine to its place as an active, self-supporting urban ministry. The group financed the first 20th century major renovation and restoration which included adding a kitchen and restrooms to the first floor. When William Pindar took the pulpit in 1971, the congregation began to grow and reclaim its role in the life of the church and the community.
During Bill Pindar’s eighteen-year tenure, the people of Old Pine completely remodeled the church making the ground floor wheelchair accessible, and installing an elevator to connect the ground floor to the magnificently redecorated sanctuary.
In 1976, Old Piners built the Old Pine Community Center at Fourth and Lombard Streets thereby providing the community and the church with much-needed meeting, study and recreational space.
The Friends of Old Pine supported renovations to Old Pine’s churchyard — the resting place of thousands of parishioners, many significantly involved in the life of the church, the city and the nation. In the early 1980’s, we added a memorial garden for the remains of those wishing to be buried in these historic grounds.
When the Presbyterian General Assembly celebrated its bicentennial in 1989, Old Pine played a major role in the planning and execution of all celebratory events. In 2006, Old Pine hosted the 300th Anniversary of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
We, the people of Old Pine, are concerned with much more than bricks and mortar. Continuing our more than 200 years of community activism, we were among the first to respond to the problem of the homeless on the streets of our city. In 1982, we founded and, in the beginning, sheltered the Philadelphia Committee for the Homeless. In 1978, Old Pine started its Saturday for Seniors (SFS) program to provide a weekend hot lunch and take-home snack for the city’s elderly — a Philadelphia first. Our current mission outreach includes a partnership with Bethel Presbyterian Church that provides food for hundreds of Philadelphia families every week.
The Rev. Debbie McKinley led Old Pine from 1995-2008, a period of steady leadership and a deepening of our mission outreach.
The Rev. Jason Ferris took over Old Pine’s pulpit in 2011. During his tenure, membership has steadily risen, from about 100 when he arrived to 250 in 2026. A major capital campaign was completed in 2023 that included a total renovation of the first floor of the church and the installation of air-conditioning in the sanctuary so that worship services could be held during the summer months.
Records from Old Pine’s history can be found by visiting Philadelphia Congregations Early Records Project.
Even more history about Old Pine can be found at the Independence Hall Association website.