Presbyterian Historical Society

This article is about the United States society. For the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, see Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
Presbyterian Historical Society
"Where History Lives"
Map
LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Typeprivate archive
Established1852; 172 years ago (1852)
Collection
Size32,000 cubic feet of archival records
Other information
DirectorNancy Taylor
Websitewww.history.pcusa.org

The Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) is the oldest continuous denominational historical society in the United States.[1] Its mission is to collect, preserve and share the history of the American Presbyterian and Reformed tradition with the church and broader community. It is a department of the Office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).[2]

Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Historical Society holds about 32,000 cubic feet of archival records and personal papers; about 250,000 monographs, serials, and rare books; and a museum collection that includes approximately 250 paintings and over 25,000 communion tokens.[3] The Society's address is 425 Lombard Street in Philadelphia’s Historic Society Hill District.[4]

The Presbyterian Historical Society is governed by a Board of Directors, which sets strategic directions for the Society, provides oversight, ensures financial stability and advocates and promotes the work of the Society within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).[2]

  1. ^ Smylie, James H. 1996. A Brief History of the Presbyterians. Louisville, Kentucky: Geneva Press.
  2. ^ a b About PHS. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Historical Society, 2010.
  3. ^ "About". Presbyterian Historical Society. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  4. ^ "Historic Philadelphia Tour: The Presbyterian Historical Society". www.ushistory.org. Retrieved 2020-04-11.