Pauline Henry provided for the building of St. Luke's, in what was at that time country farmland, to memorialize her late husband Bernard Henry, MD. He was a well-known naval surgeon who died within a few years of their marriage. The church was dedicated in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War. A separate chapel, which had housed the Sunday School (now the church office) was built as well, along with a rectory and parish hall. There is a churchyard, and buried along with some of the neighborhood's most prominent people are State Senator Louis Farrell, and Civil War General Penncock Huey. Elias Toy, a crew member of the funeral train that carried Abraham Lincoln’s body home to Illinois is also buried in the churchyard. Over the years, generations of parish family members have been laid to rest there.

 

      The original rectory and parish hall have since been replaced, but the original church (1861) still stands. The church was designed by renowned architect Richard Upjohn (1802-1878). Upjohn was one of the founders of The American Institute of Architects and served as one of its first presidents. St. Luke’s is the only Upjohn church in the city of Philadelphia, and was designated as a historical building by the Philadelphia Historical Commission on August 29, 2017. Notable interior features include the altar cross given by Mrs. Henry, and the large marble medallions on the back wall of the church depicting Pauline and Bernard Henry.

 

      Today the church is home to a number of faithful families. We are a diverse congregation of first generation families from Africa and Asia as well as longstanding families of European descent.