Standing nearby each other for centuries, Philadelphia’s Christ Church and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church continue to serve as the spiritual home for many in the city, just as it did for several generations before them, writes Luis Andres Henao for the Associated Press.

Prominent historic figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Betsy Ross once worshiped at Christ Church, the birthplace of the U.S. Episcopal Church, which continues to stand as a symbol of America’s political and spiritual evolution.

Christ Church was founded in 1695 by a group of Philadelphia colonists who established the first parish of the Church of England in Pennsylvania.

Mother Bethel AME Church is its neighbor less than a mile south. Nestled on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by Black Americans, it’s the mother church of the nation’s first Black denomination.

It was founded by Rev. Richard Allen in 1794. Before long, it became a place of refuge for Black people fleeing slavery along the Underground Railroad. It then became a major gathering point for the Civil Rights movement decades later.

Both houses of worship continue to stand as cornerstones of faith for many after centuries.

Read more the two historic Philadelphia churches serving as pillars in the community in the Associated Press.

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