The Historical Significance of St. David’s Church in Colonial America

Located approximately twenty miles west of Philadelphia St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne/Radnor, Pennsylvania is one of the oldest churches in southeastern Pennsylvania. This paper started out as an extra-credit assignment for a Colonial American History course offered last fall. However, through Dr. Sam Smith’s passion for colonial church history, I became passionate about sharing the history of St. David’s as it is located only two miles from my home. This paper discusses the foundations of this important church highlighting the history and growth of Episcopal churches throughout the colonial period in Pennsylvania. This paper also discusses how St. David’s transformed from a small Welsh missionary community to a battleground of ideas during the Great Awakening. Overall, St. David’s is an important area of colonial significance and dramatically impacted the foundations of its local community.