Join us in preserving and restoring this historic building
U.S. Civil War hospital, 1863-1865
Seminary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1948-1951
National Register of Historic Places, 1973; PA Historical and Museum Commission State Marker Program, 1993
Note: This link will transfer you to our fiscal sponsor's website, the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.
For Future Generations
The building was constructed in 1857 by John Price Crozer, a prominent industrialist and philanthropist, as a teachers' training college.
John P. Crozer was committed to education and social progress, establishing this institution to provide quality training for educators in the growing nation.
In 1861, the building became a Civil War hospital, housing both Union and Confederate soldiers after the bloody battle of Gettysburg.
Physical Evidence Remains:
The visible outlines of openings cut into doors to facilitate the distribution of food to wounded Confederate soldiers can still be seen today. In the building's cupola, signatures and addresses of both Union and Confederate soldiers have been preserved.
Cupola Access
Cupola Inscriptions
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived and studied at Crozer Theological Seminary from 1948 to 1951, a formative period in his intellectual, spiritual, and leadership development.
Old Main was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In 1992, a state marker was placed at the site through the efforts of Chester resident, Steven Evans.
Your support funds preservation and restoration efforts with the goal of honoring this historic building and creating needed spaces for the community.
Note: This link will transfer you to our fiscal sponsor's website, the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.