The following story is from Harry Kariakodis' book, "Philadelphia's Lost Waterfront".

I have reported before on Harry's comments during his slide presentation on the Delaware Waterfront. He had mentioned the caves that were once along the banks of the Delaware River, causing me to look into it further and write an article about them. I had found some of the information for that article in Harry's book. I often think about those caves and what it must have been like to live in them.

The story below is based on information from Harry's book about another very unusual part of Philadelphia's history. It's amazing, amusing, and has a contemporary and astonishing ending.

The picture of the church is on page 105 of Harry's book.

The Floating Church of the Redeemer

Some of our newsletter readers have been in Old City long enough to remember that the occupant of the building now called Trust was once The Seamen's Church Institute of Philadelphia, which was founded in 1843. It is currently based at 475 North Fifth Street; but there was a time that it was housed in a floating church, ministering to the needs of those visiting the ports on the Delaware River.

Harry writes:

"This was evidently the first floating church in the United States and apparently one of only three ever made. It was a venture of the Churchman's Missionary Association for Seamen, an arm of the Episcopal Church.

The wooden church, ninety feet long and thirty feet wide, rested on the hulls of two barges placed ten feet apart. With sailing flags waving from its seventy-five-foot steeple, it was deemed the most beautiful floating chapel in the world. The Floating Church of the Redeemer was so famous that a model of it was displayed at London's Great Exhibition of 1851."

Initially, the thought comes to mind that this might be a delightful way to attend church services. But it seems it wasn't entirely pleasant. Seasickness was often a problem among attendees; even the chaplain had problems keeping his balance.

And then there was the problem with the tipping in high winds...and it sank once.

Maintenance costs were so high that it was finally sold and towed to Broadway Street in Camden. This is the sad part of the story: it was set on a brick foundation, landlocked; and in 1868 the building burned to the ground. BUT the bell survived.

This is the truly remarkable part: after almost 150 years, Seamen's Church Institute found the bell on an e-Bay auction and they now own it.

And that's the happy ending to the story.

You can purchase Harry's book online at WWW.HISTORYPRESS.NET