Old St. Joseph's Church
St. Joseph’s is the oldest Roman Catholic church in all of Philly. See this gorgeous structure and learn a bit about its spooky past with our ghost tour.
Constructed in 1733, St Joseph’s is the oldest Roman Catholic church in all of Philadelphia. While from the outside, it looks like any ordinary old place of worship, things can get quite eerie as the sun goes down. This breathtaking structure is also known to house old spirits.
Learn more about St. Joseph’s Church and why it’s one of the most popular destinations in our Philadelphia Ghost Tour.
The Church’s Origins
A Jesuit from Maryland named Joseph Greaton founded the church. Greaton originally came to Philadelphia to start a mission. Before founding the church, he used to conduct mass at his home. He created his first chapel in 1733, which was more like an in-house church connected to his home.
Philadelphia became a hub for Catholics since it was one of the few English colonies allowed to practice Catholicism during that time publicly. As a result, countless Catholics moved to Philadelphia for its more welcoming policy regarding religion.
In 1757, Greaton’s small chapel was upgraded to a much larger structure to house the many worshipers. The expansion became critical during the yellow fever pandemic in 1793 when St Joseph’s Church was used as an orphanage to help house the many children who lost their parents to the disease.
Today, the church is still open and conducts mass. You can visit the chapel during the day to appreciate its beauty or head over at night to potentially spot a spirit.
Ghostly Encounters
Although St. Joseph’s is still an operational chapel in Philadelphia, some people claim to have seen some odd things happen on the grounds. Many believe that the apparent hauntings date back to the church’s orphanage days.
During that time, yellow fever orphaned numerous American children. The despair and pain that some of these kids felt before passing could still be echoing through the halls of the chapel. People claim to see shadowy figures roaming around the church halls at night. Other report hearing strange otherworldly sounds wailing from inside the church walls.
With all the hype surrounding this historical chapel, we had to make it one of the stops on our ghost tour. Not only is St. Joseph’s Church a landmark in Philadelphia, but it’s also a thrill-worth destination for those interested in ghostly spirits.
Haunted Philadelphia, PA
There are numerous reasons to come to Philadelphia. Whether you’re taking in the famous historical landmarks or enjoying a cheesesteak, all of that is possible in The City of Brotherly Love.
But only the daring explore Philly’s most haunted landmarks. Join US Ghost Adventures on our Philadelphia ghost tour if you’re up to see the more exciting side of Philly.
About US Ghost Adventures
Since 2013, US Ghost Adventures has offered entertaining, historic, and authentic ghost tours of America’s most haunted cities. We deliver fun yet honest accounts of hauntings across the nation for curious people of all ages. Our ghost stories are based on historical research, but that doesn’t mean they won’t send a chill down your spine.
This video gives you a small taste of what you might experience on your ghost tour — subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more.
US Ghost Adventures also offers virtual tours, a self-guided mobile app, and an Alexa voice app.
