Wesley Building and Robert Morris Hotel

Constructed in 1915 and expanded in 1915, this historic building originally served as a headquarters and office building for the Methodist Church. Philadelphia was the center of the church's activities starting in the eighteenth century, partially due to the missions and sermons conducted by English revivalist George Whitefield who led several successful missions to the city. The building complex, which originally included the Wesley Building and was later expanded to include the Robert Morris Hotel and the Philadelphia Tract Society Methodist Church Building serves as a reminder of that history. The original six-story Wesley Building (circa 1915) was named for the movement's founder, John Wesley, and functioned as the church's administrative headquarters and publishing center for its various organizations, including the Board of Home Missions and the Philadelphia Tract Society. The later eight-story addition (circa 1922) of the Robert Morris Hotel above the church's office space provided modest overnight accommodations for visiting Methodists and the traveling public. One can still see the cornice of the original Wesley Building above the sixth floor. In 2012, the historic Methodist office building and hotel transitioned into a 111-unit rental luxury apartment building called The Arch.

George Whitfield, founder of Methodism and evangelism, is believed to have preached to crowds more than 15,000 times in Britain and North America. Whitfield first traveled to North America in 1740, preaching a series of revivals, often controversial, that served as part of the Great Awakening movement. One distinct connection between Whitfield and Philadelphia exists with the relationship Whitfield developed with Ben Franklin, who had attended one of Whitfield's evangelical events and left impressed by the preacher's oratory skills. In addition to publishing some of Whitfield's materials, the two developed a friendship that included creating a boys' orphanage named the Charity School. In 1749, Franklin purchased the Whitefield meeting house and Charity School, which became the site of the Academy of Philadelphia in 1751, the predecessor to the University of Pennsylvania. 

The presence of the Methodist faith grew throughout the nineteenth century and Philadelphia served as the administrative center of the church. By 1914, leaders of the Methodist Church developed plans to construct a twelve-story administration building. However, studies determined that a building of that size was unfeasible, leading to a more modest original plan. in 1914, the Board of Home Missions and Church Extension of the Methodist Episcopal Church commissioned the architectural firm of Ballinger and Perrot to create a six-story office structure. Constructed of steel frame and Terra Cotta finish, the building featured a Gothic style design. In the early 1920s, the same firm (known as the Ballinger Company at that time) designed and oversaw the addition of the eight-story Robert Morris Hotel. 

The Wesley Building and Robert Morris hotel were constructed during a period when steel-frame construction and skyscraper designs grew increasingly common. Although the church named the hotel after Morris, a noted financier of the American Revolution, no evidence suggests that he had any direct connection with the Methodist Church. It is plausible that the name was partially motivated by the nation's upcoming sesquicentennial celebration which celebrated those connected to 1776. The hotel was part of the Methodist organization and adhered to Methodist rules, including forbidding the sale or possession of liquor by guests. The church later repurposed and sold the building and im 2012, the historic Methodist office building and hotel transitioned into a 111-unit rental luxury apartment building called The Arch.

Berkheimer, Charles. Early Central Pennsylvania Methodism: from Whitefield to Asbury. 1968. https://www.lycoming.edu/umarch/chronicles/2003/2.berkheimer.pdf.

"People & Ideas: George Whitefield." Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Accessed December 20, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/godinamerica/people/george-whitefield.html. 

Morgan, David T. “A Most Unlikely Friendship — Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield.” The Historian 47, no. 2 (1985): 208–18.

Thomas, George E. "Nomination Form: Wesley Building, Board of Home Missions of the United Methodist Church." National Register of Historic Places. archives.gov. 1991. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997360 (or a .pdf can be found at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/84003581.pdf ).