St. Davids Church, Radnor Pennsylvania
The cornerstone for this church was laid on May 9, 1715. The east gable has a 1715 date stone, which is a modern recutting. The church opened in 1717.
The original church was a simple, one-room rectangular stone structure with a gable roof. The design was adapted from Welsh country church architecture. The original rectangular section is still one-room in plan, and measures 40' x 27'. It has increased in size by the addition of an exterior stairway and a rear addition. Its exterior is largely unaltered, and the originality of its design is evident here. The arched windows and the main south entrance still remain. Its interior, in contrast, has been altered over the years, although its simple appearance has been preserved. The pulpit was in the north end originally; it was later moved to its present east location.
During the Revolutionary War the church was used as a hospital.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited the church in 1876 during his visit to the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. He later wrote a poem about the church, "Old St. David's at Radnor."
