Our History
About the deacon
Located in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of Philadelphia, The Deacon is an innovative multi-use space housed in a historic building and reimagined with modern amenities. With minimalist design touches and Bauhaus-influenced features, our space meticulously and thoughtfully pairs old and new. The dynamic setting, encourages creativity, connection, and collaboration, offering each guest a memorable experience.
Photo by Melissa Romero
Photo by Melissa Romero
The Deacon is located within the Former First African Baptist Church, a gothic revival-style church built in 1906. For more than 110 years, the church was a hub for the Black community and the South Philadelphia neighborhood once known as Moyamensing. It hosted luminaries including Booker T. Washington, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, and Thurgood Marshall, but its small scale endeavors were no less important. Clubs and community organizations like the Busy Bee Society, Flower Club, Mutual Aid Society, and Cherry Memorial Athletic Club all thrived at the church for decades, doing everything from helping elderly neighbors to making sure the church’s paint job stayed fresh.
Our goal is to maintain the tradition of the space as a hub of the community: a place for celebration, congregation, and education where all are welcome, and everyone feels at home. A circa-1906, Watson & Huckel-designed church was reimagined in 2019, as an invisible service hotel and event space offering a unique, thoughtfully-curated guest experience, designed for a diverse set of occasions, gatherings, and creative projects.
The Deacon is a place to discover and make your own. Whether with friends, colleagues or family, you won’t want to leave.
