History & local legend
Saint Andrew's-in-the-Field in Philadelphia's Somerton neighborhood developed from Saint Luke's Somerton Mission. The older, small white chapel remained beside the larger church, later serving as an annex.
A local account collected by The Shadowlands describes pale, indistinct figures on the grounds near the original chapel and unexplained sounds from the woods behind the buildings. The figures were described as hazy rather than recognizable people. The original chapel was a modest gabled building with a bell above the roof.
Sources
- The Shadowlands, Philadelphia, Somerton, Saint Andrews Church, Original Chapel
- Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, Historic Religious Properties, distinct listings at 510 and 500 Somerton Avenue
- Philadelphia Studies, Archives of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, early chapel exterior photograph
- Episcopal Asset Map, Saint Andrew’s in the Field parish
