St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church
817 North 7th Street
Originally constructed in 1854 for the Second Dutch Reform Church, the Russian Independent Orthodox congregation acquired the building in 1917. St. Nicholas was chartered in 1918 to serve the overflow of congregants from nearby St. Andrew's Russian Orthodox Cathedral on North 5th Street, indicating the rapid growth of Northern Liberties' Russian Orthodox population in the early 20th century. Today St. Nicholas's closest parishioners live 10 miles away, and some come from as far as 75 miles away to worship here. The church fosters loyalty and a sense of community across the now-dispersed Russian Orthodox population, who lovingly maintain the church of their parents and grandparents.