In 1882, a Pennsylvania judge put pen to paper and the Church of the Advent in Kennett Square was born.  With the signing of that charter, a small-dedicated group of Episcopalians became a parish.  Its original members had met in several places in Kennett Square, including the old Town Hall, formerly on State Street, and the Unicorn Tavern that once stood on the corner of State and Union Streets. In 1886, Church of the Advent constructed its first church building on South Broad Street, where it called its home for 73 years and began a long career of service to Episcopalians and to the Kennett community. The Kennett Presbyterian Church now owns this First Church of ours.   How did we choose our name, the Church of the Advent? The most famous Episcopalian of his day was Dr. Philipps Brooks, the Bishop of Boston. Brooks' first church had been in Philadelphia; it was the Church of the Advent. So it was suggested by one of our Vestry members that we should honor this most famous Preacher who's best remembered today as the author of the Christmas Carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, by naming our church after Dr. Brooks' first church. Our church has always been deeply involved in the Kennett Square community. On our first Vestry sat Theodore Hadley whose son later established Kennett's Hadley Fund in his father's memory. And since the church was built shortly after the death of Kennett's world-famous citizen, Bayard Taylor, donations came from many prominent Americans to install stained-glass windows in his memory. Some of the donors were: the poets, James Russell Lowell and John Greenleaf Whittier, the Rev. Dr. Phillips Brooks, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, and the author, Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens. By the mid-1950s, the congregation had increased to 281 communicants, which "placed a strain on the church facilities". So we bought land at the upper end of town where North Union Street and Fairthorne meet and built there a new and much larger building. Advent moved to it in 1958, but didn't leave all behind for we carried with us some of the original pews, the altar, the Bishop's Chair, as well as the Hadley and Bayard Taylor stained-glass windows and even the original cornerstone. These were all installed in a new Chapel attached to our main sanctuary.   In the 1990’s, a magnificent pipe organ and a second education wing were added.    As we began the new century, the former rectory was converted to the Church's Pastoral Care and Office Center, allowing the use of the former office space for additional meeting areas.  A Memorial Garden, featuring a reflecting pools and sitting area for quiet contemplation, was added in 2002-3-4.  A series of walkways connect the church, chapel, memorial garden and Pastoral Care & Office Center to bring unity and beauty to our campus.   Once again there was a "strain on church facilities", this time on our Second Church. Advent now has 400 families and 1200 individuals on its roll. We have just enlarged our Parish Hall, added additional meeting rooms and handicap access, installed air conditioning and refurbished the sanctuary. The church recently started holding three services each Sunday morning.  Currently, Advent is the fifth largest parish in the Diocese of Philadelphia.  Although Advent is an older parish, the church is not bound by traditions.  Newcomers are readily welcomed, and an emphasis is placed on biblical preaching, education for all ages, and outreach to the local community and beyond.   Advent continues its involvement with the community. The Kennett Square Pre-School Cooperative holds classes here and many community groups utilize our rooms for meetings. The Church's Outreach Commission annually contributes support to a large number of local organizations.   Memories of this past may be funny, nostalgic, or sad, but they are the memories of Advent as a congregation.  Such memories are reminders to members today that the people who came before them used their faith and perseverance to help Advent grow. Our three most recent rectors have been: Elbert St. Claire (1952-1979), Richard Kirk (1979-1996) and the present Rector, David Thomas who came to Advent in 1997. Today, the Church of the Advent and our Church family continue to both thrive and grow in Kennett Square. In 2007 the Church of the Advent celebrated its 125th Birthday.