You might not know the name Anna Wilstach, but you probably have benefited from her generosity. When she died in 1892, she bequeathed her fine art collection and $500,000 ($17,749,890 today) to what is now the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it is a foundational part of their collection. Her instructions on the use of her gift were clear: Her art work had to be available for the public to see and enjoy. 

In 1873, Anna funded the construction of Trinity Memorial Church at 22nd and Spruce streets, in memory of her deceased daughter Anna Gertrude.  

For 150 years, the church has been a mainstay of the neighborhood hosting a weekly fresh food bank, concerts, a nursery school, a polling place, yoga classes, meeting rooms, a shelter for homeless men and more, as well as worship services.  

To learn more about this extraordinary Gilded Age woman, register for our free symposium.  She lived well but suffered heartbreak. She demonstrated compassion for mankind and was ahead of her time as a woman and a philanthropist.

The Speakers