[1] Its mission is to collect, preserve and share the history of the American Presbyterian and Reformed tradition with the church and broader community.

[2] Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Historical Society holds about 32,000 cubic feet of archival records and personal papers; about 250,000 monographs, serials, and rare books; and a museum collection that includes approximately 250 paintings and over 25,000 communion tokens.

[1] Concerned over the permanent loss of historical records, Old School Board of Education Secretary Cortland Van Rensselaer helped to orchestrate the Society’s creation.

[7] In addition, the society received 600 church histories in 1876 as part of the denomination's wider efforts to celebrate the United States centennial.

[7] It was also during Cattell's tenure in 1893 that the Society hired its first support staff person, a female clerk to assist in cataloging the holdings.

[6] It was also through Mudge's involvement that the Historical Society began to use its archives to answer reference questions for the larger denomination and promote itself to the academic community.

With the help and assistance of Stated Clerk Eugene Carson Blake, Alexander Mackie and the Friends of Old Pine Street Church, a new building for the Historical Society was planned.

[9] Some of the noteworthy collections the Presbyterian Historical Society possesses include the personal library and correspondence of Sheldon Jackson, a pioneering missionary in Alaska and the West during the late nineteenth century.

The Society also holds a manuscript of the sermon delivered by Phineas Densmore Gurley in the East Room of the White House during Abraham Lincoln's Funeral.

[9] Recent collections of note at the Society include records of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.[6] The NCC is an ecumenical organization made up of 29 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox denominations.

Under Taylor's leadership during the pandemic, the Historical Society expanded its capacity to take in and preserve digital materials, issued a Black Lives Matter statement, and launched a biweekly Zoom series featuring PHS staff speaking on various topics.

The Society also provides step-by-step records management programs for all levels of the denomination, including synods, presbyteries and congregations.

[9] The Historical Society staff writes the “Our Documentary Heritage” section of the Journal, which illustrates an aspect of Presbyterian history through artifacts and photographs.

The staff also produces “On Holy Ground”, which highlights churches, cemeteries or other locations that were awarded a place on the American Presbyterian/Reformed Historic Sites Registry.

The Society's website contains information about some of its holdings through the online catalog, CALVIN, which includes records for over 75,000 books, periodicals, and other archival materials.

In order to help preserve important denominational records, a discounted rate is available to all PC(USA) entities for digitization.

In addition, annual Heritage Preservation Grants that cover up to $500 towards the cost of digital reformatting are available for congregations that are at least 50 years old and have fewer than 250 members.