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    [Illustration: {DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR · March 3, 1949}]

                UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
                       Douglas McKay, _Secretary_

                         NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                      Conrad L. Wirth, _Director_


                 _HISTORICAL HANDBOOK NUMBER SEVENTEEN_

  This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing the
  historical and archeological areas in the National Park System
  administered by the National Park Service of the United States
  Department of the Interior. It is printed by the Government Printing
  Office, and may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents,
  Washington 25, D. C. Price 25 cents




                              INDEPENDENCE
              National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pa.


                                  _by
                            Edward M. Riley_

    [Illustration: {Liberty Bell}]

        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES No. 17
                        Washington, D. C., 1954




_The National Park System, of which Independence National Historical
Park is a unit, is dedicated to the conservation of America's scenic,
scientific, and historic heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the
people._

    [Illustration: {NATIONAL PARK SERVICE · DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR}]




                               _Contents_


  THE PROVINCIAL STATE HOUSE                                           2
  TWO CENTURIES OF INDEPENDENCE HALL                                   7
  THE STATE HOUSE AND INDEPENDENCE                                    11
  "TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION"                                      20
  AFTER 1800                                                          31
  INDEPENDENCE SQUARE                                                 37
  EVOLUTION OF A SHRINE                                               41
  STORY OF A SYMBOL                                                   52
  GUIDE TO THE AREA                                                   61
  HOW TO REACH THE PARK                                               67
  SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC                                               67
  ADMINISTRATION                                                      67
  RELATED AREAS                                                       68

    [Illustration: _Independence Hall._ Photo by R. G. Magill.]

  "_The United States was created in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, when
  the Continental Congress voted the final form of the Declaration of
  Independence. The United States was perpetuated on September 17, 1787,
  when the Federal Convention completed its work on the Constitution and
  referred it, through Congress, to the individual states for
  ratification. Both these great decisions were made in the same chamber
  in what is now called Independence Hall, but was then the Pennsylvania
  State House. It would still be merely the old State House if
  independence had not been achieved and if the Constitution had not
  been ratified and put into effect. The noble building, so venerable to
  later ages, might not even have survived, but might have been swept
  away in the surging growth of a modern city. In that case, a few
  students of history would sometimes remember the site as the stage of
  those lost causes. Instead, Pennsylvania's State House has become
  Independence Hall for the entire United States. Nor is that all. On
  account of the Declaration of Independence, it is a shrine honored
  wherever the rights of men are honored. On account of the
  Constitution, it is a shrine cherished wherever the principles of
  self-government on a federal scale are cherished._"--Carl van Doren.




                      _The Provincial State House_


Independence Hall was originally the State House of Pennsylvania. For a
half century after the establishment of the Province, the government had
no official building. The Assembly, a small legislative body, was
compelled to meet in private dwellings rented annually for the purpose
or in the old City Hall at Second and High (now Market) Streets.

In order to meet the needs of the Province, funds were appropriated for
the construction of the State House in 1729. At the same time a
committee, consisting of Speaker of the Assembly Andrew Hamilton,
Assemblyman Dr. John Kearsley, and Councilman Thomas Lawrence, was named
to supervise the job. Strong disagreement arose between Hamilton and
Kearsley, with each supporting a different location and plan. This
disagreement delayed actually beginning work on the building until 1732.
In that year the Assembly approved the plan Hamilton advocated and
selected the south side of Chestnut Street between Fifth and Sixth
Streets as the site. This was then on the outskirts of the city.

In the 1730's, Philadelphia had a population of almost 11,500 people.
Only Boston, with 13,000, was larger; while New York was third, with
8,500. The area of what was to become Independence Square contained only
a few small houses. The uneven ground was covered on the north with
whortleberry bushes; to the south, across Walnut Street, stood a peach
orchard.

It is apparent that the plans from which the State House was constructed
were drawn by Edmund Woolley, master carpenter, who was also the
principal builder under the direction of Andrew Hamilton. To these two
men go the major credit for the design and erection of one of the most
beautiful administrative buildings of the Colonial period.

Building the State House was a slow process. The Assembly was not able
to meet in the new building until September 1735. Even at that time the
walls had not been paneled, nor had all of the window panes been
installed. Difficulties of various kinds, especially the scarcity of
skilled workmen, kept the building in an unfinished state. Finally, in
the summer of 1741, the impatient Assembly ordered that the walls and
windows of their chamber be finished at once and the remainder of the
building completed without undue delay. Despite this order, plans for
completing the Supreme Court chamber were not submitted until November
1743. The Council Chamber on the upper floor was not ready for occupancy
until February 1748. It appears probable that the building was completed
about this date.

During construction of the State House the old custom of "raising
feasts" was followed. When the main timbers in a building were raised, a
sumptuous feast was given for the workmen in celebration of the event.
As the building of the State House progressed, there were a number of
such feasts, the cost of them borne by the Provincial government.

Shortly after the construction of the State House was started, the
Assembly ordered that office buildings be erected as wings to the main
building, for the safekeeping of the public papers of the Province.
Early in 1736 the wings on each side of the State House were practically
completed, but public officials objected strenuously to moving into
them. Despite objections, however, it is obvious that the wings were
soon occupied by various county and provincial officials. Others also
used these small buildings, for in 1739 the Library Company of
Philadelphia was granted permission to deposit its books in the upper
floor of the west wing. The Library remained there until 1773 when it
was moved to Carpenters' Hall. Throughout the Colonial period the
doorkeeper of the Assembly and his family also lived in the west wing.
Furthermore, during the early years, Indian delegations visiting
Philadelphia were sometimes lodged in one of the wings.

These exotic tenants proved a source of worry to the Assembly. Their
carelessness with fire posed such a serious threat to public records
that, in 1759, the Assembly ordered the erection of a separate building
for the use of the Indians. It is thought that one of the two wooden
sheds built before the Revolution at the corners of Fifth and Sixth
Streets on Chestnut Street was used for this purpose.

    [Illustration: _Account of Edmund Woolley with Governor John Penn
    for floor plans and elevation drawings of the State House, 1735-36._
    Penn Manuscripts, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.]

_1735 The Honourable John Penn, Esquier Pr To drawing the Elevation of
      the Frount one End the Roof Balconey Chimney and Gorret of the
      State House With the fronts and Plans of the Two offiscis And
      Piazzas allso the Plans of the first and Second floors of the
      State House_

                                              _per Edmond Woolley 5"0"0_

_Reced the 22^d of July 1736 of James Steel the above mentioned five
Pounds._

                                                 _per me Edmond Woolley_

    [Illustration: _Very early floor plan of the State House (first
    floor above, second floor right), apparently drawn prior to erection
    of tower, showing the interior stairway in south end of hallway._ In
    Penn Manuscripts, Warrants and Surveys, Historical Society of
    Pennsylvania.]

  _Assembly Room_
  _Hall_
  _Supreme Court_
  _Committee of Assembly's Chamber_
  _Council Chamber_
  _Long Gallery_

Although the 15 years required to build the State House must have been a
source of irritation to legislators eager to occupy it, the completed
building proved the time was well spent. A most ambitious project for
that early date, it emerged a sturdily constructed brick
edifice--described at the time as a "large handsome building"--with a
facade 107 feet in length connected by closed arcades, or "piazzas," to
wing buildings some 50 feet long. The main building had a decked gable
roof, balustraded between the chimneys and surmounted by a centrally
located cupola. The interior arrangement of the State House provided
suitable space for the various agencies of government. The first floor
contained two chambers about 40 feet square, separated by a spacious
center hall about 20 feet wide. The eastern chamber served as the
meeting place of the Assembly. This room, in the words of a contemporary
in 1774, was "finished in a neat but not elegant manner." Since the
Assembly's sessions were usually secret, the room was provided with a
door. The western chamber housed the Supreme Court of the Province and
was entered through open archways. The staircase to the upper floor
occupied the south end of the central hall. The Provincial Council, the
Governor's advisory body, met in a chamber approximately 20 by 40 feet
in the southwestern corner of the upper floor. This room was separated
by a small vestibule from a chamber in the southeast corner which was
designed as a committee room of the Assembly. The entire Chestnut Street
frontage was one room, called the "gallery," or "long room," measuring
100 by 20 feet. The gallery was used generally for public entertainment
and banquets.

It is apparent that the State House was not elegantly furnished. Chairs,
tables, curtains, screens, and other items purchased for the building
were never unduly expensive. However, the silver inkstand, purchased
from Philip Syng, of Philadelphia, for the table of the Speaker of the
Assembly, and still preserved in Independence Hall, was a most unusual
item which cost £25-16-0. The building appears to have been heated
originally by open fireplaces for which stoves were later substituted.
Lighting was not a serious problem since the meetings rarely continued
until darkness; when they did, the Assembly ordered that candles be
brought in. There is no known picture of the interior of the State House
during the Colonial period; the earliest representation is a painting of
the Assembly Room by Pine and Savage, "The Congress Voting
Independence," which was executed in 1784-86.

In January 1750, shortly after the State House was completed, the
Assembly authorized the superintendents of the building to erect a tower
to contain a staircase and belfry. Edmund Woolley was entrusted with the
construction. By 1753, the tower was completed and the State House bell
(now called the Liberty Bell), ordered in 1751, was hung.

The Assembly also ordered a "large Clock to strike on the Bell."
Subsequently, its works were installed in the attic of the State House,
with clock faces in the end walls just below the eaves. Under the face
of that clock in the west end, a masonry structure resembling a tall
case clock was constructed, the hands of both timepieces being moved by
rods connected with the mechanism in the attic. The steeple bell,
however, was not used to strike the hours. A second bell was ordered by
the Assembly, in 1752, for that purpose and was placed in a turret on
the main roof just before the tower.

    [Illustration: _Andrew Hamilton, an eminent lawyer and Speaker of
    the Assembly, superintended the building of the State House._ From a
    portrait copied by Adolf Wertmuller (1751-1811) from an original now
    lost. Courtesy Historical Society of Pennsylvania.]

In February 1752, in order to accommodate its committees, the Assembly
ordered the erection of a suitable room adjoining the southeast corner
of the building. Work was begun immediately, and the room was completed
some time during the following year. Demolished probably around 1812,
the chamber was described by a contemporary as "a very elegant
apartment." This room also served as the library of the Assembly and was
well equipped with sets of English statutes along with works on history
and literature.

With the completion of the committee room and library, no additional
structures were erected in the State House Yard during the Colonial
period. However, other buildings were contemplated. On February 20,
1736, the Assembly reserved the lots on Chestnut Street at the corners
of Fifth and Sixth Streets for the erection of a city hall and county
courthouse within the next 20 years, but these buildings were not
constructed until several years after the Revolution.




                  _Two Centuries of Independence Hall_


    [Illustration: _Plan of the State House, 1732, attributed to Andrew
    Hamilton. The elevation of the main building shows it substantially
    as first built. A skimpy plan like this seems inadequate to people
    of the 20th century, accustomed to meticulous architectural
    drawings. Detailed drafts had not been introduced in the 1700's;
    rather, the master builders in the field were a combination of what
    we would call today architects, engineers, and workmen. On them lay
    the burden of supplying the technical details between the simple
    sketch and the finished structure. Such a man was Edmund Woolley,
    master carpenter of the State House._ Courtesy Historical Society of
    Pennsylvania.]

    [Illustration: _The State House as it appeared in the Colonial
    period, showing the wings, connecting "piazzas" with stairways, and
    original steeple. As first designed (see preceding illustration) and
    built, the State House had no tower or steeple. These were added
    around mid-century, and a bell was ordered for the steeple in 1751.
    This State House bell, which was hung in the new addition in 1753,
    has since become renowned as the Liberty Bell. This drawing and the
    next six are modern illustrations based on 18th-century written
    descriptions and pictures._]

    [Illustration: _The State House, about 1776, with wing buildings
    adjoined by wooden sheds. These were used during the Revolutionary
    War to store ammunition and, perhaps, to shelter Indian delegations
    at various times. The wings were used as office space and, in part,
    even as living quarters for the doorkeeper and his family._]

    [Illustration: _By 1773, the steeple had rotted to a dangerous
    extent. It had become so weak that ringing of the hell was avoided
    for fear of toppling the steeple. Though the Pennsylvania Assembly
    had long intended to remove this badly decayed structure, it was not
    done till 1781--the year of the British surrender at Yorktown, Va.
    After the steeple was removed, the brick tower was covered with a
    hipped roof, shown here, and the bell hung just below it._]

    [Illustration: _The wooden sheds were removed some time after 1787
    to make way for the City Hall on the east (left) and County
    Courthouse on the west (right). Begun in 1787 and 1789 and completed
    in 1789 and 1791, respectively, these buildings fulfilled the
    original plan of a city governmental center as conceived by Andrew
    Hamilton. With the establishment of the temporary Federal capital in
    Philadelphia, from 1790 to 1800, City Hall became the seat of the U.
    S. Supreme Court and the County Courthouse became Congress Hall._]

    [Illustration: _In 1812, the Pennsylvania Legislature permitted the
    City and County of Philadelphia, which occupied the State House
    after the Federal and State capitals moved from Philadelphia, to
    pull down the east and west wings and erect in their places "modern"
    office buildings, designed by the architect Robert Mills. These
    buildings were used for the purposes of municipal administration and
    storing records. Because of the burden on public funds, the State
    House was dangerously close to being torn down at this time. It was
    spared that fate when the City bought the group of buildings and the
    square from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1818 for $70,000._]

    [Illustration: _Lafayette's visit, in 1824, started a move to lift
    the State House from neglect and direct attention to it as a shrine.
    In line with this new attitude, attempts were made to restore the
    building to its original appearance. The first important step in
    this direction was the restoration of a steeple to the building.
    William Strickland, the famous American architect, designed a new
    one which was constructed in 1828; it was not an exact replica, but
    followed the general design of its predecessor removed in 1781. The
    principal deviations were the installation of a clock in the steeple
    and the use of more ornamentation._]

    [Illustration: _Although various alterations were made to the
    interior of the State House--by now, generally called Independence
    Hall--in the mid-nineteenth century, appreciable exterior changes
    were not made till just before 1900. Between 1896 and 1898, as part
    of the City's general program for the restoration of Independence
    Square to its appearance during the Revolution, the Mills buildings
    were replaced by wings and arcades which resembled those of the 18th
    century. The buildings have retained this appearance to the present
    day._]

    [Illustration: _Second Street north from Market showing old City
    Hall in left foreground, one of the meeting places of the Assembly
    until the completion of the State House. Christ Church is in the
    background._ Engraving by William Birch, 1799. Courtesy Historical
    Society of Pennsylvania.]




                   _The State House and Independence_


Philadelphia, the metropolis of English America, was destined to become
even more prominent during the American Revolution. As opposition to
England's colonial policy developed in America, the city's location near
the center of colonial America naturally made it the focal point of
government. The long tension between the American colonies and the
mother country, which had led to occasional acts of violence in the
past, again erupted in 1773 when a group of Bostonians destroyed a
shipment of tea. Instead of making an effort to discover the nature of
the Americans' opposition, the English Government attempted to punish
them by closing the port of Boston.

The Americans promptly chose representatives to an intercolonial
congress which was to become known as the First Continental Congress.
This body, composed of leading citizens of the colonies, gathered on
September 5, 1774, at the City Tavern before convening formally at
Carpenters' Hall, a new building erected by the Carpenters' Company of
Philadelphia. Reluctant to adopt a course of open defiance, the Congress
sent a petition to the King asking him to restore those rights of
Englishmen which Parliament seemed determined to take away. In answer to
the English acts of coercion, the Congress turned to economic pressure
by calling upon Americans to boycott English goods. Although the First
Continental Congress protested strongly against violations of the
"rights of Englishmen" claimed for the American colonists, no demand for
independence was made.

    [Illustration: _Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Wilson, 1759. Upon the
    evacuation of Philadelphia by the British, this portrait was removed
    from Franklin's house by Captain Andre and carried to England. It
    was returned to America in 1906 by Earl Grey and is now in the White
    House, Washington, D. C._]

After the first Congress adjourned on October 26, 1774, relations
between the colonies and the mother country grew steadily worse. On
April 19, 1775, the Minute Men of Massachusetts fought the British
forces at Lexington and Concord, thus challenging the armed might of the
British Empire. About a month later, on May 10, the Second Continental
Congress met in an atmosphere of tension in the Assembly Room of the
State House. The governing body, forced by events, moved from protest to
resistance. Under the Presidency of John Hancock, the Congress (in June)
chose George Washington to be General and Commander in Chief of the
Army. The latter, "from his usual modesty, darted into the library-room"
when his name was first suggested by John Adams. But after a unanimous
election, Washington accepted that commission in the Assembly Room and
left shortly thereafter to assume his most difficult duties. Despite the
outbreak of warfare, this session of the Continental Congress adjourned
on August 1, 1775, without a demand for independence.

When the Congress reconvened on September 5, 1775, in the State House,
King George III had already issued a proclamation (August 23, 1775)
declaring that "open and avowed rebellion" existed in the colonies. This
and other actions of the King, as well as the publication in
Philadelphia of Thomas Paine's _Common Sense_, caused public sentiment
in favor of independence to grow rapidly in 1776. It was a difficult
task, however, to overcome the reluctance of the conservative delegates
to make an open break.

    [Illustration: _Silver inkstand, still preserved in Independence
    Hall, used during the signing of the Declaration of Independence._]

    [Illustration: _City Tavern, where the delegates to the First
    Continental Congress gathered, on the morning of September 5, 1774,
    prior to their formal assembly at nearby Carpenters' Hall._
    Engraving after William Birch, 1799. Courtesy Philadelphia Free
    Library.]

    [Illustration: _Carpenters' Hall, built by the Carpenters' Company
    of Philadelphia, where the First Continental Congress met in 1774._
    Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

    [Illustration: _John Hancock, president of the Second Continental
    Congress from 1775 to 1777._ Painting attributed to Charles Willson
    Peale, date unknown. Copy in Independence Hall collection.]

Not until June 7, 1776, did Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, acting on
instructions from the Virginia Convention, offer a resolution declaring,
"That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and
independent States," and that foreign alliances and a plan of
confederation ought to be created. Then, after 2 days of debate,
consideration of the resolution was postponed for several weeks.
Meanwhile, a committee, composed of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston was named to
draft a declaration "setting forth the causes which impelled us to this
mighty resolution." On July 2, 1776, Lee's resolution was adopted after
a heated debate in which Adams played a dominant role. Two days later,
the Congress formalized this act by adopting the Declaration of
Independence. On August 2, after it had been engrossed, the document was
signed by most members of Congress. These drastic and irrevocable
actions, in effect, marked the end of British authority in the American
colonies and the birth of the United States of America.

The Declaration of Independence is one of the greatest statements of the
principles of democracy ever penned. Written largely by Thomas
Jefferson, it expressed the thoughts and feelings not only of the
assembled delegates but also of that part of the American people bent on
freedom and independence. These thoughts, expressed in the measured
cadence of Jefferson's lines, gave the colonists a creed to be
triumphantly established: "That to secure these rights [Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Happiness], Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Here is
the continuing principle now permanently entrenched as the heart of
American democracy.

To institute such a government required the agonies of a long, often
indecisive and frequently discouraging war. Throughout the many and hard
years of the Revolution, the Congress sat in the State House, except for
periods of danger such as the occupation of Philadelphia by the British
forces from September 1777 to June 1778. During that winter,
Washington's small army endured untold hardships while keeping watch at
Valley Forge when the American cause appeared almost hopeless.

In 1778, however, the cause received new strength. Largely through the
astute diplomacy of Benjamin Franklin, an alliance was formed with
France; and, on August 6, 1778, Conrad Alexandre Gérard, the first
French Minister to this Nation, formally presented his credentials to
Congress in the Assembly Room.

With the flow of men, money, and supplies from France, the war was
brought to a virtual conclusion at Yorktown, Va., in 1781. When
Washington's dispatches reporting this victory were received by the
Congress in the State House, on October 24, celebrations and general
rejoicing were held throughout Philadelphia. About a week later,
Congress was presented with 24 stands of colors captured at Yorktown.

The formation of a confederation for the new nation was an even more
difficult task than obtaining agreement to the Declaration of
Independence, and steps to form such a confederation were taken very
early in the Revolution. As a matter of fact, only 8 days after the
Declaration was adopted, a draft constitution, called the Articles of
Confederation and Perpetual Union, was first reported by a committee to
the Congress. In spite of the need for unity to meet the enemy's threat,
the States were not willing to commit themselves to the various
obligations (small though they now seem) required in the proposed
confederation. Maryland, in particular, insisted that, as a condition of
her acquiescence, certain other States first surrender their claims to
western lands. On July 9, 1778, eight States signed the Articles of
Confederation in the Pennsylvania State House. Maryland did not accede
until 4 years later, after Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut gave
up their claims to the region which became known as the Northwest
Territory. However, the new Articles of Confederation, giving the
revolutionary government constitutional standing, did not begin their
short period of effectiveness until March 1, 1781.

This first frame of government did not attempt to form a powerful
national government; under the Articles of Confederation the States
retained almost the power of independent nations. However, the Articles
did create a Congress which could consider and legislate matters
affecting the Nation as a whole. Although they contained certain
weaknesses, they held together the 13 States long enough for responsible
leaders to discover the kind of government the United States must have.

    [Illustration: _Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of
    Independence._ Painting by Charles Willson Peale (c. 1791).
    Independence Hall collection.]

    [Illustration: _Richard Henry Lee, whose momentous resolution
    adopted on July 2, 1776, was, in the words of John Adams, "the
    greatest question ... ever ... debated in America, and a greater,
    perhaps, never was nor will be decided among men."_ Painting by
    Charles Willson Peale, 1784. Independence Hall collection.]

    [Illustration: _George Washington._ Painting by James Peale (c.
    1787). Independence Hall collection.]

    [Illustration: _State House as it appeared about 1776._ Lithograph
    based on detail from painting by Charles Willson Peale (c. 1779).
    Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

During those critical years, the State House had served the new nation
well as a capitol. As already noted, it was in this building that
Congress had organized the national administration and made the
necessary plans for carrying the war through to its successful
conclusion. The Provincial Assembly of Pennsylvania, meanwhile, having
graciously relinquished its accustomed room to Congress, had carried on
as best it could in a crowded space on the second floor of the State
House.

The occupation of Philadelphia by the British had been a period of
distress not only for the American cause but for the State House as
well. The building had first been used as quarters for British troops.
After the battle of Germantown, it served as a hospital for wounded
American soldiers.

These uses of the building had left it, in the words of a member of the
Congress, in "a most filthy and sordid situation," with "the inside torn
much to pieces." Extensive cleaning and repairs were required to refit
the building for meetings of the State Government and the Congress. The
Assembly took advantage of this need for repairs to enlarge their
temporary quarters in the southeast corner of the upper floor. This was
done by removing the partition between their chamber and the "long
room." The new space then became approximately the same size as the
Assembly Room on the first floor.

    [Illustration: _John Adams, one of the most active members of the
    Continental Congress, and the "ablest advocate and defender" of the
    Declaration of Independence, played a major role in the achievement
    of independence._ Painting by Charles Willson Peale, before 1795.
    Independence Hall collection.]

The Revolutionary period also saw an alteration on the exterior of the
State House--the removal of the badly decayed wooden steeple above the
brick tower. The Assembly considered this step as early as 1773, but the
project was not carried out until 1781. After the steeple was removed,
the brick tower was covered with a low, sloping, hipped roof, surmounted
by a slender finial.

In 1783, a body of mutinous soldiers surrounded the State House and
demanded back pay from Congress. Although the members of Congress were
unharmed, the incident led to their moving to Princeton. The Congress of
the Confederation never returned to the State House.




                    "_To Form a More Perfect Union_"


With the return of peace in 1783 came also postwar depression. Hard
times created discontent. By 1786, in Massachusetts, this flared into an
open insurrection known as Shays' Rebellion. This affair (perhaps not so
serious as often painted) helped point up the weakness of Congress and
intensify the movement already begun to amend the Articles of
Confederation. A stronger central government was needed. As a result, a
convention was called by the Congress.

    [Illustration: "_Congress Voting Independence, July 4, 1776._"
    Painting begun by Robert E. Pine (c. 1784), and completed after his
    death by Edward Savage. Courtesy Historical Society of
    Pennsylvania.]

    [Illustration: _Christ Church (built 1727-54) where George
    Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and other notables worshiped; seven
    signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried in its
    grounds._ Painting by William Strickland, 1811. Courtesy Historical
    Society of Pennsylvania.]

The Federal Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia on May 25,
1787, in the same room in the State House where the Declaration of
Independence had been adopted. This room permitted the delegates to meet
in secret session, which suggests the seriousness the delegates attached
to their responsibilities. The Convention, composed of 55 men chosen by
the legislatures of the States, was a small group, but included the best
minds in America. As a matter of course, they chose George Washington to
be the presiding officer; his endorsement was probably the chief factor
in winning acceptance for the Constitution. The leader on the floor, and
in some ways the most effective man in the Convention, was James
Madison. His efforts were ably seconded by James Wilson, who deserves to
be ranked with Madison on the basis of actual influence on the completed
Constitution. The aged Benjamin Franklin was the seer of the group; his
great service was as peacemaker of the Convention. Gouverneur Morris,
brilliant and coherent debater, was responsible for the very apt wording
of the Constitution in its final form. Other important delegates
included George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, William Paterson, Charles
Pinckney, and Roger Sherman.

    [Illustration: _Conrad Alexandre Gérard, first French Minister to
    the United States, who formally presented his credentials to
    Congress in Independence Hall on August 6, 1778._ Painted by Charles
    Willson Peale, 1779. Independence Hall collection.]

The purpose of the Convention was, as stated in the Preamble to the
Constitution, "to form a more perfect Union" among the States, to ensure
peace at home, and to provide for defense against foreign enemies. The
delegates believed that these objects could best be achieved by
establishing a strong national government, but it was soon apparent that
serious disagreements existed as to the nature of this proposed new
government. Throughout the hot summer months, the delegates labored. The
Constitution was not born at once, but developed gradually through
debate, interchange of opinion, and careful consideration of problems.
Many minds contributed to its final form. A body of compromises, the
Constitution created the central government of a land which is both a
nation and a confederation of States. It was impossible for the framers
to attempt to answer all questions; much was left for future generations
to define. As a result, the Constitution has proved to be a most elastic
instrument, readily adaptable to meet changing conditions.

    [Illustration: _Detail sketch of rising sun on back of speaker's
    chair in Assembly room._]

    [Illustration: _James Wilson, who, with Madison, had most actual
    influence on the completion of the Constitution._ Artist unknown.]

    [Illustration: _James Madison, sometimes called "the Father of the
    Constitution."_ Painting by Charles Willson Peele (c. 1792).
    Courtesy Frick Art Reference Library.]

    [Illustration: _Robert Morris, financier of the Revolution._
    Painting by Charles Willson Peale (c. 1782). Independence Hall
    collection.]

On September 17, 1787, 4 months after the Convention had assembled, the
finished Constitution was signed "By unanimous consent of the States
present." The Federal Convention was over. The members "adjourned to the
City Tavern, dined together, and took a cordial leave of each other."

Often during the bitterness of debate, the Convention's outcome was in
doubt. At the signing, Franklin, pointing to the gilded half-sun on the
back of Washington's chair, observed:

  I have often and often in the course of Session, and the vicissitudes
  of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that [sun] behind the
  President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting:
  But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and
  not a setting Sun.

Completion of work by the Federal Convention was merely the beginning of
the struggle for the new Constitution; the crucial part remained. For
the framework upon which the Convention had expended so much thought and
labor could be made law only by the people. This was to be accomplished
by submitting the document to the people for their approval or
disapproval in popularly elected State conventions. This method would
serve to give the Constitution a broad base of popular support. Such
support was particularly necessary, since the Convention made clearly
revolutionary decisions in stating that the approbation of 9 States
would be sufficient for establishing the Constitution over the States so
ratifying, and that the consent of the Congress was not required.

    [Illustration: _The Constitutional Convention as visualized by the
    artist. Although inaccurate in detail, it is a good representation
    of the delegates._ Painting by J. H. Froelich, 1935. Courtesy
    Pennsylvania State Museum.]

In State after State special elections were held in which the issue was
whether the voters favored or did not favor the proposed Constitution.
Pennsylvania's State Convention met in the State House on November 21,
1787. Under the influence of Wilson's vigorous arguments, that body
ratified the Constitution on December 18. The honor of first
ratification, however, went to Delaware. Her convention ratified the
document unanimously 5 days earlier. Several of the smaller States
adhered shortly thereafter. The sharpest contests took place in
Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York where the Anti-Federalists were
strong and ably led; but the advantages of the Constitution were so
great that it was finally ratified in 1788 by 11 States. Rhode Island
and North Carolina held out until after Washington became President.

In order to meet popular objections to the Constitution, the Federalists
in Massachusetts drafted amendments which their Commonwealth, in
ratifying the Constitution, might propose to the other States for
adoption. This clever device helped win the struggle in several
reluctant States. From these suggested amendments, intended to protect
the individual citizen against the central government, the first 10
amendments to the Constitution, called the Bill of Rights, were formed.
When the Constitution was finally ratified, the Congress arranged for
the first national election and declared the new government would go
into operation on March 4, 1789.

The new Federal Government first began its work in New York where
Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site is now located; then, in
1790, the Government came to Philadelphia. The move to Philadelphia
resulted from a compromise known as the Residence Act, approved July 16,
1790. This act directed that the permanent capital was to be situated on
the Potomac, but it also stipulated that the temporary seat of
government was to be in Philadelphia for 10 years. Robert Morris was
generally credited with bringing the capital to Philadelphia and was
castigated by New Yorkers for his part in its removal from their city.

    [Illustration: _Independence Hall group (center buildings) looking
    northeast. Left to right: Congress Hall, Independence Hall (actually
    the steeple had been removed in 1781), Committee Room and Library,
    Philosophical Hall, and Library Hall._ Engraving in _Columbian
    Magazine_ (September 1790). Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

When the location of the capital was under consideration, the City and
County of Philadelphia, as well as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
offered the Federal Government the use of the City Hall and the County
Courthouse, two new buildings then under construction. These buildings
fulfilled the original plan of a governmental center as conceived by
Andrew Hamilton. The offer was accepted and for the last 10 years of the
18th century the United States Congress sat in the new County Courthouse
(now known as Congress Hall), on the west side of the State House, and
the U. S. Supreme Court, in the new City Hall (Supreme Court Building),
on the east.

The building in which the Supreme Court sat from 1791 on was erected by
the City of Philadelphia to accommodate the growth of municipal
departments and functions. During the Colonial period the city
government occupied the small courthouse at Second and High (now Market)
Streets. When the Federal Government came to Philadelphia, the new
building was not yet completed, and the Supreme Court of the United
States met first in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chamber in the State
House. After August 1, 1791, the Supreme Court generally occupied the
Mayor's Court, the large room at the south end of the first floor, in
the new City Hall. It is possible that the corresponding room on the
second floor was also used on occasions by the high tribunal. During its
occupancy of the building, the Supreme Court was first presided over by
John Jay, who was succeeded in turn as Chief Justice by John Rutledge
and Oliver Ellsworth. Here the court began its active work, thereby
laying the foundation for the development of the Judicial Branch of the
Federal Government.

    [Illustration: _First Bank of the United States, built in 1795._
    Engraving by Fenner Sears after C. Burton, 1831. Courtesy
    Philadelphia Free Library.]

The ground on which Congress Hall stands was purchased for the Province
of Pennsylvania in 1736. Although there had been plans for a long time
to erect a courthouse on the lot, it was not until 1785 that the
Assembly of Pennsylvania passed an act to appropriate funds for the
erection of the building. Work began in 1787 and was completed in 1789.
This county court building became the meeting place of the first United
States Congress, Third Session, on December 6, 1790. Frederick Augustus
Muhlenberg was then Speaker of the House and John Adams, President of
the Senate. It is today the oldest building standing in which the
Congress of the United States has met.

    [Illustration: _Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury in
    Washington's administration, whose comprehensive program placed the
    new Nation on a firm financial basis._ Painting by Charles Willson
    Peale (c. 1791). Independence Hall collection.]

Before the courthouse could be turned over to the United States
Congress, alterations had to be made to fit the building for its new
purpose. The first-floor chamber, to be used by the House of
Representatives, was furnished with mahogany tables and elbow chairs,
carpeting, stoves, and venetian blinds--all of fine workmanship. In
addition, a gallery was constructed to hold about 300 people. The Senate
Chamber on the second floor was even more elegantly furnished.

Then, between 1793 and 1795, to accommodate the increase in membership
of the House from 68 to 106, the building had to be enlarged by an
addition of about 26 feet to the end of the original structure. In 1795,
a gallery was constructed for the Senate Chamber similar to, although
smaller than, the one on the floor below.

The decade during which Philadelphia served as the capital was a
formative period for our new Government. In foreign relations, the
Citizen Genêt affair and other repercussions of the French Revolution,
which brought near-hostilities with France, ended the historic
Franco-American Alliance of 1778. It is impossible to list all the great
events which occurred during that period, but among them must be
mentioned the inauguration of Washington for his second term in the
Senate Chamber on March 4, 1793. At the same time John Adams assumed the
Presidency of the Senate. Washington delivered his last formal message
before Congress, prior to retiring, in the chamber of the House of
Representatives on December 7, 1796. It is this message which some have
confused with Washington's famous Farewell Address.

It was in Congress Hall that the first 10 amendments--the Bill of
Rights--were formally added to the Constitution. It was here also that
the First Bank of the United States and the Mint were established as
part of the comprehensive program developed by Alexander Hamilton,
Secretary of the Treasury, to rectify the disordered state of Government
finances. Here, too, Jay's Treaty with England was debated and ratified;
Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee were admitted into the Union; and the
Alien and Sedition Acts were passed. And it was here that the Federal
Government successfully weathered an internal threat to its
authority--the Whiskey Insurrection of 1794.

    [Illustration: _Congress Hall (looking west along Chestnut Street)
    near the turn of the century when Philadelphia ceased to be the
    capital city and the building reverted to use as a county
    courthouse. In right foreground is old Chestnut Street Theater._
    Engraving by William Birch, 1799. Courtesy Philadelphia Free
    Library.]

    [Illustration: _"The Artist in his Museum." In 1802, Charles Willson
    Peale obtained permission to use the second floor of Independence
    Hall for his museum. This scene shows the "long room" as a museum
    and gallery._ Courtesy Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.]

In the chamber of the House of Representatives, John Adams was
inaugurated as second President of the United States on March 4, 1797.
Two years later, official news of the death of Washington was received
here by Congress, at which time John Marshall introduced Henry
("Light-Horse Harry") Lee's famous words: "First in War, First in Peace,
First in the Hearts of his Countrymen."




                              _After 1800_


With the turn of the century, Philadelphia ceased to be a capital city.
In 1800, the Federal Government moved to Washington. During the previous
year, the State Government had moved first to Lancaster and later to
Harrisburg. Congress Hall and the Supreme Court building reverted to the
uses for which they were originally intended--a county courthouse and a
city hall. The State House became an empty building, used apparently
only at elections.

    [Illustration: INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK]

             POINTS OF HISTORICAL INTEREST WITHIN PARK AREA
  1. INDEPENDENCE HALL GROUP OF BUILDINGS
  2. PHILOSOPHICAL HALL
  3. LIBRARY HALL (SITE OF)
  4. SECOND BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
  5. DILWORTH-TODD-MOYLAN HOUSE
  6. BISHOP WHITE HOUSE
  7. CITY TAVERN (SITE OF)
  8. PHILADELPHIA (MERCHANTS') EXCHANGE
  9. FIRST BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
  10. CARPENTERS' HALL
  11. FRANKLIN COURT (SITE OF FRANKLIN'S HOUSE)
  12. & 13. CHRIST CHURCH AND CEMETERY
  14. GLORIA DEI (OLD SWEDES') CHURCH
  15. DESHLER-MORRIS HOUSE (5442 GERMANTOWN AVE. NOT SHOWN)
                  OTHER POINTS OF HISTORICAL INTEREST
  16. ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
  17. ATWATER KENT MUSEUM
  18. HOLY TRINITY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
  19. OLD PINE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
  20. ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
  21. POWEL HOUSE
  22. ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH (CITY MISSION)
  23. ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
  24. BETSY ROSS HOUSE
  25. FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE
  26. FREE QUAKER MEETING HOUSE
  27. ST. GEORGE'S METHODIST CHURCH
      {diagonally hatched} STATE AREA
      {shaded} FEDERAL AREA

  DELAWARE RIVER BRIDGE
  RACE ST.
  CHERRY ST.
  ELFRETHS ALLEY
  ARCH ST.
  MARKET ST.
  ORIANNA ST.
  CHESTNUT ST.
  LIBRARY ST.
  WALNUT ST.
  DOCK ST.
  CHRISTIAN ST.
  SWANSON
  LOCUST ST.
  SPRUCE ST.
  SIXTH ST.
  INDEPENDENCE HALL
  FIFTH ST.
  FOURTH ST.
  THIRD ST.
  SECOND ST.
  FRONT ST.
  DELAWARE AVE.
  FRONT ST.
  WATER ST.
  DELAWARE AVE.

The Governor, on March 13, 1815, approved an act authorizing the County
Commissioners of Philadelphia to take charge of the State House and to
rent out the space as they considered advisable. All profits obtained
were to be used to make repairs and improvements on the building.

Having released the State from responsibility for its State House, the
Legislature next sought to realize from this property a sum of money to
be used in building the new capitol at Harrisburg. In an act, approved
March 11, 1816, the Legislature provided for the sale of the square and
its buildings. This act required the Governor to appoint three
commissioners (none from Philadelphia) to lay out a street, or streets,
through the square "in such manner as in their opinion will most conduce
to the value of the property." The square was to be divided into lots
suitable for building; the total amount to be realized was not to be
less than $150,000.

One section of the act, however, saved the State House. This provided
that the City of Philadelphia should have the privilege of purchasing
the building and square for the sum of $70,000. The City Councils
promptly passed an ordinance to purchase the property and took title on
March 23, 1818. This was a financial and spiritual investment unequaled
in the history of American cities.

Although the City of Philadelphia had saved the State House and its
sister buildings from possible destruction, it was evident that many
local officials did not consider the ensemble worthy of complete
preservation. As early as 7 years prior to purchasing this property from
the State, municipal authorities presented the Legislature with
petitions requesting that the Commissioners of the City and County of
Philadelphia be permitted "to pull down the east and west wings of the
state-house ... and to erect in their place, suitable buildings for the
deposit of the records of said City and county...." On March 24, 1812,
this authority was granted by the State Government. The old wings and
the committee room were demolished, to be replaced by "modern" office
buildings designed by the architect, Robert Mills. These new offices
consisted of two row buildings attached to the east and west ends of the
State House. Often called "State House row," they were occupied by
various officials of the city, county, and federal governments.

Other changes to the State House followed as a result of the City's
desire to adapt it for current needs. The Assembly Room, in which the
Declaration of Independence had been adopted, was converted into a court
room. This was "modernized" by the removal of its paneling and the
substitution of plaster and paint. Furthermore, the Chestnut Street
doorway was replaced by a more ornate one, which was wholly out of
keeping with the simple dignity of the structure.

    [Illustration: _City election at Independence Hall. Elections were
    held at Independence Hall throughout the Colonial period and for
    many years thereafter._ From a painting by J. L. Krimmel (c. 1815).
    Courtesy Historical Society of Pennsylvania.]

The first occupant after the State government moved to Lancaster was
Charles Willson Peale, who, in 1802, received permission to use the
upper floor of the State House (including the tower rooms) and the
Assembly Room on the first floor, for his museum which had occupied
Philosophical Hall since 1794. By the terms of the agreement, Peale was
responsible for the maintenance of both the building and the State House
Yard.

In order to make the building more suitable for his museum, Peale
removed the alterations made in 1778-79 to accommodate the Assembly, and
rebuilt the long room to appear as it did during the Colonial period.
The museum, which occupied the second floor of the State House until
1828, included not only an extensive collection of natural history items
but also a unique portrait gallery of the great men of this Nation,
painted largely by Charles Willson Peale and his son, Rembrandt. Peale
also took most seriously his charge to care for the State House Yard, or
Garden, as Independence Square was then known. He planted trees, added
new gates and benches, and improved the walls and lawns. It was most
fortunate that a man of Peale's caliber was responsible for the
property's care during this dark period.

    [Illustration: _Plan showing use of Independence Hall by the City of
    Philadelphia and the Federal Courts._ From _Philadelphia in 1824_.
    Courtesy American Philosophical Society.]

  PLAN OF THE STATE HOUSE.
  Second Floor
    {East Wing}
      Common Council
      Select Council
      Watering Committee
    Grand Jury Room
    Guardians of the Poor
    White Witness Room
    Black Witness Room
    Prothonotary office for the District of the City & County
    MUSEUM
      Mammoth Room
      Lecture Room
      Quadruped Room
      Stairs to the Marine Room
      Long Room
    Clerk of the U. S. Court
    Marshalls Office
    County Commissioners
    Auditors Office
    {West Wing}
      Circuit Court
      Controller of Public Schools
      Law Library
      Supreme Court
  First Floor
    {East Wing}
      Mayors Office
      Mayors' Private Room
      City Comm^s
      City Treas^r
    Clerk of the Mayors Court
    Recorder of Deeds
    Register of Wills.
    Prothonotary of Supr^e Court
    Court Room
    Entrance to the Museum &c.
    Mayors Court.
    Prothonotary of Com^n Pleas
    Sheriffs Office
    Clerk of Orphans Court
    Clerk of Quarter-Sessions
    {West Wing}
      Common Pleas
      District Court

After Peale's museum moved from the State House in 1827-28, the second
floor was rented to the United States Government for judicial purposes.
Alterations were made under the direction of the architect, John
Haviland, to adapt the space for its new use. The long room was again
obliterated, and the western portion of the upper floor was made into
one large room for the use of the United States Circuit and District
Courts. The partitions in the eastern portion apparently were retained;
the northern room became the jury room for the court and the southern
room, the office of its clerk. This occupancy of the State House by
Federal courts continued until 1854. Consolidation of the city and
districts in that year made more room necessary for city offices, and
the Federal courts were forced to move. Their place was taken over by
City Councils. The court room on the west was occupied by the Common
Council. On the east, the partition between the former offices of the
court clerks was removed, and a single room was fitted for the Select
Council. These Councils occupied the upper floor until 1895.

    [Illustration: _Independence Square (State House Garden) in 1800,
    showing brick wall and high gate at Walnut Street._ Engraved by
    William Birch, 1800. Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]




                         _Independence Square_


Until the 1820's, Independence Square was known variously as "State
House Yard" or "State House Garden." Originally the land bounded by
Chestnut, Walnut, Fifth, and Sixth Streets had been set aside by William
Penn as "bonus lots." To each purchaser of a substantial farm or
"country lot," Penn also gave a city lot as a bonus. The pieces in this
particular square were given to Welsh Quakers who settled in Radnor
Township.

By the time the ground along Chestnut Street was acquired to erect the
State House, most of the original owners had already sold their parcels.
By deed dated October 15, 1730, the first lot on the square was
purchased by William Allen for the use of the Province. Within the next
2 years the entire Chestnut Street frontage, extending halfway back to
Walnut Street, had been secured. Construction of the State House began
in 1732.

The desire to provide a proper setting for the State House was evident
from the beginning. In the year that the building was begun, the
Assembly considered leveling the site and enclosing it with a board
fence "in order that Walks may be laid out, and Trees planted, to render
the same more beautiful and commodious." As far as is known, however,
the landscaping was not carried out until considerably later.

    [Illustration: _Independence Square in 1838, as seen from the
    steeple of Independence Hall._ Lithograph by J. C. Wild, 1838.
    Courtesy Historical Society of Pennsylvania.]

On February 20, 1736, the Assembly determined on a most important
policy. An act vesting the State House and its grounds in trustees
provided: "That no part of the said ground lying to the southward of the
State House as it is now built be converted into or made use of for
erecting any sort of buildings thereon, but that the said ground shall
be enclosed and remain a public open green and Walks forever." This
provision has been retained as a guiding principle in the development of
the square save for occasional deviations. On August 9, 1739, the
Assembly ordered "that Materials be prepared for encompassing the Ground
with a Wall in the ensuing Spring...." Two years later a portion of this
wall was taken down and rebuilt with a shingle cornice added to carry
off rain water.

Purchasing the remainder of the square was delayed nearly four decades.
On May 14, 1762, the Assembly directed that the balance of the land be
obtained, and by 1769 the necessary lots had been acquired. In 1770, the
Assembly enclosed the whole square with a brick wall 7 feet high,
pierced at the center of the Walnut Street front by a tall arched
gateway with solid wooden doors.

At this time the square contained the State House, with its wings and
wooden sheds, and a small wooden platform erected in 1768. The latter
was constructed at the instigation of the American Philosophical Society
for observing the transit of Venus across the sun on June 3, 1769. It is
believed that the observatory stood about 40 feet south of the east wing
of the State House.

Although landscaping the State House Yard had been long discussed,
nothing of consequence appears to have been done in this regard during
the Colonial period. At the time of the American Revolution, the square
apparently was more or less barren, with no planned landscaping or
system of walks. Cannon, which must have been a prominent feature of the
yard, were parked within the walls.

    [Illustration: _Independence Square from Walnut Street gate, looking
    north._ Ink sketch from an early photograph.]

With the return of peace, interest was again awakened in improving the
grounds. Landscaping was finally begun about 1784 under the direction of
Samuel Vaughan, a wealthy Jamaica sugar planter then living in
Philadelphia. In addition to the wide central walk of gravel, leading
from the tower door to the Walnut Street gate, and the serpentine walks
about the perimeter of the square, the most noticeable feature of the
yard was the assortment of 100 elm trees presented to the Commonwealth
by George Morgan, of Princeton. Shortly after the landscaping was
completed, the Reverend Manasseh Cutler visited this square and
described it in his journal as a "fine display of rural fancy and
elegance."

  The trees are yet small, but most judiciously arranged. The artificial
  mounds of earth, and depressions, and small groves in the squares have
  a most delightful effect. The numerous walks are well graveled and
  rolled hard; they are all in a serpentine direction, which heightens
  the beauty, and affords constant variety. That painful sameness,
  commonly to be met with in garden-alleys, and other works of this
  kind, is happily avoided here, for there are no two parts of the Mall
  that are alike. Hogarth's "Line of Beauty" is here completely
  verified.

    [Illustration: _Triumphal arch for Lafayette's visit to Independence
    Hall, September 28, 1824._ Unidentified engraving (c. 1824).
    Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

The next alteration of the State House Yard following Vaughan's
landscaping was undertaken in 1812. In that year, when the old wing
buildings were demolished to be replaced by "modern" office buildings,
the high brick walls were removed to allow a "freer circulation of air."
In their place was erected in the following year, a low brick wall,
about 3 feet high, with a marble coping surmounted by a railing of plain
iron palisades. Access to the square was provided by a large gate on
Walnut Street and smaller ones on Fifth and Sixth Streets, about halfway
between Chestnut and Walnut.

Other changes affecting the early scene followed in 1876. Along with
such necessary improvements as resodding and new drainage, broad steps
were constructed in the center of the Walnut Street front and at the
corners on Fifth and Sixth Streets. Wide flagstone walks were laid
through the grounds in almost every direction from street to street. The
later addition of steps on Fifth and Sixth Streets, near Chestnut,
substantially established the condition of the square as it is today.

Through the years the square has served varied purposes. It was
frequently the scene of mass meetings and public demonstrations. Large
gatherings met here frequently in the course of the critical days before
and during the early part of the Revolution. The most noteworthy of
these occurred on July 8, 1776, when, from the observatory
platform--described above--Col. John Nixon read publicly for the first
time that document since known as the Declaration of Independence.




                        _Evolution of a Shrine_


The "State House" did not become "Independence Hall" till the last half
of the 19th century. This change in designation, which began about the
time of Lafayette's visit to America, is closely linked with the
evolution of the building as a national shrine.

Prior to 1824, there was but little reverence or regard for the State
House. The visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to Philadelphia in that
year, however, awakened an interest in the building which has persisted
to this day.

Elaborate preparations were made for the visit of the celebrated friend
of America, much of it centering around the State House, which became
the principal point of interest. Across Chestnut Street, in front of the
building, was erected a huge arch "constructed of frame work covered
with canvas, and painted in perfect imitation of stone." The old
Assembly Room, called for the first time "Hall of Independence," was
completely redecorated. The walls and ceiling were painted stone color,
and windows were "hung with scarlet and blue drapery studded with
stars." Portraits of Revolutionary heroes and the Presidents virtually
filled the available wall space. Mahogany furniture was "tastefully and
appropriately disposed."

Lafayette was formally received in the "Hall of Independence" by the
Mayor and other dignitaries on September 28. On the days following,
during his week-long visit, the chamber served as his levee room.

The interest in the State House engendered by Lafayette's visit was not
permitted to die. In 1828, the City Councils obtained plans and
estimates to rebuild the wooden steeple which had been removed in 1781.
After heated discussions, William Strickland's design for the new
steeple was accepted, a large bell to be cast by John Wilbank was
ordered, and Isaiah Lukens was commissioned to construct a clock. Work
was completed on the project during the summer of 1828.

Strickland's steeple was not an exact replica of the original, but it
may be considered a restoration since it followed the general design of
its predecessor. The principal deviations were the installation of a
clock in the steeple and the use of more ornamentation.

Within 2 years after rebuilding the steeple, interest was aroused in the
restoration of the Assembly Room, or "Hall of Independence." On December
9, 1830, the subject of the restoration of this room "to its ancient
Form" was considered by the Councils. Shortly afterward, John Haviland,
architect, was employed to carry out the restoration. Apparently,
Haviland confined his work to replacing the paneling that is said to
have been removed but fortunately was preserved in the attic of the
building.

The proper use of the room was always a knotty problem. Following the
Haviland restoration, the room was rented on occasions for exhibiting
paintings and sculpture. Its principal use, however, was as a levee room
for distinguished visitors, including Henry Clay, Louis Kossuth, and
other famous personages, in addition to many Presidents of the United
States from Jackson to Lincoln.

In the 1850's, and during the critical years of the Civil War,
veneration for the State House became even more evident. In 1852, the
Councils resolved to celebrate July 4 annually "in the said State House,
known as Independence Hall...." This is the first clear-cut use of the
term "Independence Hall" to designate the entire building.

    [Illustration: _Independence Hall group in the winter of 1840. (Note
    restored steeple and clock, also doorway on Sixth Street side of
    Congress Hall.)_ Lithograph by J. T. Bowen after drawing by J. C.
    Wild, 1840. Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

    [Illustration: _Earliest known photograph of Independence Hall,
    taken in 1850 by W. and F. Langenheim._ From their "Views in North
    America" series. Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

Perhaps the best expression of this veneration is in the grandiloquent
words of the famed orator Edward Everett, who, on July 4, 1858, said of
the State House, or as it has now come to be known, Independence Hall:
"Let the rain of heaven distill gently on its roof and the storms of
winter beat softly on its door. As each successive generation of those
who have benefitted by the great Declaration made within it shall make
their pilgrimage to that shrine, may they not think it unseemly to call
its walls Salvation and its gates Praise."

On July 4, 1852, the delegates from 10 of the Thirteen Original States
met in Independence Hall to consider a plan to erect in the square one
or more monuments to commemorate the Declaration of Independence. For
various reasons, their deliberations proved fruitless.

During the years after the restoration of the Assembly Room in 1831, a
few paintings and other objects were purchased by, or presented to, the
City for exhibition. One of the first acquisitions was the wooden statue
of George Washington, by William Rush, which long occupied the east end
of the room. It was not until 1854, however, that the City made any real
effort to establish a historical collection for Independence Hall. In
that year, at the sale of Charles Willson Peale's gallery, the City
purchased more than 100 oil portraits of Colonial, Revolutionary, and
early Republican personages.

Following the acquisition of Peale's portraits, the Assembly Room was
refurnished and these paintings hung on the walls. On February 22, 1855,
the Mayor opened the room to the public. From that day on, many relics
and curios were accepted by the City for display in this chamber.

    [Illustration: _Independence Hall group in 1853._ Engraving of a
    drawing by Devereux. Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

During the Civil War, the "Hall" (or Assembly Room) served a solemn
purpose. From 1861 on, the bodies of many Philadelphia soldiers killed
in the war, and, in 1865, the body of President Lincoln lay in state
there. Such use of the room was not new, however, for John Quincy Adams,
in 1848, Henry Clay, in 1852, and the Arctic explorer, Elisha Kent Kane,
in 1857, lay in state in the venerable room.

In 1860, a movement was begun by the children of the public schools of
Philadelphia to erect a monument to Washington. When the fund was nearly
raised, the Councils provided a space on the pavement directly opposite
the Chestnut Street entrance. The statue, executed by J. A. Bailey, was
unveiled on July 5, 1869.

    [Illustration: _In 1855, the Assembly Room became a portrait
    gallery, following acquisition by the City of Charles Willson
    Peale's oil paintings of Colonial and Revolutionary figures. (Note
    Liberty Bell on ornate pedestal in corner and Rush's wooden statue
    of Washington in center background.)_ Engraving from _Illustrated
    London News_, December 15, 1860. Independence Hall collection.]

Little beyond actual maintenance of the buildings seems to have occurred
until 1872 when, with the approach of the Centennial of the Independence
of the United States, a committee for the restoration of Independence
Hall was named by the Mayor. The committee entered upon its duties with
energy. Furniture believed to have been in the Assembly Room in 1776 was
gathered from the State Capitol at Harrisburg and from private sources.
Portraits of the "founding fathers" were hung in the room. The
president's dais was rebuilt in the east end of the room, and pillars,
thought to have supported the ceiling, were erected. The red paint which
had been applied to the exterior of the building was removed from the
Chestnut Street side. When accumulated layers of paint were removed from
the first floor interior walls, the long-hidden beauty of carved
ornamentation was again revealed.

During the Centennial restoration project, a large bell (weighing 13,000
pounds) and a new clock were given to the City by Henry Seybert for the
steeple of Independence Hall. This clock and bell are still in use.

    [Illustration: _The body of Elisha Kent Kane, Arctic explorer, lying
    in state in the Assembly Room of Independence Hall, 1857._ Courtesy
    Philadelphia Free Library.]

With the close of the Centennial celebration, Independence Hall
experienced a period of quiet, disturbed only by the increasing numbers
of visitors. Then toward the close of the 19th century, another
restoration cycle began, but its emphasis was quite different from that
of any in the past. Except for the replacement of the steeple in 1828,
all restoration work heretofore had been concentrated in the east or
Assembly Room on the first floor. Finally, in the 1890's interest
extended from the Assembly Room to the remainder of the building. An
ordinance of the Common and Select Councils, approved by the Mayor on
December 26, 1895, called for the restoration of Independence Square to
its appearance during the Revolution. A committee of City officers
concerned with public buildings and an advisory committee of leading
citizens were named by the Mayor to carry out the work. On March 19,
1896, a resolution of the Councils granted permission to the
Philadelphia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to
proceed with the restoration of the old Council chamber on the second
floor of Independence Hall.

Between 1896 and 1898, the committees and the Daughters of the American
Revolution carried out a most extensive program of restoration. The
office buildings designed by Robert Mills were replaced by wings and
arcades which were more like those of the 18th century. The first-floor
rooms of Independence Hall were restored, and the Daughters of the
American Revolution attempted to restore the entire second floor to its
Colonial appearance by reconstruction of the long room, the vestibule,
and the two side rooms. A dummy clockcase, similar to that of the
Colonial period, was rebuilt outside on the west wall, but the planned
moving of the clock back to its 18th-century location was not carried
out. With the completion of this work, the old State House had been
restored to a close approximation of its original design. For the first
time in almost a century the building appeared practically as it did
during the American Revolution.

During the 19th century, the program of restoration and preservation had
been concerned largely with work on Independence Hall, little thought
having been given to the entire group of historical structures on the
square. In fact, according to an act of the General Assembly approved
August 5, 1870, the other buildings on the square were to be demolished.
Fortunately, this act was never carried out; it was finally repealed in
1895.

    [Illustration: _Lithograph of Independence Hall in 1876. (Note
    Bailey's statue of Washington opposite Chestnut Street entrance.)_
    Courtesy Philadelphia Free Library.]

With the 20th century, emphasis shifted from Independence Hall to the
remainder of the group. Although some restoration work had been done in
Congress Hall by the Colonial Dames of America in 1896, their efforts
were confined to the Senate chamber and to one of the committee rooms on
the upper floor. Additional restoration of Congress Hall was not
undertaken until the American Institute of Architects became interested
in the matter. In 1900, the Philadelphia Chapter of this organization
made a study of the documentary evidence available on the building and
began an active campaign for its restoration. Finally, in 1912, funds
became available and the City authorized the beginning of work under the
auspices of the Philadelphia Chapter. This was completed in the
following year, and President Wilson formally rededicated the building.
In 1934, additional work was done in the House of Representatives
chamber.

    [Illustration: _Restored Assembly Room of Independence Hall, 1876.
    (Note President's dais at far end of room, tile floor, and
    pillars--then thought to have supported the ceiling.)_ Courtesy
    Philadelphia Free Library.]

The restoration of Congress Hall at Sixth Street brought into sharp
contrast the condition of the Supreme Court building (Old City Hall) at
Fifth Street. For many years the American Institute of Architects and
other interested groups urged the City to complete restoration of the
entire Independence Hall group by working on the Supreme Court building.
This phase of the program, delayed by World War I, was not completed
until 1922.

With the completion of restoration projects, the buildings on
Independence Square presented a harmonious group of structures in
substantially the appearance of their years of greatest glory. The
neighborhood in which they were situated, however, had degenerated into
a most unsightly area. Therefore, the improvement of the environs of
Independence Hall, containing a large concentration of significant
buildings, was the next logical development.

This movement to preserve the historic buildings in Old Philadelphia,
and incidentally to provide a more appropriate setting for them, had
long been considered. During World War II, the nationwide movement for
the conservation of cultural resources became particularly active in
Philadelphia, and much was done to coordinate the work of different
groups. In 1942, a group of interested persons, including
representatives of more than 50 civic and patriotic organizations, met
in the Hall of the American Philosophical Society and organized the
"Independence Hall Association." This association was the spearhead of a
vigorous campaign which resulted in stimulating official action to bring
about the establishment of Independence National Historical Park
Project.

    [Illustration: _The Banquet, or "Long," Room of Independence Hall,
    restored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1897._ Photo
    taken in 1914. Courtesy Philadelphia Electric Co.]

    [Illustration: _Assembly Room of Independence Hall, 1952._]

Conceived as a means of reclaiming some of the neighborhood around
Independence Square and to preserve the many significant historical
buildings in the area for the benefit and enjoyment of the American
people, the historical park is being developed by the concerted efforts
of the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the
United States of America.

In 1945, the State Government authorized the expenditure of funds to
acquire the three city blocks between Fifth and Sixth Streets from the
Delaware River bridgehead at Race Street to Independence Square. This
project of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, officially designated
"Independence Mall," provides for the demolition of almost all buildings
within the authorized area to make room for a great concourse, thereby
forming a dignified approach to Independence Square. By the summer of
1953, all buildings in the first block, between Chestnut and Market
Streets, had been demolished and the ground prepared for landscaping.

The Federal area was defined by an act of the Congress (Public Law 795,
80th Congress) after the matter had been studied intensively by a
Federal commission named in 1946. The principal area covers three city
blocks between Walnut and Chestnut from Fifth to Second Streets, with
subsidiary areas on either side to include important historic sites,
such as the property adjacent to old Christ Church, the site of
Franklin's home, and an area leading from Walnut Street to old St.
Mary's Church. A surprising number of significant buildings are included
within the park boundaries. The First and Second Banks of the United
States, the Philadelphia Exchange, and the Bishop White and
Dilworth-Todd-Moylan houses are the principal historic buildings
included in the Federal area. Carpenters' Hall and Christ Church will
not be purchased, but their preservation and interpretation have been
assured through contracts with the Department of the Interior.

    [Illustration: _A scene from the reenactment of the signing of the
    Declaration of Independence in the Assembly Room of Independence
    Hall on July 4, 1951._]

The contribution of the City of Philadelphia to the historical park is
by far the most vital. On January 1, 1951, the custody and operation of
the Independence Hall group of buildings and the square were
transferred, under the terms of a contract, from the City to the
National Park Service. The title to the property will remain with the
City. Earlier, in 1943, the buildings were designated a national
historic site by the Department of the Interior. Since assuming custody
of the Independence Hall group, the National Park Service has carried
out an extensive program of rehabilitation of these historic structures;
also, many facilities for visitors have been provided for the
dissemination of the history of the Independence Hall group, as well as
that of the other structures in the park. In addition, a far-reaching
project of historical and architectural research has been undertaken.
The facts gathered in this research will enable plans to be developed
which will assure the public of deriving the maximum benefit from a
visit to this most important historical area.

It is fortunate that these old structures have survived, sometimes
through accident rather than design, so that they may serve as tangible
illustrations of this Nation's history for the inspiration of this and
succeeding generations of Americans.




                        _The Story of a Symbol_


The Liberty Bell is the most venerated symbol of patriotism in the
United States; its fame as an emblem of liberty is worldwide. In the
affections of the American people today it overshadows even Independence
Hall, although veneration for the latter began much earlier. Its
history, a combination of facts and folklore, has firmly established the
Liberty Bell as the tangible image of political freedom. To understand
this unique position of the bell, one must go beyond authenticated
history (for the bell is rarely mentioned in early records) and study
the folklore which has grown up.

The known facts about the Liberty Bell can be quickly told. Properly,
the story starts on November 1, 1751, when the superintendents of the
State House of the Province of Pennsylvania (now Independence Hall)
ordered a "bell of about two thousand pounds weight" for use in that
building. They stipulated that the bell should have cast around its
crown the Old Testament quotation, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the
land, unto all the inhabitants thereof." Most likely, this phrase was
chosen in commemoration of William Penn's Charter of Privileges issued
50 years earlier.

Thomas Lester's foundry at Whitechapel, in London, was the scene of
casting the bell. Soon after its arrival in Philadelphia, in August
1752, the brand new bell was cracked "by a stroke of the clapper without
any other viollence as it was hung up to try the sound." At this
juncture, those now famous "two ingenious workmen of Philadelphia," Pass
and Stow, undertook to recast the cracked bell. After at least one
recorded failure to produce an instrument of pleasing tone, their
efforts were successful, and, in 1753, the bell began its period of
service, summoning the legislators to the Assembly and opening the
courts of justice in the State House.

    [Illustration: _Earliest known representation of the Liberty Bell._
    From the anti-slavery booklet, _The Liberty Bell_, published by the
    Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Fair, Boston, 1839. Courtesy Historical
    Society of Pennsylvania.]

With the threat of British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777, the State
House bell and other bells were hastily moved from the City to prevent
their falling into British hands and being made into cannon. Taken to
Allentown, the bell remained hidden under the floor of the Zion Reformed
Church for almost a year. In the summer of 1778, upon the withdrawal of
the British, it was deemed safe to return the bells to Philadelphia.

By 1773, the State House steeple had become so dangerously weakened that
it was removed in 1781 and the bell lowered into the brick tower. Some
50 years later, in 1828, when the wooden steeple was rebuilt, a new and
larger bell was acquired. The old bell, almost forgotten, probably
remained in the tower. The new one was obtained, perhaps, because the
original had either cracked or had shown indications of cracking.
Traditionally, the fracture occurred while the bell was being tolled
during the funeral procession of Chief Justice John Marshall some 7
years later. In 1846, an attempt was made to restore the bell's tone by
drilling the crack so as to separate the sides of the fracture. This
attempt failed. The bell was actually tolled for Washington's birthday,
but for the last time, for the crack began to spread.

Now that the bell was mute, useless as a summoner or sounder of alarms,
it began to assume a new and more vital role. Over the years it came to
be a symbol of human liberty--a very substantial symbol of 2,080 pounds
of cast metal--inscribed with the Biblical admonition to "proclaim
liberty."

    [Illustration: _An early use of the Liberty Bell as a symbolic
    device._ From R. H. Smith, _Philadelphia As It Is_, 1852.]

    [Illustration: _"The Bellman informed of the passage of the
    Declaration of Independence." Lippard's legend of the Liberty Bell
    was incorporated by Joel Tyler Headley in his_ Life of George
    Washington, _which ran serially in_ Graham's Magazine _in 1854. This
    illustration appeared in the June issue._]

    [Illustration: _Between 1854 and 1876, the Liberty Bell stood on
    display in the Assembly Room on a 13-sided pedestal representing the
    Thirteen Original States._ Sketch by Theo. R. Davis in _Harper's
    Weekly_, July 10, 1869.]

It is difficult to find the exact beginnings of this veneration for the
Liberty Bell. Independence Hall, the building with which it is so
intimately associated, began its evolution as a patriotic shrine about
the time of Lafayette's visit in 1824, but the bell, rarely mentioned
earlier, still received no notice. Illustrative of this lack of
interest, perhaps, is the late 19th-century tradition, only recently
disproved, that in 1828 the Liberty Bell was offered as scrap metal
valued at $400 in partial payment to the manufacturer for the new State
House bell.

Probably the first use of the bell as a symbolic device dates from 1839.
In that year, some unknown person apparently noted the forgotten
inscription on the bell. This was immediately seized upon by adherents
of the antislavery movement who published a pamphlet, entitled _The
Liberty Bell_. This is also the first known use of that name.
Previously, the bell was called the Old State House Bell, the Bell of
the Revolution, or Old Independence. That publication was followed by
others which displayed the bell, greatly idealized, as a frontispiece.
Thus the bell became identified with early antislavery propaganda,
invoking the inscription of a promise of freedom to "all the
inhabitants." During this time, it is interesting to note, the symbolism
of the bell served a narrow field; little, if any, thought was given it
as a patriotic relic.

But patriotism was the next logical step. In the first half of the 19th
century the bell became the subject of legendary tales which it has not
been possible to verify. These legends have been recited in prose and
poetry; they have found their way into children's textbooks; and they
have contributed greatly to rousing the patriotic enthusiasm of
succeeding generations of Americans. Accepted by all classes of people,
these legends have done more than anything else to make the bell an
object of veneration.

    [Illustration: _From 1876 to 1885, the bell hung in the tower room
    from a chain of 13 links._ Wood engraving in David Scattergood,
    _Hand Book of the State House_, Philadelphia, 1890.]

The patriotic folklore apparently began with George Lippard, a popular
novelist of Philadelphia. It was Lippard who wrote that most thrilling
and irrepressible tale of the bell, the vivid story of the old
bellringer waiting to ring the bell on July 4, 1776. This tale first
appeared in 1847 in the Philadelphia _Saturday Courier_ under the name,
"Fourth of July, 1776," one of a collection called _Legends of the
Revolution_.

The popularity of Lippard's legend soon brought imitations. The noted
Benson J. Lossing, gathering material for his popular _Field Book of the
Revolution_, visited Philadelphia in 1848 and recorded the story. This
gave the legend historical credence in the minds of Lossing's host of
readers. Taking the story presumably from Lossing, Joel Tyler Headley,
another well-known historian, included it with certain variations of his
own in his _Life of George Washington_, which was published first
serially in 1854 in _Graham's Magazine_ and then in book form.

    [Illustration: _The Liberty Bell in a glass case, 1895-1915._ From
    Victor Rosewater, _The Liberty Bell Its History and Significance_,
    D. Appleton and Co., New York, 1926. Courtesy Appleton-Century-Croft
    Inc.]

Firmly established as history by Lossing and Headley, Lippard's story
also found poetic expression. The date of the first poem on this theme
has not been established, but, once written, it found its way into
school readers and into collections of patriotic verse. The most widely
read was probably G. S. Hillard's _Franklin Fifth Reader_, issued in
1871, although the poem had been in popular use for some time before.
Beginning with "There was a tumult in the city, in the quaint old Quaker
town," the poem became a popular recitation piece which every schoolboy
knew. The best known lines read:

  Hushed the people's swelling murmur,
    Whilst the boy cries joyously;
  "Ring!" he's shouting, "ring, grandfather,
    Ring! Oh, ring for Liberty!"
  Quickly at the given signal
    The old bellman lifts his hand.
  Forth he sends the good news, making
    Iron music through the land.

The growing legend of the Liberty Bell aroused curiosity in the relic
itself, hidden from view in the tower. It was consequently brought down
to the first floor of Independence Hall. In 1852, during a convention of
delegates from the Thirteen Original States in Independence Hall, the
bell was placed on a temporary pedestal in the Assembly Room--the east
room. Two years later the temporary platform was replaced by a massive
pedestal having 13 sides ornamented by Roman fasces, liberty caps, and
festooned flags. The bell was topped by Charles Willson Peale's mounted
eagle.

In this position the Liberty Bell remained until a more intense
interest, awakened by the approaching celebration of the Centennial
Anniversary, caused it to be moved to the hallway. Here it was mounted
on its old wooden frame which had been found in the tower. A plain iron
railing enclosed the bell and frame.

The bell stayed in this location for only a short time. A few years
later it and the frame were placed in the Supreme Court Chamber--the
west room--near one of the front windows. Displaying it in its heavy
wooden frame evidently proved unsatisfactory, because the bell itself
was practically concealed. The next move, therefore, was to suspend it
from the ceiling of the tower room by a chain of 13 links.

Probably because the inscription was difficult to read while the bell
was suspended from the chain, it was lowered about 1895, placed in a
large, glass-enclosed mahogany case, and again put in the Assembly Room.
For 20 years it remained in this case, located part of the time in the
Assembly Room and part of the time in the tower room. Finally, it was
decided that visitors should be permitted to touch the bell, which was
removed from the glass case in 1915 and exhibited on a frame and
pedestal. With the whole arrangement on wheels, it could be quickly
rolled out of the building in an emergency. This is the manner in which
it is displayed today. Located just inside the south, or tower, door,
the Liberty Bell is illuminated at night so that visitors may see it
from Independence Square.

    [Illustration: _In 1917, on First Liberty Loan Day, the bell was
    paraded on a truck through the streets of Philadelphia._ Courtesy
    City of Philadelphia.]

    [Illustration: _Representatives of Allied Nations around the bell in
    1919 on the occasion of General Pershing's visit to Independence
    Hall._ Courtesy City of Philadelphia.]

The growing importance of the Liberty Bell as a patriotic symbol aroused
popular demand for its movement around the country so that more people
could see it. The first long journey was in the winter of 1885 to New
Orleans and through the South. Later trips took the bell to Chicago in
1893, to Atlanta in 1895, to Charleston in 1902, to Boston in 1903, and
to San Francisco in 1915. On each trip the arrival of the bell was the
occasion for celebrations by patriotic groups and citizens, many of whom
traveled long distances to see and touch the venerated relic. During
these trips, however, the crack in the bell increased, and finally its
condition became so dangerous that all future travel had to be
prohibited.

    [Illustration: _This group is typical of the hundreds of thousands
    of visitors who come annually from every corner of the world to see
    the Liberty Bell._]

The affectionate reverence inspired by the Liberty Bell is demonstrated
by the endless stream of visitors who come to see it, touch it, or
simply stand quietly beside it. No other patriotic relic in America has
had a more distinguished visitation. Almost every President of the
United States since Abraham Lincoln has come to Independence Hall to pay
his respect to the Liberty Bell. Statesmen and great military leaders of
the world have joined the masses of ordinary people in honoring it.
Poets and other literary figures have attempted to express the meaning
of the bell, and John Philip Sousa, the "March King," composed a
_Liberty Bell March_. It has been pictured on postage stamps, fifty cent
pieces, and on national bond drive posters.

The Liberty Bell has served to arouse the patriotic instincts of more
than one generation of Americans. It is today surrounded by a cloak of
veneration. Even more, it has come to be regarded by countless millions
throughout the world as the one great symbol of freedom, liberty, and
justice.




                          _Guide to the Area_


The information which follows supplements that contained in the
narrative of this handbook. It is so arranged as to enable the visitor
to make his own tour of the area. The numbers given correspond to the
numbers on the map of the park and vicinity. (See pages 32 and 33).


NO. 1. INDEPENDENCE HALL GROUP, Independence Square, comprises
Independence Hall, east and west wings, Congress Hall, and the Supreme
Court building (Old City Hall). INDEPENDENCE HALL, the center building,
was erected between 1732 and 1753 as the State House of the Province of
Pennsylvania; here the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July
4, 1776, the Continental Congress met during the American Revolution,
and the Federal Constitutional Convention sat in 1787. The Liberty Bell
is located on the first floor of the tower. The WING BUILDINGS, erected
originally in the 1730's, served as Provincial offices; they were torn
down in 1812 and reconstructed in 1898. The buildings now serve as the
Information Centers of the park. CONGRESS HALL, built as the County
Courthouse in 1787-89, housed the Congress of the United States from
1790 to 1800. In the SUPREME COURT BUILDING, erected in 1789-91 as the
City Hall of Philadelphia, sat the Supreme Court of the United States
from 1791 to 1800. These buildings are open from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.
daily, including holidays. Visitors should begin their tours in the
Information Center, west wing of Independence Hall.


NO. 2. PHILOSOPHICAL HALL (American Philosophical Society) on
Independence Square. In 1785, the Assembly of Pennsylvania granted the
lot to the society. The building, erected between 1785 and 1789,
harmonizes in style with the other buildings on the square. The American
Philosophical Society, the oldest and one of the most distinguished
learned societies in America, was started in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin.
The building, still occupied by the society, is not part of Independence
National Historical Park and is not open to the general public.


NO. 3. LIBRARY HALL, (site of Library Company of Philadelphia), on
northeast corner of Library and Fifth Streets. Founded in 1731 by
Benjamin Franklin and his friends, the Library Company of Philadelphia
was the first subscription library in the American Colonies. From 1790
to 1880, the library was housed in an attractive building on this site.
The structure was demolished about 1884.

    [Illustration: {Second Bank of the United States}]


NO. 4. SECOND BANK OF THE UNITED STATES (Old Custom House), 420 Chestnut
Street. The building, patterned after the Parthenon by the architect
William Strickland, and considered one of the finest examples of Greek
revival architecture in the United States, was erected between 1819 and
1824 to house the Second Bank of the United States. After a bitter
controversy between President Jackson and the Whigs over the renewal of
the charter, the bank closed in 1836. It was then chartered by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but finally failed in 1841. From 1845 to
1934, the building was the Philadelphia Custom House. In 1939, the
Treasury Department transferred the building to the Department of the
Interior. It has been partially restored to its original design under
the guidance of the National Park Service. Now exhibited and maintained
by the Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation, the building is open to the
public Monday through Friday from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.


NO. 5. DILWORTH-TODD-MOYLAN HOUSE, on northeast corner of Fourth and
Walnut Streets. This small brick row house, typical of colonial
Philadelphia, was built by Jonathan Dilworth, merchant, about 1775. From
1791 to 1793, it was the home of John Todd, Jr., and his wife, Dolly
Payne. Following Todd's death during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793,
his widow married James Madison, Congressman from Virginia, who later
became the fourth President of the United States. From 1796 to 1810, it
was the home of Gen. Stephen Moylan, mustermaster general and cavalry
officer during the Revolution and commissioner of loans in 1793. The
building is not open to the public pending its restoration by the
National Park Service.

    [Illustration: {Dilworth-Todd-Moylan House}]

    [Illustration: {Bishop White House}]


NO. 6. BISHOP WHITE HOUSE, 309 Walnut Street. This large brick
residence, an excellent example of an early Philadelphia row house, was
built shortly after the Revolution by the Reverend William White, Rector
of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church from 1777. He became the first
Bishop of Pennsylvania in 1787 and acted as a unifying force in
reorganizing the Episcopal Church after the Revolution. After a long
life of service to mankind, he died in his home on July 17, 1836. The
building is not open to the public pending its restoration by the
National Park Service.


NO. 7. CITY TAVERN (site of), southwest corner of Second and Moravian
Streets. A three-story structure, built about 1773, this was the most
fashionable tavern in Philadelphia and was famous as the gathering place
of members of the Continental Congresses and the Constitutional
Convention and officials of the Federal Government from 1790 to 1800.
The building was demolished about 1852.

    [Illustration: {Philadelphia Exchange}]


NO. 8. PHILADELPHIA (Merchants') EXCHANGE, on the northeast corner of
Third and Walnut Streets. Built between 1832 and 1834, this building is
noteworthy for the beauty of its architecture. For many years it was the
meeting place for merchants and was the center of the commercial
activities of Philadelphia. The building is not open to the public.

    [Illustration: {First Bank of the United States}]


NO. 9. FIRST BANK OF THE UNITED STATES, on the west side of South Third
Street, between Walnut and Chestnut Streets. Built between 1795 and
1797, this structure is probably the oldest bank building in the United
States. The First Bank of the United States was established as part of
the comprehensive program developed by Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of
the Treasury, to rectify the disordered state of Government finances.
The building, with its interesting classical facade, was occupied by the
First Bank of the United States until the expiration of its charter in
1811. In the following year, the building was purchased by Stephen
Girard, the wealthy merchant of Philadelphia, who opened his bank there.
Now the office of the Board of Directors of City Trusts, the building is
open to the public from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. daily, except Saturday and
Sunday.

    [Illustration: {Carpenters' Hall}]


NO. 10. CARPENTERS' HALL, 320 Chestnut Street. In September 1774, when
the delegates to the first Continental Congress came to Philadelphia,
they chose to meet in Carpenters' Hall rather than the State House. The
Hall, built in 1770, was the guild hall of the Carpenters' Company of
Philadelphia, founded in 1724. In 1773, the building was also occupied
by the Library Company of Philadelphia, whose books were used by the
Continental Congress. Following the Revolution, the building was rented
for many purposes by the Carpenters' Company. In 1857, they repaired the
Hall and opened it as a historic shrine. The building and its grounds,
still maintained by the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia, is a part
of Independence National Historical Park under a cooperative agreement
with the Department of the Interior and is open daily, except Sunday and
Monday, from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. free of charge.

    [Illustration: {Franklin Court}]


NO. 11. FRANKLIN COURT (site of Benjamin Franklin's home), on Orianna
Street, south of Market Street. In this court, entered through a
picturesque archway on Market Street, stood the imposing brick house of
Benjamin Franklin from 1765 to 1812. Until 1785, Franklin lived in the
house for only a year, since he served as Provincial agent in England
from 1764 to 1775 and as a Commissioner to France from 1776 to 1785. In
1776, however, he served on the committee named by the Continental
Congress to draft the Declaration of Independence. Franklin had an
important part in the successful negotiation of the Treaty of Alliance
between France and the United States, in 1778, which was largely
responsible for the success of the Revolution. Upon his return to
Philadelphia, he was elected President of Pennsylvania, and, in 1787, he
was a delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention. After a long
and worthy life, Benjamin Franklin died in his home on April 17, 1790,
at the age of 84. The house was demolished about 20 years after his
death.


NOS. 12 AND 13. CHRIST CHURCH, on west side of Second Street, north of
Market Street, and CEMETERY, at Fifth and Arch Streets. Founded in 1695
and built between 1727 and 1754, Christ Church, one of the most famous
churches in America, had in its congregation many leading figures of the
Revolution, including Washington, Franklin, Robert Morris, and Francis
Hopkinson. Architecturally, the building, with its 200-foot steeple, is
a monument to colonial craftsmanship--one of the largest and most
beautiful structures in 18th-century America. Ecclesiastically, Christ
Church is famous as the scene of the post-Revolutionary organization of
the Episcopal Church. Its rector, William White, was the first Bishop of
Pennsylvania and the second American prelate. Seven signers of the
Declaration of Independence, as well as four signers of the
Constitution, are buried at the church and in the cemetery. Franklin's
grave is at the corner of Fifth and Arch Streets. The preservation of
the church is assured by a cooperative agreement made in 1950 between
the Department of the Interior and the Corporation of Christ Church. The
church and grounds are open to the public from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.

    [Illustration: {Christ Church and Cemetery}]


NO. 14. GLORIA DEI (OLD SWEDES') CHURCH, at Swanson Street and Delaware
Avenue, is the oldest church building in Pennsylvania. The present
structure, erected in 1700, replaced a log church built in 1677. The
Swedes preceded the English to this part of the New World and began the
Gloria Dei congregation in 1646. For almost two centuries this church
was under the Swedish hierarchy, but after the Scandinavians had been
absorbed into the general American population, Gloria Dei applied for
admission into the Episcopal Church and was received by the Bishop of
Pennsylvania in 1845. Swedish treasures are plentiful in the church to
this day: many old documents and books; carved cherubim (imported in
1643); and the baptismal font. The church is nine blocks south from
Market Street to Christian Street, then east to Delaware Avenue.
Assurance that the church will be preserved unchanged is given in a
cooperative agreement with the Department of the Interior. It is open to
the public from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. daily.


NO. 15. DESHLER-MORRIS HOUSE, 5442 Germantown Avenue. President
Washington lived in this house during the fall of 1793 and summer of
1794. It may be considered the oldest "White House" standing. Erected by
David Deshler in 1772-73, it was bought in 1792 by Col. Isaac Franks,
who had served in the Revolutionary War. The latter rented it to
Washington, who moved out of Philadelphia during the yellow fever
epidemic of 1793. Bequeathed by the Morris family to the United States
Government in 1949, the house has been restored and is today exhibited
by the Germantown Historical Society in cooperation with the National
Park Service. It is open daily except Monday, from 2 p. m. to 5 p. m.,
with an admission fee of 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children.
The house may be reached by public or private transportation: north on
Fifth Street to Germantown Avenue, then northwest about 3.5 miles.

    [Illustration: {Deshler-Morris House}]


Other points of historic interest in Old Philadelphia in the
neighborhood of Independence National Historical Park are:


NO. 16. ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, west side of South Fourth
Street between Locust and Spruce Streets;


NO. 17. ATWATER KENT MUSEUM OF PHILADELPHIA, 15 South Seventh Street;


NO. 18. HOLY TRINITY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, northwest corner of South
Sixth and Spruce Streets;


NO. 19. OLD PINE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, southwest corner of Pine
and South Fourth Streets;


NO. 20. ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, southwest corner of Pine and South
Third Streets;


NO. 21. POWEL HOUSE, 244 South Third Street;


NO. 22. ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH (City Mission), east side of South
Third Street and South of Walnut Street;


NO. 23. ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, south side of Walnut Street
between Third and Fourth Streets;


NO. 24. BETSY ROSS HOUSE, 239 Arch Street;


NO. 25. FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, south side of Arch Street between Third
and Fourth Streets;


NO. 26. FREE QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, southwest corner of North Fifth and
Arch Streets;


No. 27. ST. GEORGE'S METHODIST CHURCH, 235 North Fourth Street.




                        _How to Reach the Park_


Independence National Historical Park is located in the old, or eastern,
section of downtown Philadelphia. It may be reached by automobile via
Chestnut, Market, or Vine Streets, by the Market Street subway, and by
several trolley and bus lines. As a large transportation center,
Philadelphia is served by an extensive system of major highways,
railroads, and airlines.




                        _Service to the Public_


The Independence Hall group of buildings is open to the public daily
from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. For other buildings in the area, see "Guide to
the Area." Exhibits relating to the history of the park are on display
in the several historic buildings. Free literature, as well as other
publications, is available in the Information Centers in the west and
east wings of Independence Hall. Services of historians and other
personnel are available. Organizations and groups are given special
service if arrangements are made in advance with the superintendent.




                            _Administration_


Since January 1, 1951, the Independence Hall group of buildings has been
administered by the National Park Service of the United States
Department of the Interior as a part of Independence National Historical
Park. Under the terms of a cooperative agreement made in 1950 between
the City of Philadelphia and the Department of the Interior, the
National Park Service assumed the administration and maintenance of the
buildings and Independence Square, with the City retaining ownership of
the property. Also under National Park Service administration are the
Deshler-Morris House in Germantown, as well as those properties within
the park which have been acquired by the Federal Government. All
inquiries concerning the area should be addressed to the Superintendent,
Independence National Historical Park, Old Custom House, 420 Chestnut
Street, Philadelphia 6, Pa.




                            _Related Areas_


Independence National Historical Park is one of the several areas of the
National Park System representing the Revolutionary and early Federal
periods in American history. Others are: Colonial National Historical
Park, Va.; Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site, N. Y.; Guilford
Courthouse National Military Park, N. C.; Hopewell Village National
Historic Site, Pa.; Kings Mountain National Military Park, S. C.; Moores
Creek National Military Park, N. C.; Morristown National Historical
Park, N. J.; and Saratoga National Historical Park, N. Y.


           REVISED 1954 U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1954 O--309743

  _I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the
  sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence and I have
  pondered over the dangers which were incurred by the men who assembled
  here and adopted that Declaration of Independence and I have pondered
  over the toils that were endured by the officers and soldiers of the
  army who achieved that independence. I have often inquired of myself,
  what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long
  together. It was not the mere matter of the separation of the colonies
  from the mother land; but something in that Declaration giving
  liberty, not alone to the people of this Country, but hope to the
  world for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due
  time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and
  that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied
  in that Declaration of Independence._

                                                         ABRAHAM LINCOLN
                                                   at Independence Hall,
                                          on Washington's Birthday, 1861

    [Illustration: {Independence Hall}]




                          Transcriber's Notes


--Silently corrected a few typos.

--Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
  is public-domain in the country of publication.

--Transcribed some text within images.

--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
  _underscores_.

--In the text versions only, added descriptions {in brackets} to
  uncaptioned images.