Philadelphia

Periods and Landmarks.

There have been four phases in the development of Philadelphia : (I) The well-built, though ill paved, Colonial trading-town of English Quakers and Episco palians, Welsh Quakers and Baptists, Germans of various sects, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians and inter-colonial migrants. (2) The rapidly growing city of Franklin and Girard, with its shipyards, ropewalks, fleets and fast-sailing ships, its rich merchants, its skill in handicraft and its undemocratized social order. (3) The 19th century brick-paved, red-brick city that was revolutionized by the application of steam-power to many industries—a period of mill, rail and mine development and of a heavy inpouring of Irish and German immigrants, with skilled workers from British industrial districts. (4) The city that has been transformed dur ing the last quarter of a century by such modern agencies as elec tricity, steel and concrete, and the extensive use of capital.

The earliest city was centred about High street hill (Second and Market) ; with its long-vanished "Great Towne House," built in 1707 in the middle of the street. Annexed were the covered markets. Nearby was the Friends' meeting house. The slate-roof house and many two- and three-storey brick dwellings with dormer windows were close at hand. Some of these dwellings still stand. Much like the early proprietary town was the revolutionary city, which had grown five squares westward to the Statehouse.

This building, designed by the famous lawyer Andrew Hamilton and built, between 1732 and 1741 became Independence Hall, where the Liberty bell once rang, and is now housed. The bell was made by Thomas Lister of Whitechapel, London, but was twice recast because of brittleness, and was hung in April, 1753.

It was cracked, July 8, 1835, while tolling a knell for Chief Justice John Marshall, of the U.S. Supreme Court. This court first sat in an adjoining building (built in 1791) of the same group, later the mayor's office, at the south-west corner of Fifth and Chestnut streets. At the south-east corner of Sixth and Chestnut is the hall (built 1791) where the first U.S. congress sat. City councils, until transferred, used Independence Hall. These build ings (much dwarfed at the present day by massive structures east, south and west, including the Curtis block) have been set apart as public monuments. The Statehouse yard of 1729, or Inde pendence square, belongs to the group; and adjoining is Wash ington square. Associated with Independence Hall is Carpenters' Hall, owned by the company of Master Carpenters, used as a meeting place by the First Continental Congress This well preserved sample of the brick-layer's art was built in i770-75.

Other shrines are Franklin's grave (south-east corner Fifth and Arch), the Betsy Ross flag-house (239 Arch), the site of the house in which Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence (south west corner Seventh and Market), the site of the Philadelphia residence of Gen. Washington (528 Market) and the Chew Man sion, "Cliveden" (Johnson street and Germantown avenue), scene of the critical action at the Battle of Germantown, Oct. 4, The i9th century city retained much of its i8th century aspect —uniform houses, with pressed brick fronts, white or green shutters and marble steps and trimmings. These were multiplied, row on row; but not until 1850 was there noteworthy growth west of Broad street. That development came after the Consolidation act. Girard avenue was then Franklin avenue. It was crossed by the northward-growing city, which reached and passed Columbia avenue prior to the International Exposition of 1876 (Centennial). This world's fair greatly aided Philadelphia's industries. The i9th century city continued its expansion along residential lines until the period of latter-day small house demolition and sky-scraper development.

Architecture.

Early dwelling houses and halls reflected Eng lish ideas. Something of Sir Christopher Wren's manner is trace able in such structures as Christ church (1727-47), Dr. John Kearsley, amateur architect, and St. Peter's (1761) ; and Inigo Jones's influence is seen (from prints found in Sir Wm. Cham bers's Treatise on Civil Architecture) in the street fronts of brick. Many Georgian houses of the i8th century are preserved, Inde pendence Hall being typical. Philadelphia architects in the 2oth century have sought to recapture the spirit of colonial times; but the best Georgian restorations and reproductions are not as often seen in the city itself as in the suburban places closely asso ciated with early American history. Grecian influence was shown just before the opening of the 19th century in the works of Wil liam Strickland, Thomas Ustic Walter and their followers. Much of Strickland's work has disappeared, save in pripts, but the old U.S. Mint, at Chestnut and Juniper, was an example of it; and the Custom house (1824) is a surviving specimen. Pseudo-classic structures—the Bank of the United States, Third street (1795); the first Chestnut street theatre; the church of St. Luke and Epiphany; St. Andrew's P.E. church; St. Patrick's church; and, especially Girard college and Ridgway library—belong to this period.