BUILDINGS. Adherence to an early architec tural idea has made Philadelphia one of the last of large American cities to favor tall buildings. Very recently, however, a group of tall structures has sprung up in the vicinity of the 'Public• Buildings,' as Philadelphians designate their City Hall. This immense structure, begun in the earl• 70's, and covering acres, accommodates all the municipal and county officers, and the State and county courts. It is a marble edifice, of modern French Renaissance style, 90 feet high, rising in corner pavilions to 161 feet, in central pavilions to 203 feet, and in the tower sur mounted by a colossal statue of Penn (37 feet high and weighing 53.348 pounds) to a height of 547 feet inches. The building, inelosing a large central court, measures 486 feet 6 inches by 470 feet. and in it are 634 rooms, with a floor space of acres. in the tower are four great clock dials, each with a minute hand eleven feet long and weighing. 22.3 pounds, and regulated by a vibration and temperature proof clock 143 feet below. The cost of the Public Buildings up to December 31, 1902. was $24.344,350, of which some $18,250,000 was for construction proper.
Amon,* the important Federal buildings located within the city are the new United States \lint, on Spring Garden Street. one of the largest and most completely equipped in the world; the Post Office Building. by Market. Chestnut, Tenth and Ninth. occupying the site of the first President's Mansion and the subsequent home of the University of • Pennsylvania; the Custom 11(mse, on Chestnut Street near the Delaware, after the Parthenon. and erected in 1510 "4 for the Second United States Bank: the Arsenal, below South Street near the Schuylkill ; and at the southern end of Broad Street, the large League Island Navy Yard. Of the historie buildings the most important are the familiar independence Hall and Carpenter's Hall on Chestnut Street. inseparably associated with the early Continental and Federal Congresses; the Betsy Boss Ilouse on Arch Street, where the first American flag was made; the Old Swedes (1700) and Ohl Christ (1727) churches of Revolutionary fame; and the first United States Mint, on Sev enth Street below Market. The Pennsylvania, Ilistorieal Society, one of the strongest organiza tions of its kiml in the country. has an elegant building at Thirteenth and Locu'st streets.
Now that Philadelphia has adopted the modern steel frame building (with a careful regulation of height, however), its recent business struetm•es will compare favorably in size and importance with those of any other American city. Among the leading office buildings may be mentioned the Land Title Annex (319 feet high) ; the pioneer Betz Building: the Real Estate Trust Building; the Arcade Building, and the Commonwealth Trust Building—all grouped around the City }tall; and the Real Estate Title and Trust Com pany Building, the Drexel Building, the Bullitt Building. and the Provident Building—notable
structures of the financial area. In this vicinity, also• is the Philadelphia Contributionship 'hand in Hand.' the oldest fire insurance company in America, of whose directorship Franklin was an early member. The Pennsylvania Railroad sta tion, with a train shed over 700 feet and the Reading Terminal, a handsome railroad station, appronehed like that of the Pennsylvania Rail road by a viaduct, are notable railway terminals and office headquarters. Of newspaper buildings the most prominent are those of The North.
.1.mrriran (22 stories), 'rhr (-ord. and The Public Ledger. Of semi-public organizations the Stock Exchange is lioasol in the remodeled Mer chants' Exchange Building; the Bourse Building is the home of the Board of Trade, the Trades League, and other trade organizations; and the Commercial Museum, supported by municipal, State, and Federal appropriations, and devoted to the encouragement of foreign commerce, espe cially with Spanish America, is located tem porarily on Fourth Street, pending, the erection of a permanent structure in West Philadel on the site of the Exposition of 1899. Phila delphia has many important hotels, among the most elegant and commodious of which mar he mentioned the Walton and the new Bellevue Stratford. both on Broad Street near City Hall.
With structures representing interests that arc not strictly utilitarian Philadelphia is well supplied. The Masonic and Old Fellows' tem ples. on North Broad Street. rank with the best society structures on the continent. The Young Men's Christian Association on Fif teenth Street. that of the V?11111,' Women's Chris tian Association on Areh street. the Crozier Building of the Baptist Publieation Soeittv. the Witherspoon Building, wit h flue mem rooms, general offices, and historical museum of the Presbyterian Church (North), represent in highest perfection the application of modern busi ness methods to religious work. In addition to the historic churches already mentioned, the most important edifices are the Roman Catholic Cathe dral. the Kenneth Israel Synagogue, and the Baptist Temple on North Broad Street, Holy Trinity ( Protestant Episcopal) on Rittenhouse Square, the Arch Street (Methodist Episcopal), the First Presbyterian and the Tabernacle Pres byterian and the Friends' Meeting Ilouse on Arch Street—the Quaker Westminster of Amer ica. Of educational institutions the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel Institute, the new Boys' High School, Girard College with its early Gre cian structures, and the Roman Catholic High School are architecturally of .importance.