Independence National Historical Park

About this property

Independence National Historical Park is a federally protected historic district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution and the nation's founding history. Administered by the National Park Service, the 55-acre (22 ha) park comprises many of Philadelphia's most-visited historic sites within the Old City and Society Hill neighborhoods. The park has been nicknamed "America's most historic square mile" because of its abundance of historic landmarks. The centerpiece of the park is Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers in the late 18th century. Two blocks east of Independence Hall is Carpenters' Hall, where the First Continental Congress met in 1774. There, twelve of the 13 Colonies (Georgia sent no representatives) passed and signed the Continental Association, agreeing that they would act together in boycotting goods from Great Britain. Independence Hall was the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress, from 1775 to 1783, and housed the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. East of Independence Hall is Old City Hall, which housed the U.S. Supreme Court from 1790 to 1800, and west of Independence Hall is Congress Hall, which housed the U.S. House of Representatives on its first floor and the U.S. Senate on its second floor, also from 1790 to 1800. Philadelphia served as the temporary capital of the United States during those ten years, while Washington, D.C. was under construction. North of Independence Hall is the Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of American independence, displayed in the Liberty Bell Center. The park contains other historic buildings, such as the First Bank of the United States, the first bank chartered by the U.S. Congress, and the Second Bank of the United States, which had its charter renewal vetoed by President Andrew Jackson as part of the Bank War. The Park also contains City Tavern, a recreated colonial tavern, which was a favorite of the delegates and which John Adams felt was the finest tavern in all America. Most of the park's historic structures are located in the vicinity of the four landscaped blocks between Chestnut, Walnut, 2nd, and 6th streets. The park also contains Franklin Court, the site where Benjamin Franklin's home once stood and the present-day location of a Franklin museum and the United States Postal Service Museum (Franklin was the first Postmaster General of the revolutionary government). An additional three blocks directly north of Independence Hall, collectively known as Independence Mall, contain the Liberty Bell Center, National Constitution Center, Independence Visitor Center, and the former site of the President's House. The park also contains other historical artifacts, such as the Syng inkstand which was used during the signings of both the Declaration and the Constitution.

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Categories

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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