Independence Hall
|
|
Independence_Hall_belltower.jpg
Independence Hall, officially known as the Pennsylvania State House, is a historic building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built between 1732 and 1753, it was designed in the Georgian style of architecture by Edmund Wooley and Alexander Hamilton. It was commissioned by the Pennsylvania colonial legislature and is located on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets.
It was the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783, the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, and of the drafting and signing of the United States Constitution in 1787. During the hot summer of 1787, the windows were kept shut so that others could not hear the discussions going on inside. Its belltower was the original home of the Liberty Bell.
Independence Hall is now part of Independence National Historical Park, administered by the National Park Service, and is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is pictured on the back of the U.S. $100 bill.
External link
- Independence National Historical Park (http://www.nps.gov/inde)
- Google maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.947233,-75.145959&spn=0.005096,0.007918&t=k&hl=en)
| Missing image Independence_Hall.jpg Independence Hall from the front | Missing image Independence_Hall_Assembly_Room.jpg The Assembly Room, in which the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were drafted or signed. | Missing image Syng_inkstand.jpg The Syng inkstand, with which both the United States Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed, is on display at Independence Hall. |