the education of henry

Day 15: Independence Hall and the US Mint

2023-09-28

Today we were in Philadelphia. We drove downtown and parked for the day. Traffic was better than Boston, worse than New York. The biggest difference was how dirty everything looked - trash in the streets and lots of abandoned buildings. Once we got downtown, things were better. We went to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Franklin Museum, and the US Mint. We also walked to the Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia City Hall, and the Masonic Temple. It was a nice day for walking - not too hot, not too cold, and no rain. Some sun would have been nice, but we managed.

A nice mural of Jackie Robinson we saw on the way downtown.

We parked in the garage under the site, and started by going to see the pavillion for the Liberty Bell.

Drawing of the Liberty Bell that was outside the museum.

Independence National Historic Park has a number of sites, one of which is the original house for the President of the United States. The house was loaned to the government by the owner for President Washington, and then President Adams, to live in. Adams later lived in the White House, once it was built.

Some of the original foundation is preserved behind glass. The floor plan of the whole house is represented in the park, with some partial walls and windows, as well as white stones that indicate where the walls were.

Here I am walking through the house - you can see the doorway in front of me and two windows.

We had to go through security to get into everything, and Mom's boot buckles set off the alarms. Everyone was nice about it...but they still had to check her over.

Asking questions about the bell.

When they moved the bell to it's current location, it was x-rayed first to make sure there was no damage that had gone unnoticed.

The Liberty Bell with Independence Hall in the background.

The Liberty Bell.

After the Bell, we had tickets to see Independence Hall. Some other people did not show up in time, so we got to go in early for a tour.

Me in front of Independence Hall. This is the traditional front, but so many people see the back side in pictures, because it is on the mall, that they think the back is the front. This was the front door when the Declaration and the Constitution were being debated in the building. And the courtyard is where the delegates would socialize.

Here's the more familiar back side.

The statue is President Washington.

The room where it happened. The Declaration of Independence was approved by the delegates of the second Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776, and then it was signed here on August 2nd, 1776. The delegates were committing treason, and so they needed a little more time before they signed their names to what would be their death warrant if the British prevailed.

The chair is the original chair George Washington used when he presided over the drafting of the Constitution. It is called the "Rising Sun Chair" due to the design on the top of the chair back.

This is the ink stand used when 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence and started us on the path of becoming a new nation.

Another view of Independence Hall, which was known at the time of the Declaration and Constitution as the Pennsylvania State House - it became known as Independece Hall later on.

Inside the first House of Representatives, which is off to the side of Independence Hall. Washington, D.C. did not exist yet, so the capital was in Philadelphia, the largest city in North America - and the second-largest English speaking city in the world at the time, after London. The House met on the ground floor and the Senate on the second floor (we can't go up there right now).

The other buildings on site were closed, so we left the main part of the park and went to see some of the adjacent sites.

Walking to where Ben Franklin's house used to be.

Franklin's original house was torn down a long time ago, but the land was repurchased and this frame was built to show where the house was. Just like the President's house, there are stones and signs that mark where the various rooms were.

One of the signs showing a floor plan.

This is Franklin's privy hole - the brick lined hole is still there. Couldn't resist including that. Franklin did write an essay called "Fart Proudly," after all.

Beneath where the house was the amazing interactive Ben Franklin Museum, celebrating Dr. Franklin and all of his many and varied accomplishments. We all really enjoyed playing with the exhibits and seeing the artifacts.

A book printed by Franklin.

Franklin started the city's fire brigade - this was one of their buckets. The Library Company was also one of Franklin's ideas.

Dad liked this suggestion box for new library books.

A bust of Dr. Franklin.

This is a replica of the design on the Rising Sun Chair that Washington used during the Constitutional Convention (mentioned a few pictures back).

It was hard to get a good picture with the lighting, but what this shows is how our national seal, with the eagle holding arrows and an olive branch, with a shield on its chest...was the idea of Benjamin Franklin.

Outside the printing office. Not the actual one Franklin used - that is long gone. But it is a reasonable replica of one from the period (plus some electric lights, of course).

The paper cutter.

The ranger doing a demonstration.

Those pads are smeared with ink and then they are bounced on the rows of type to get just enough ink on them to print a page.

Then you pull on the lever to create the pressure to imprint the paper.

Then you hang the paper to dry - his little paddle looks the the ones you use with a pizza oven. We bought a few items that were printed in the shop.

He's been gone for 220+ years, but this sign is still there.

This is the Carpenter's Hall, which is another famous building. The First Continental Congress met here in 1774.

A very nice tile floor.

A little information about the Hall.

One last shot of Independence Hall from the more usual angle.

From there we took a walk further into Philadelphia, to see the Reading Terminal Market, City Hall, and the Masonic Temple.

We saw some impressive buildings.

In the market, following Mom.

We did buy food at the market: pizza, pretzels, donuts, cookies, garlic bread. We had a good lunch. Mom wanted to spend more time there, so we split up. Mom wandered the market for a while, and Dad and I walked over to City Hall.

Some cool art we saw on our walk.

First view of City Hall.

Another view - that is a statue of William Penn on top. City Hall was the tallest building in the world from 1894-1908. The William Penn statue at the top is 37 feet tall! Until 1986, there was an informal agreement that no building in Philadelphia could be taller than William Penn.

City Hall has a statue of General George McClellan...who was one of the worst Civil War generals. As we learned in the Ken Burns documentary, time and time again McLellan sat still and failed to engage the Confederates even when he outnumbered them 3-to-1 or more. I give him a thumbs down.

The Masonic Temple - this was another impressive building, right across the street from City Hall.

Statues of Franklin and Washington outside the Masonic Temple.

Building art.

More art.

We met Mom back at the Independence Historic Park visitors center and from there we went to see Franklin's grave site and the US Mint.

The burying ground where Franklin's grave is.

The plaque near the grave site.

The actual grave - covered with pennies, like so many of the graves we have seen. And kind of funny, since they make those pennies right across the street at the Mint.

Here we are at the Mint. No photos are allowed inside, so I have no more pictures. The self-guided tour of the Mint was great - we all learned a lot. Mom and Dad said it was better than the guided tour they took of the Treasury in D.C. way back before I was born.

And that was the day. Plenty of walking, lots of pictures, so much to learn. The drive home led us through some very sad looking neighborhoods - lots of trash in the streets, falling-down houses, buildings in need of serious repairs. Definitely the most poverty we have seen on our trip.

We made it back to the hotel through some heavy traffic and relaxed for the night. Dad had to try a few times to wash clothes at the hotel because they turned the water off for a an hour or so. Eventually he got it done. Mom made us a nice supper in the little kitchen and before long it was time for bed.

And that was the day - hope you enjoyed the pictures!