Philadelphia: Arrival, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall

This is the second part of our family reunion and the exploring of our first nation’s capital, Philadelphia, Pa. Pat and I traveled via Amtrak with our middle son, Ross, and arrived at the massive train station at about 2pm. In this update, I’ll cover the first couple of days in the city.

Checkin

After we got checked into the Sonder condo, the three of us found a place for a snack and refreshments while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. It was a little Irish pub just around the corner from the condo. McGillin’s Old Ale House. LINK Very nice. The pub opened in 1860 by Irish immigrants, 13 in their family, who lived upstairs. We had some local brews and some hot wings to go with it. Lot of history there.

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The next morning Pat and I walked about a mile to an organic grocery (MOMS) for a few supplies for the week. Breakfast stuff, some snacks, and a few other things.

Our family reunion began the planning as a large group, but dwindled down to eight people for various reasons. The final group involved with touring the city were Pat and myself, Ross, our son Bryan and our daughter-in-law Jennifer plus Pat’s brother Alan and his son Craig and wife Holly.

The rest of the group was up and moving after we put the supplies away. It was time for lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. A huge old rail facility that is now a city market with fresh meat, seafood, dairy, and every kind of lunch kiosks that you could imagine. Something for everyone! And it was crowded. Some long lines and waits for tables. We were lucky to get a table and snag enough chairs for our eight people.

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City Hall

An architectural treasure inside and out, City Hall is the largest municipal building in the United States, with over 14.5 acres of floor space. I can’t imagine.

Built in 1871. Topped with an iconic statue of Philadelphia founder William Penn, the 548-foot tower is the tallest masonry structure in the world without a steel frame, and it was the tallest building in Philadelphia until 1987.

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It happened to be closed when we saw it, so did not get to take the tour. It is great to see buildings like this from another era that still remain and have not been torn down.

Declaration House

Thomas Jefferson resided here while drafting the Declaration of Independence. Demolished in 1883, the house was reconstructed by the National Park Service in 1975.

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Liberty Bell

The National Park Service has done a fine job in establishing a museum around the bell. Telling of its history and other events along the time line. The park ranger shared a story about the crack in the bell. It seems the foundry casting process was rudimentary at the time and left many imperfections. The bell soon cracked from use.

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It was repaired and stored for a number of years until George Washington’s birthday and then it was wrung all day long resulting in the large crack as seen today. The bottom edges are rough from either the crude casting, or being rolled around, or else from people chipping off small souvenirs. She was not sure which it was.

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Independence Hall

Independence Hall is a historic building in Philadelphia in which both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America’s Founding Fathers. Independence Hall is the birthplace of America.

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Construction on the building started in 1732. It is a grand Georgian design building and is the original. Not a reproduction. This is the room that our country was born.

In the front of the room today sits the chair known today as the Rising Sun chair. John Folwell made this chair for the Speaker of the Pennsylvania legislature in 1779. It remains a mystery as to who selected the symbols carved on the chair. Ancient symbols for liberty – the liberty cap and pole – appear on the chair’s crest rail.

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It’s not until the mid-20th century that the chair became known as the Rising Sun chair, but its connection to the idea of a rising sun goes back to September 17, 1787 – the day the delegates signed the U.S. Constitution. That day, Benjamin Franklin remarked that as the men argued that summer, he looked upon that carved sun wondering if it was a rising or setting sun. He said, “I have often … in the course of the session … looked at that sun behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know it is a rising and not a setting sun.” For Franklin, that sun – in his estimation a rising one – symbolized hope for the new nation.

Baseball or Dinner

Most of our group attended a Phillies baseball game that night while Pat and I had a quiet evening out to dinner and avoided a very late night out. I need my rest. 🙂 We went back to the Good Dog Bar that we ate at the first night. Good food and quiet outside tables.

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Wrap Up

Thanks for following along! We both enjoyed our visit to Philly and seeing family and the sights. Along with all the pros and cons. Next up, I will talk about the final two days in Philly. Several museums including the Revolutionary War Museum and the Philly Museum of Art (with the steps that Rocky ran up!). Also, the famous church we attended and the US Mint.

Take care and God Bless.