Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pa.Riley, Edward M.
History
Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
Riley, Edward M.
Independence National Historical Park (Philadelphia, Pa.)
It is apparent that the plans from which the State House was constructed
were drawn by Edmund Woolley, master carpenter, who was also the
principal builder under the direction of Andrew Hamilton. To these two
men go the major credit for the design and erection of one of the most
beautiful administrative buildings of the Colonial period.
Building the State House was a slow process. The Assembly was not able
to meet in the new building until September 1735. Even at that time the
walls had not been paneled, nor had all of the window panes been
installed. Difficulties of various kinds, especially the scarcity of
skilled workmen, kept the building in an unfinished state. Finally, in
the summer of 1741, the impatient Assembly ordered that the walls and
windows of their chamber be finished at once and the remainder of the
building completed without undue delay. Despite this order, plans for
completing the Supreme Court chamber were not submitted until November
1743. The Council Chamber on the upper floor was not ready for occupancy
until February 1748. It appears probable that the building was completed
about this date.
During construction of the State House the old custom of “raising
feasts” was followed. When the main timbers in a building were raised, a
sumptuous feast was given for the workmen in celebration of the event.
As the building of the State House progressed, there were a number of
such feasts, the cost of them borne by the Provincial government.
Shortly after the construction of the State House was started, the
Assembly ordered that office buildings be erected as wings to the main
building, for the safekeeping of the public papers of the Province.
Early in 1736 the wings on each side of the State House were practically
completed, but public officials objected strenuously to moving into
them. Despite objections, however, it is obvious that the wings were
soon occupied by various county and provincial officials. Others also
used these small buildings, for in 1739 the Library Company of
Philadelphia was granted permission to deposit its books in the upper
floor of the west wing. The Library remained there until 1773 when it
was moved to Carpenters’ Hall. Throughout the Colonial period the
doorkeeper of the Assembly and his family also lived in the west wing.
Furthermore, during the early years, Indian delegations visiting
Philadelphia were sometimes lodged in one of the wings.
These exotic tenants proved a source of worry to the Assembly. Their
carelessness with fire posed such a serious threat to public records
that, in 1759, the Assembly ordered the erection of a separate building
for the use of the Indians. It is thought that one of the two wooden
sheds built before the Revolution at the corners of Fifth and Sixth
Streets on Chestnut Street was used for this purpose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account