City Hall in Philadelphia is a Second Empire Masterpiece



Situated in the area known as Penn Square (sometimes Center Square), Philadelphia's magnificent City Hall is an architectural gem and the centerpiece of the downtown area. The tallest building in the city until Liberty Place was built in the 1980s, this National Historic Landmark stretches 510 feet in the air and is considered be the nation's finest example of French Second Empire architecture.

Larger than the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC, City Hall in Philadelphia was the most expensive municipal building ever constructed. It took 30 years to build the structure, and by the time it was complete, the Second Empire style of architecture was outdated and many city officials deemed the building hideous. Still, most architectural buffs consider the building to be nothing short of a masterpiece of construction.

John McArthur, Jr. became the architect for the project, winning a design contest announced in 1860 by local officials. However, the Civil War put a stop to all construction and the building did not commence until 1871, with the first foundation stone laid a year later. In 1873, famed sculptor Alexander Milne Calder began work on the building's elaborate statuary. The project occupied him for the next 20 years.

Constant arguments over funding and other issues stretched out the project and caused large gaps in construction. McArthur died in 1890 and architect John Ord was appointed to take his place. Finally, in June 1901, City Hall was deemed complete and the building commission turned it over to the city though there was still some work to be done on the interior.

Today, visitors can enjoy this incredible building both from the inside or the outside. Of particular interest on the exterior is the 510 foot tower that includes a huge clock with four faces and hands weighing in excess of 200 pounds each. The statues on the exterior of the building include four bronze eagles, each weighing 9,000 pounds with a wingspan of 15 feet; four figures including two Native Americans and two Swedish pioneers, all 24 feet tall; and the most famous of all the statues, that of William Penn, which stands atop the building, measuring 37 feet tall and weighing 54,000 pounds. For many years, the city maintained a rule that no building in the city could dwarf the Penn statue, until Mayor Wilson Goode broke the rule in 1987 and allowed Liberty Place One to greatly dwarf city hall, standing 945 feet tall. City officials allow Penn to don various articles of clothing, including hats, when a particular event is occurring, such as a notable sports championship for a city team.

At Christmastime, a huge tree is placed in City Hall's courtyard and a variety of other events - concerts, European-style Christmas outdoor markets - are held in the area around the building. During other times of the year, other arts performances are presented and the hall is a prime area for protests of a variety of natures.

Visitors can opt for a guided interior tour of City Hall in Philadelphia, offered once a day year round (with some additional times on occasion). Guests can also forego the tour and visit just the tower, which is accessible via an elevator from the 9th floor. Tours are free and last approximately 90 minutes. Timed tower tickets most be secured as the elevator holds only 5 people at one time. Tickets for all tours are available in the City Hall Information Office, Room 121, near the East entrance to the building.

Review, comment, or add new information about this topic:

Discuss Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA) on our hugely popular Pennsylvania forum.


City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site.  Use at your own risk.
Some parts © 2024 Advameg, Inc.