Philadelphia City Hall

Address: 1400 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Neighborhood: Center City

Website: https://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/CityHall

Contact: (267) 514-4757

Description: Designed by John McArthur, Jr., begun in 1872 and completed in 1901, Philadelphia’s City Hall is the largest and most elaborate center of municipal government ever built in America. It is also one of the nation’s finest examples of the Second Empire style. Alexander Milne Calder and assistants carved the hundreds of sculptures that adorn the building and were intended “to express American ideas and develop American genius.” The central tower is topped by a 37-foot bronze statue of William Penn that, when it was hoisted into place, was the world’s largest sculpture on a building.

Resources for Researchers

• History
  • https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/city-hall/#the-history
  • https://www.theconstitutional.com/blog/2015/01/23/philadelphia-city-hall

Information for Visitors

• Hours
  • Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm
• Tour information
  • https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/city-hall/#admission-info

Subthemes:

• First in the nation – Philadelphia’s “firsts”
• Architecture and design – iconic, famous, or representative
• Faith and ideals – religion, philosophy, political ideology

Link to NHL Nomination Form

• Nomination Number: 76001666
• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GJ9c61F4O0jd4NgscDKeN6bpjb8WT_jU