Historic Places to Visit in Center City Philadelphia
This article highlighting some of the most historic places in Center City is presented by the slip and fall attorneys in Philadelphia of PhillySlipandFallGuys.com
For those who reside within its boundaries, as well as for those who’ve had the chance to visit this wonderful city and enjoy its attractions, there is no doubt that Philly may be one of the most historically-significant cities in the entire United States. On this page, we cover some of its must-see spots.
The Liberty Bell in Independence National Historical Park
The Pennsylvania Assembly commissioned the Bell in 1751 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania’s first true Constitution. It talks about the rights, opportunities, and freedoms esteemed by individuals the world over. Especially ground breaking were Penn’s thoughts on strict opportunity, his liberal position on Native American rights, and his incorporation of residents in implementing laws.
As the Bell was made to recognize the brilliant commemoration of Penn’s Charter, the citation “Broadcast Liberty all through all the land unto every one of the occupants thereof,” from Leviticus 25:10, was especially adept. Likewise engraved on the Bell is the citation, “By Order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philada.” Note that the spelling of “Pennsylvania” was not standardized at the time. Indeed, in the first Constitution, the name of the state is additionally spelled “Pensylvania.”
There is some ambiguity as far as to how the Bell’s crack first showed up on the Bell. In past times, hair-line breaks on bells were promtply repaired in most instances so as to avoid their expansion. Nonetheless, it is agreed that the last expansion of the historic crack, and which rendered the Bell ‘unringable’, was on Washington’s Birthday in 1846.
Elfreth’s Alley in Old City, Philadelphia
Named after blacksmith and property owner Jeremiah Elfreth, Elfreth’s Alley was home to the eighteenth-century craftsmans and tradespeople who are, today, widely considered as the foundation of Colonial Philadelphia. Among the residents of the Alley were tradesmen and their families, including shipwrights, silver and pewter smiths, glassblowers, and furniture manufacturers.
In the late nineteenth and mid twentieth hundreds of years, industry started to change the area. In the long run, factories encompassed Elfreth’s Alley almost completely. Industry changed more than the design; progressive influxes of settlers, attracted by the potential for employment, moved onto the road.
Finally, in 1934, the Elfreth’s Alley Association (EAA) was established to save the historic site’s notable structures which offer a peek into the Alley’s 300-year history. Present-day Elfreth’s Alley is the result of cycles of urban restoration as well as substantial restoration endeavors.
Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary was, at one time, the most well-known and costly jail on the planet. At its culmination, the structure was the biggest and most costly public building ever conceived in the United States. And yet, today it stands in ruin as a haunting structure composed of disintegrating cellblocks and empty towers.
Known for its towering walls and severe discipline (when it was still functional), this was the world’s first “true penitentiary,” a jail intended to motivate contrition, or genuine lament, in the hearts of detainees. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held a large number of America’s most famous crooks, including burglar “Smooth Willie” Sutton and Al Capone.
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is situated at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, only five squares from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It can be visited on any day of the week for tours of its facilities.
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