At the time of construction, Philadelphia City Hall at 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Center City was a building that was both ahead of its time and inspired by traditional design. The municipal floors and the clock tower feature stone walls, cornices, pillars, and decorative additions that brought the public to awe. The 548-foot structure was designed by John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Ustick Walter, who have both worked on other well-known buildings. John McArthur Jr. designed the First National Bank, and Thomas Ustick Walter designed the new and current dome of the Capital Building in Washington D.C. While the highest space in the building sits nine floors above ground, the clock tower stands hundreds of feet tall and was constructed just after the municipal floors. Today Philadelphia YIMBY looks at the construction of the clock tower, which ranks as the world’s tallest freestanding masonry building.
Philadelphia City Hall elevation 1880. Image via John McArthur Jr. And Thomas Ustick Walter
Philadelphia City Hall construction 1886. Photo via phillyhistory.org
Construction of the building started in 1871. Previously, the site was a large square park similar to Rittenhouse Square and Franklin Square, and was known as Penn Square. The site was torn up and the foundation for the new building was completed by the end of 1873, and the massive building was ready to rise. The municipal floors were topped out by 1882, and construction started on the clock tower.
Philadelphia City Hall construction 1893. Image via Library of Congress
Philadelphia City Hall construction nearly topped. Photo via phillyhistory.org
Philadelphia City Hall construction sketch. Image by Thomas Koloski
One year later, a large crane atop the stone structure helped workers lay down the brick and stone. In 1887, the stone work was finished, and a large octagonal platform was erected around the top to hold the structural framing and eventually the pieces of the William Penn statue. Framing was being erected on top of the structure in 1890 as the clock house and steeples were constructed. In 1894, the peak was reached and the William Penn statue was lifted up in sections. At the same time, framing went going up around the steeple, shaping the final curved form.
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City Hall tower; topped out in 1894 is the greatest skyscraper built in the traditional sense of load bearing construction; it is without a doubt the pinnacle of technology that dates from antiquity; from the days or the Tower of Babel or the Great Egyptian pyramids. No tower built taller than City Hall stands by its own weight; all require beams; City Hall is the tallest building that stands by its own strength unassisted.
It was said that the cost of dismantling City Hall was too expensive and as such, Philadelphia is stuck with this building.
There have been critics of this elaborate structure and how the statue ruined the skyline due to an arrogant man and his vision to prevent skyscrapers from ever being built in the city.
Will Philadelphians ever accept this castle as the centerpiece of the city?
Underneath, SEPTA runs the Broad Street Line, the Market-Frankford Line, the Subway-Surface Line and had an interconnected concourse spanning over a mile.
Incredible construction project of this edifice and the eventual addition of both BSS and MFL trains under City Hall.
The most magnificent municipal building in the United States.
I love the history lesson.I was just thinking where did the Ben Franklin statue come from I love History
Thanks for recounting the history of the construction of this magnificent edfice.So proud of City Hall and its integral part of the history of architecture in Philadelphia
Born in philly and to have experienced seeing such a beautiful City Hall and also going inside was so exciting for me.
what a beautiful well built building ..so whats wrong of the city being stuck with this masterpiece ..todays builders wouldnt even come close to building anything as good looking as this and the quality and materials going into this building ..moden glass skyscrapers are a dime a dozen ………..