Independence National Historical Park: Franklin Court, Art, & a Garden

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During a long weekend in late May and early June, I visited Philadelphia, PA to see historic sites and watch a professional track & field meet. This is my third post about Independence National Historical Park, a part of the United States National Park System (NPS) that focuses on the American Revolutionary War. During this post, I will describe Franklin Court where the house of Benjamin Franklin once stood, art found throughout the park, and a relaxing garden.

In the painting on a red brick wall on the far side of a long stairwell, people wearing late 18th century clothing parade down the street while a modern father and son watch. A metal sculpture of a man wearing upper class late 18th century clothing looks to the sky and holds a quill pen Metal sculpture of a man wearing late 19th century clothing including a bicorne hat.

Located next to the Franklin Museum, which I had visited during a past trip to Philadelphia and did not enter this time, Franklin Court contains the “ghost structure” of Benjamin Franklin’s home. The National Park Service website describes his house as “handsome brick”, but the grandchildren of Franklin apparently did not agree, as they tore down the building in 1812, a mere twenty-two years after the death of Franklin in 1790. Strangely enough, Franklin and his common-law wife, Deborah Read, never lived in this house at the same time, although they argued about what to do with the house in letters while Franklin was away on many trips in Europe. The family was dysfunctional with Franklin refusing to return to Philadelphia even when Read’s health became so poor that she could no longer write letters. Their daughter Sarah “Sally” Franklin Bache and her husband Richard Bache Sr. took over the house upon the death of Read in 1774 and continued living there until 1794. The value of the land eventually exceeded the perceived value of the house, and the grandchildren replaced the property with rental units. I am not surprised, only disappointed.

In the painting on a red brick wall, people wearing late 18th century clothing parade down the street while a modern father and son watch. A painting on a red brick wall depicting people wearing late 18th century clothing at a marketplace while modern residents look on A metal structure symbolizing a house stands in a paved courtyard with a two-story red brick building in the background. A park ranger in uniform walks though the house.

Franklin Court now contains eerie metal structures showing the outline of the house, plus pits and markers demonstrating where different parts of the house were located. Notable markers include a wall fragment from 1763, an ice pit from 1765, a privy from 1786, and the outline of a combination book bindery and type foundry from 1787 plus its own privy pit. A working print shop on the site was staffed by a somewhat abrupt park ranger who went through the motions of creating broadsides on his reproduction mid- to late 18th century printing press. I tried to help him out with a few softball questions such as, “How long was training to become a printmaker?” (About seven years, from age fourteen to twenty-one.) and “Could women become printmakers” (Of course! Gendered divisions of labor are actually somewhat modern and arose during the 1950s as a backlash against the rise in job opportunities for women during World War II.) The printer at Mystic Seaport, who I visited last year in 2024, was much more engaged.

A traditional English garden with boxwoods surrounding the floor beds and a long gazebo covered with vines in the background On the left is a traditional English garden with boxwoods surrounding the floor beds. At center through a gate is a large red brick building with a tower spire. Ornamental trees and a red brick wall are to the right. The metal outline in the paved courtyard is lit by the sun. The sky is cloudless and blue.

Elsewhere in the park, artwork brought a cultural flair to the historical setting. A statue called The Signer stands in the middle of Signers Garden near Independence Hall. While the sculpture generally represents all people who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution — as they were all upper class white men with ancestors from the British Isles and therefore appeared a lot alike — the actual statue is based on George Clymer from Philadelphia. The other five double signers were Benjamin Franklin, George Read of Delaware, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, and James Wilson of Pennsylvania.

A metal outline in the paved courtyard in front of a red brick building. The sky is grey. Privy Hole with Sign at Franklin Court Ice Pit Marker at Franklin Court

Robert Morris received his own statue as the financial supporter of the Revolution. He bankrupted himself by 1798 and spent time in debtor prison until 1801. Apparently the other Founder Fathers were not willing to help him out, rendering me once again disappointed but not surprised. The other garden I visited was the 18th century Garden maintained by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. This non-profit has been headquartered in Philadelphia since 1827 and is supported by volunteers. My favorite part of the garden was the long gazebo covered with vines.

Stone marker for the book bindery and type foundry from 1787 Stone marker for the privy at the book bindery and type foundry from 1787 A black and grey sign with informational text, an image of Franklin, and the national park service arrowhead logo

The final pieces of artwork I saw each day at the end of my historical adventures were the pair of murals located in the parking garage underneath the visitor center.  The murals were painted in 2011 by David S. Gordon with assistance from Latifa Abdullah as part of the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. One mural depicted a parade from July 4, 1788 when the Constitution was ratified, while the other showed a typical day in the life of Philadelphia residents from 1787. The murals show members of the modern community watching the past residents, demonstrating how the city is closely connected to its past.

Location: 322 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

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