Independence National Historical Park: Other Buildings

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 fourth and final 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 buildings located within the boundaries of the park that I have not yet covered, including City Tavern, Dolley Todd House, Old St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Free Quaker Meeting House, First Bank, Second Bank, Merchants’ Exchange Building, President’s House Site, Declaration House, and American Pharmaceutical Association.

City Tavern was once the fanciest place to eat in the city, if not all of the young United States during the late 18^th century. Founding Fathers wrote home to their family about the dining experience. Unfortunately, the city tore down the original building in 1854, and the 1975 restoration is also in sad shape and not open to the public. I hope it will be restored and open in time for America250.

Neither First Bank nor Second Bank were open during my visit as they undergo renovations in preparation for America250. First Bank is a red brick Georgian style building that will have its roof replaced, the exterior walls repaired, the interiors refreshed, and an accessible entrance constructed in the back so visitors of all abilities can enjoy the space. Second Bank was constructed in a late 18^th century Neoclassical style and now contains a portrait gallery. While I wish I could have gone inside these buildings, I did appreciate that they are being preserved for future visitors, and I enjoyed watching the construction.

Dolley Todd House is a modest red brick building once inhabited by Dolley and James Todd, Jr. during the 1790s. After James died of fever, Dolley would remarry to James Madison, a Founding Father and the fourth president of the United States. She was instrumental in his political career and is best known for saving a portrait of George Washington when British soldiers burned the White House during the War of 1812.

Old St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church is a Jesuit parish that has been open since 1733. Members of this branch of Christianity were permitted to stay in the colony of Pennsylvania due to the commitment of colonial leaders, the Penn family and other Quakers, to encourage religious tolerance. Jesuits had lived in nearby Maryland, originally a Catholic colony, since 1634 but were driven out due to anti-Catholic laws passed during the early 18^th century. Catholics were so welcomed in Pennsylvania that many married spouses from Protestant families, and their children were raised to respect the beliefs of both parents. This church acted as a “mother” to other parishes in New Jersey and Delaware, while missionaries from the church went to the American frontier.

Not far away is Free Quaker Meeting House, similarly built of red brick. Its claim to fame is being the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house within the original boundaries of Philadelphia as it was built in 1783, although this building has been moved from its original foundation. Now managed by the National Park Service, it does not have an active congregation. The building has been listed independently on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971.

The Merchants’ Exchange Building was designed by William Strickland in a Greek Revival style and constructed in 1834. Strickland had also designed the Second Bank, restored the tower of Independence Hall, and created countless other government buildings and churches throughout Philadelphia and the young United States. Today, a wordy poster exhibit about the history of the building is located inside its lobby. This is the oldest extant stock exchange building in the United States, presumably since older Wall Street buildings in New York City have been replaced by skyscrapers. The temple-like exterior makes the building a favorite spot for wedding photos and selfies, while the National Park Service uses it as office space. The building has been a National Historic Landmark since 2001.

Before Washington, DC was built, Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800. During that time, presidents lived at what is now President’s House Site, since the original building was torn down in 1832. The outdoor exhibit is open at all reasonable hours and does a great job comparing the administrations of George Washington and John Adams using signage and looping videos. My main takeaway from this fairly new self-guided exhibit was that while both men were products of their time, Adams and his family were significantly more modern in their understanding of slavery and potential for equality regardless of race or sex. This can be a light historical refresher or a sobering experience depending on how much time one wants to spend diving into the somewhat text-heavy signage.

At 700 Market Street is a reconstruction of the formerly demolished Declaration House, which is currently closed to the public. You may have noticed a theme to buildings in this park, and it is not a nice theme. Thomas Jefferson rented an apartment on this site while writing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He was able to fully focus on the freedom-themed project since his household chores were completed by a fourteen-year-old enslaved child, Robert Hemmings (surname spelled with double m), the younger half-brother of Jefferson’s wife Martha Wayles (also spelled Wales) and the full brother to the enslaved mother of Jefferson’s children, Sally Hemings (surnamed spelled with single m). I hope the Declaration House will open in the future to tell multiple sides of this uniquely American story.

Across the street from Declaration House was a sign for the American Pharmaceutical Association, now known as the American Pharmacists Association. Pharmacists founded this society in 1852 and located their headquarters in Philadelphia due to the influence of William Procter, Jr., known as the “Father of American Pharmacy”. He worked as a pharmacist for his entire career from age 14 to age 56, when he died suddenly at home after giving a pharmacy lecture. Like many national organizations, the society has since relocated to Washington, DC.