Quick History Stops: Philadelphia, PA, Part 1

During my trip to Philadelphia, PA, I spent time walking around the historic portion of the city. Because this is one of the most politically significant locations in the modern world, the streets are lined with informational signage, and nearly every building had a plaque. This miniseries of quick history stops will have four parts. This first part will cover a bank building, a Quaker meeting house, a fire station dedicated to Benjamin Franklin, a cemetery, and a very old alley.

Located among a row of neoclassical mid-19^th century buildings not far from Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Bank Building at 421 Chestnut Street was constructed between 1857 and 1859. The original Pennsylvania Bank had failed during the Panic of 1857, a brief time of economic instability due to the First Industrial Revolution, the California Gold Rush, the Crimean War in Europe, and the pending American Civil War. Local architect John M. Gries designed the building, which was last renovated in 1983. The building is currently closed to the public.

Arch Street Meeting House is an active place of worship for Arch Street Friends along with a museum and a National Historic Landmark since 1971. The Federal style red brick building was designed by Quaker architect Owen Biddle, Jr. and built in stages between 1803 to 1811 with renovations throughout the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Biddle was a member of the Carpenters Company of Philadelphia, whose Carpenters’ Hall I visited during the trip, but his career was shorted by his death of a now unknown cause in 1806 at thirty-two years old. Biddle was buried on the property along with other congregants, most of whom chose not to mark their graves.

Philadelphia Fire Department Engine 8 Ladder 2 is dedicated to Benjamin Franklin, whose house site I had just visited. In 1736 at age thirty, Franklin helped to create the Union Fire Company, which was the first firefighting organization in Philadelphia. He did this by writing anonymous articles that he published in his own newspaper, Philadelphia Gazette. Ethics issues aside, local artists have created a pair of installations honoring Franklin. A bust called Keys to Community was sculpted by James Peniston and dedicated in 2007. The sculpture is made of bronze, literally weighs a ton (2000 pounds), and is textured with keys. Fundraising was done through penny collection by local schoolchildren and through the fire department. On a nearby wall was a mural painted by Eric Okdeh and many assistants thanks to multiple sponsors, including Mural Arts Philadelphia, Philadelphia Fire Department, Wawa, and Fireman’s Hall Museum.

Across the street from the fire station is Christ Church Burial Ground, which first opened in 1719. While many famous Philadelphians are buried on the grounds, perhaps the most famous was Benjamin Franklin, who is interred near the fence, allowing those who do not want to pay the admission fee to get a good look. Pennies cover his marble tombstone, referencing his phrase “A penny saved is a penny earned”. Unfortunately, the constant tossing damages the marker, which was last restored for $76,000 in 2016. Franklin fans ought to donate a larger amount to the burial ground rather than throwing change.

My final quick history stop for this part is Elfreth’s Alley, billed as “one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the United States”, since the alley was built in 1703 and its current buildings came between 1720 and 1836. The privately owned luxury homes are also among the most expensive per square foot. When asked to estimate the asking price for a beautiful residence, I correctly guessed $1.5 million. While the average visitor cannot afford to live in the alley, they can visit the Elfreth’s Alley Museum, although I passed on this stop during my trip due to time constraints. Ironically, this area was originally a working class neighborhood for artisans, laborers, and immigrants.

The alley’s name has changed several times but the owner during 1750 was Jeremiah Elfreth, now buried at Arch Street Meeting House. According to an article by Alexander Bethke at Villanova University, the only easily available and reliably cited information I could find on the subject, Elfreth had inherited some property from his father-in-law and bought the rest. His little kingdom died with him in 1772 and was forgotten until preservation groups took interest beginning in 1934 during the Great Depression. The alley was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1960 and upgraded to a National Historic Landmark in 1966. Despite its status, the city permitted the construction of ugly buildings next door to the alley in 1977 during the Bicentennial celebration, and the ugly buildings are still standing. Despite this eyesore, a trip down the alley is well worth the visit.