Quick History Stops: Philadelphia, PA, Part 2

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. The first part covered a bank building, a Quaker meeting house, a fire station dedicated to Benjamin Franklin, a cemetery, and a very old alley. This second part will cover a historic house possibly belonging to a Founding Mother, commercial buildings from the Industrial Revolution, and a courtyard showcasing local history.

Betsy Ross House is the possible former residence of the woman anecdotally credited with designing the first standardized flag of the United States by adding five-pointed stars to the flag. The house is currently operated by Historic Philadelphia, Inc. which offers self-guided and audio guided tours of the property. I did not go on a tour during my visit but did enjoy the restored façade and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission sign located outside the house. This is a popular place for bus tours and school groups, making this stop always busy. This house is not on the National Register of Historic Places, and what may have been the actual Ross House was torn down to give more space for this property.

A building that is on the National Register is United States Custom House, which was registered in 2011 during one of its renovations. The building is made of multiple sections like a tiered cake, with the base made of concrete and upper layers including red brick. At its highest point, the building is seventeen stories tall, making it the biggest building in the area. Like many federal projects at this time, this Art Deco building was part of the New Deal and was administered under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1932 to 1934. Philadelphia architects Verus Taggart Ritter and Howell Lewis Shay designed the building. My favorite feature was the pair of Art Deco lights on the steps to the main entrance.

Across the street was the peculiarly named Corn Exchange National Bank (CENB). My greatest surprise, upon further research, was that this bank was one of several corn exchange banks in the United States, and one of at least two buildings in the city. This CENB is located at 2^nd Street and Chestnut Street. The building was designed by Philadelphia architects Frank Eaton Newman and James Russell Harris and constructed in 1903 to replace an older version of the bank. The company had operated since 1858 and expanded greatly during the early 20^th century until the Great Depression. Girard Trust Company bought the bank in 1952, followed by a merger with Mellon Bank in 1983. At some point, this building was sold to Chase Bank, its current resident.

The final stop for this post was a courtyard called Welcome Park that once held the Slate Roof House belonging to William Penn and his descendants. The house was destroyed despite protests during the mid-19^th century, and the current park was designed by Venturi, Scott Brown, and Associates in 1982. A small model of Slate Roof House stands on one side of the park, while a statue of William Penn stands at the center. These sculptures were briefly the subject of controversy, as the National Park Service released plans that implied the model and statue would be removed for America250 renovations, although the plans has been retracted. Other artworks in the space include a timeline on a neighboring building shows the life of William Penn and events during his lifetime with emphasis on Penn’s dedication to religious freedom, while a mural declaring the area “Welcome Park” was painted on a low wall perpendicular to the building. I hope the future park incorporates the diverse viewpoints of Philadelphians while telling this important history.