Library Hall - Independence National Historical Park - Philadelphia, PA - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Taken from the nomination form, "In 1957-8 the American Philosophical Society, by permit from the National Park Service, constructed a building on the northeast corner of Library Street and Fifth Street, opposite their headquarters at Fifth and Chestnut, to house the society's expanding library and archives.
The front section of the building reproduces the 1790 structure called Library Hall which the Library Company of Philadelphia the oldest subscription library in the country, founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin erected on approximately the same site to hold their growing col- lection. The original Library Hall was torn down around 1884, after the Library Company completed its relocation to new buildings closer to center city. The Drexel building, an early high-rise ten-story office building, replaced Library Hall at the corner of Fifth and Chest- nut. In 1956 the National Park Service demolished the Drexel Building.
Library Hall has been accurately reproduced from an 1800 engraving of the building by William Birch, as well as from nineteenth century photographs. The two-story brick
building has a Palladian design containing a five-bay facade with a central entrance and a pedimented bay of fourpilasters. Surroundingitshippedroofisabalus- trade surmounted with urns. Two rectangular windows on the second floor flank a central niche containing a statue of Benjamin Franklin draped in a toga (Library Hall reached completion in the year of Franklin's death.). The original Library Hall building was designed by Dr. William Thornton, who later won the competition for the nation's capital in Washington."

Taken from Wikipedia, "The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 and located in Philadelphia, is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and community outreach. Considered the first learned society in the United States, it has played an important role in American cultural and intellectual life for over 270 years.

Through research grants, published journals, the American Philosophical Society Museum, an extensive library, and regular meetings, the society continues to advance a variety of disciplines in the humanities and the sciences. Philosophical Hall, now a museum, is located just east of Independence Hall in Independence National Historical Pa

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Independence National Historical Park Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): [Web Link] Address: Philadelphia, PA How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below) Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]

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