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

Taken from the nomination form, "Old City Hall, the two-and-a-half-story brick with marble trim building at the southwest corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets, was constructed in 1790-91 as
the last component of the State House complex which envisioned city, county, and state government buildings of similar architectural elements on the same block. From its completion early in 1791 until the national capital moved to Washington, D.C, in 1800, the City Hall building was diverted for the use of the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. District and Circuit Courts. The Supreme Court held its sessions in the large south room on the first floor.
City Hall's completed design in 1791 was an intended replica of Congress Hall's on the exterior, most notice- ably the five-bay Flemish bond facade with a slightly projecting three-bay pedimented pavilion and fanlighted, round-arch entrance; a hipped roof surmounted by an open octagonal cupola; and Congress Hall's original measure- ments of 50 feet on Chestnut Street and 70 feet in length. David Evans was master carpenter and superintendent of the
building's construction.
Except for the new roof and cupola put on in 1823 after a fire severely damaged the roof. City Hall's exterior has remained fundamentally the same. Its interior, however, has received numerous alterations over the years to accommodate the different municipal and private organizationsthathavemadeuseofthebuilding. In 1916 the Committee on the Preservation of Historic Monuments of The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects began a thorough architectural
investigation of City Hall which resulted in the restoration drawings the City Architect used in 1921 tocarryoutthebuilding'srestoration. In
the 1960s the National Park Service found this 1921 restoration so accurate that few architectural changes
were made. The National Park Service did, however, furnish extensive structural rehabilitation, as well as
mechanical and electrical work for the building. City Hall, which received its title as "Old" in 1895 when the existing City Hall building on Broad Street reached completion, is open to the public
who come to see the restored interior floor plan and exhibits on the Supreme Court and Philadelphia history."

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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