Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 39° 56.934 W 075° 09.026
18S E 487148 N 4422096
An unusual view of Independence Hall appears on this postal card issued to commemorate the bicentennial of the Constitutional Convention held there in 1787.
Waymark Code: WM14B02
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 06/01/2021
Views: 6
The building now known as Independence Hall was completed in 1753 and served as the capitol of the Province of Pennsylvania and subsequently, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until 1799. The Pennsylvania State House, as it was known then, played host to two significant events in U.S. history: the Second Continental Congress which resulted in the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 which produced the Constitution of the United States.
It should come as no surprise that a building so steeped in a nation’s history would be the subject of a postage stamp and indeed, it has appeared on multiple stamps issued by the United States (both exterior and interior). Most of these show the north elevation or the familiar south elevation, but this one shows the building’s west side including the masonry clock designed by Thomas Stretch.
The design of this postal card was based on plate 22 of William R. Birch’s “Views of Philadelphia.” The full name of this work is “The City of Philadelphia as it Appeared in the Year 1800.” It is a set of colored engravings that show various street scenes of Philadelphia highlighting all the famous edifices of that time. Most of these included groups of people milling about attending to their business. The engraving of the State House also showed several groups of ordinary citizens, but these were replaced on the postal card’s indicia by five delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
Independence Hall has undergone numerous expansions and renovations over the years. Some of these can be seen by comparing the 1800 engraving with the building as it appears today. The original clock did not survive, the one that’s there now is a replica added in 1973.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 25-May-1987
Denomination: 14c
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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