Reyburn Plaza - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.233 W 075° 09.836
18S E 485997 N 4422651
This is a big open area in front of the northern plaza of City Hall. From city hall, you would look out northwest to see this area which is filled with whimsical sculptures of game pieces and two statues. Once upon a time, JFK gave a speech here.
Waymark Code: WM9FAH
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/12/2010
Views: 19
This area is maintained by the Fairmount Park Commission. It also goes by other names such as Penn Square and City Plaza. This has been an open area since the turn of the 20th century. Even when the Philadelphia Municipal Services Building was erected, this space was left. The space overlooks what is now John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Naturally, back when the excerpt was written no one had heard of John F. Kennedy, at least not for another thirty-five years, he was only 20 years old! Back then it was called Filbert Street. If you place the plaza on the left and face East and continue down with City Hall on the right, the road turns again into Filbert Street.
From what I could find out, the plaza has been the scene of many protests, and civic events over the years. Today, it hosts a whole slew of art and is a favorite destination of tourists and lunch eaters. An internet search of Reyburn Plaza yielded controversy, protests and marches and one presidential hopeful's speech. Today it is the home of a huge sculpture garden. There are literally tons of sculptures representing game pieces of famous board games. The menagerie is called "Your Move". There is also a sculpture of Frank Rizzo, former beloved mayor of Philadelphia in the 70s. Finally, there is an abstract sculpture called Government of the People which commemorates bicentennial of the singing of the Declaration of Independence. Form more information on any of these sculptures or statues click on Nearest Waymark at the bottom of this web page.
I found a neat excerpt in the American Guide Series which refers to this place. Beyond the northwest corner of City Hall, at Broad and Filbert Streets, lies the open sweep of Reyburn Plaza, an area acquired by the city under ordinances between 1909 and 1934. From time to time, by special permit, various public functions are held here - addresses, concerts, mass meetings, and ceremonials. The band shell was erected with private funds. --- Philadelphia: A Guide to the Nation's Birthplace, 1937; page 383