Office Building, bounded by Market, Chestnut, Tenth and Ninth, occupying the site of the first President's Mansion and the subsequent home of the University of Pennsylvania; the Custom House, on Chestnut Street near the Delaware, modeled after the Parthenon, and erected in 1819-24 for the Second United States Bank; the Arsenal, below South Street near the Schuylkill; and at the southern end of Broad Street, the large League Island Navy Yard. Of the historic buildings the most important are the familiar Independence Hall and Carpenter's Hall on Chestnut Street, inseparably associated with the early Continental and Federal Congresses; the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street, where the first American flag was made; the Old Swedes (1700) and Old Christ (1727) churches of Revolutionary fame; and the first United States Mint, on Seventh Street below Market. The Pennsylvania Historical Society, one of the strongest organizations of its kind in the country, has an elegant building at Thirteenth and Locust streets.
Now that Philadelphia has adopted the modern steel frame building (with a careful regulation of height, however), its recent business structures will compare favorably in size and importance with those of any other American city. Among the leading office buildings may be mentioned the Land Title Annex (319 feet high); the pioneer Betz Building; the Real Estate Trust Building; the Arcade Building, and the Commonwealth Trust Building—all grouped around the City Hall; and the Real Estate Title and Trust Company Building, the Drexel Building, the Bullitt Building, and the Provident Building—notable structures of the financial area. In this vicinity, also, is the Philadelphia Contributionship ‘Hand in Hand,’ the oldest fire insurance company in America, of whose directorship Franklin was an early member. The Pennsylvania Railroad station, with a train shed over 700 feet long, and the Reading Terminal, a handsome railroad station, approached like that of the Pennsylvania Railroad by a viaduct, are notable railway terminals and office headquarters. Of newspaper buildings the most prominent are those of The North American (22 stories), The Record, and The Public Ledger. Of semi-public organizations the Stock Exchange is housed in the remodeled Merchants' Exchange Building; the Bourse Building is the home of the Board of Trade, the Trades League, and other trade oragnizations; and the Commercial Museum, supported by municipal, State, and Federal appropriations, and devoted to the encouragement of foreign commerce, especially with Spanish America, is located temporarily on Fourth Street, pending the erection of a permanent structure in West Philadelphia, on the site of the Exposition of 1899. Philadelphia has many important hotels, among the most elegant and commodious of which may be mentioned the Walton and the new Bellevue-Stratford, both on Broad Street near City Hall.
With structures representing interests that are not strictly utilitarian Philadelphia is well supplied. The Masonic and Odd Fellows' temples, on North Broad Street, rank with the best society structures on the continent. The Young Men's Christian Association Building on Fifteenth Street, that of the Young Women's Christian Association on Arch street, the Crozier Building of the Baptist Publication Society, the Witherspoon Building, with the publication rooms, general offices, and historical museum of the Presbyterian Church (North), represent in highest perfection the application of modern business methods to religious work. In addition to the historic churches already mentioned, the most important edifices are the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Kenneth Israel Synagogue, and the Baptist Temple on North Broad Street, Holy Trinity (Protestant Episcopal) on Rittenhouse Square, the Arch Street (Methodist Episcopal), the First Presbyterian and the Tabernacle Presbyterian and the Friends' fleeting House on Arch Street—the Quaker Westminster of America. Of educational institutions the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel Institute, the new Boys' High School, Girard College with its early Grecian structures, and the Roman Catholic High School are architecturally of importance.
Parks. The system embraces about 4000 acres. Public interest has been aroused of late in the development also of parkways. William Penn expressed the desire to make Philadelphia a ‘greene country towne;’ and his surveyor Holme placed on the plan, near its four angles, rectangular open spaces, now Logan (northwest). Rittenhouse (southwest), Franklin (northeast), and Washington (southeast) squares, containing an aggregate of 28½ acres. These, together with Central Square, the site of the original water-works, but now of City Hall, formed a cherished precedent. In 1903 there were under the care of the Bureau of City Property more than 50 small parks and plots containing over 600 acres. The largest was League Island Park (300 acres), contiguous to the League Island Navy Yard. In Independence Square the Declaration of Independence was read to the populace. Penn Treaty Square marks the site of the great elm under which, according to tradition, the founder made his famous compact with the Indians. In Logan Square was held in the summer of 1864 the great Sanitary Fair. Bartram's Garden (27 acres), on the banks of the Schuylkill, was the first botanical garden in the New World. Its noteworthy arboreal collection has been preserved.
The city's greatest pleasure ground is Fairmount Park, rich in natural beauties. The Schuylkill divides it into East Park, with over 633 acres, and West Park, with 1323 acres. Along the Wissahickon is the Wissahickon Valley extension of 1010 acres. The acquisition in 1812 of five acres on Morris's Hill, the original Fair Mount, for water-works and park purposes, led to the formation of the park. To this were added areas of woodland, and country seats, the Lansdowne estate of Governor John Penn, Eaglesfield, Sweet Briar, and Solitude; the Belmont home of Judge Peters of the Supreme Court, where Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Lafayette, and others visited; Mount Pleasant, the residence of Benedict Arnold; George's Hill (83 acres), presented by Jesse and Rebecca George; Strawberry Mansion, Lemon Hill, Ormiston, and Edgely. The miniature Letitia House, built by William Penn for his discontented daughter, was transported from the city. The Zoölogical Gardens are maintained by private subscription, admission receipts, and municipal appropriations contingent upon the free admission of school children. The Centennial Exposition of 1876 brought many noteworthy structures into the park, the most important that remain being Horticultural Hall, with a fine exotic collection, and Memorial Hall,
