Independence National Historical Park and its demolished history: What you need to know

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It’s easy to imagine the Founding Fathers living, debating and birthing the nation inside the brick buildings of Philadelphia’s historic district.

Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, Congress Hall, the home of the United States Congress and the Supreme Court, and Carpenter’s Hall, where the first Continental Congress seeded revolution in the colonies, still stand side by side, echoing the past and their stories. Everything remains the same except for the newly constructed Independence Mall and its idyllic grassy lawns.

“It wasn’t that early Philadelphia had these grand parks, and they established Carpenter’s Hall, and it just had all this green space around it,” said Francesca Russello Ammon, a cultural historian of urban planning at University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design.

Back then, the area was bustling with homes and a commercial district filled with vendors, artisans and free Black families.

More than 150 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Congress authorized the creation of the Independence National Historical Park in 1948 to coincide with the nation’s bicentennial. Many of the buildings that created a once flourishing commercial center were demolished to make space for the park.

Why Philadelphia became the center of history

The birth of the U.S. Army, the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the United States’ first capitol all have Philadelphia roots.

“There wasn’t any true symbolism around it as a meeting place besides it’s centrally located, it’s large,” said Luke Hopely, an interpretive park ranger and community engagement coordinator for Independence National Historical Park.

It was convenience that gave Philadelphia its wealth of historical relevance.

The city was one of the few places that had lodgings to support the initial Continental Congress, Hopley said. And it has Independence Hall.

During the late 18th century, the building went by a different name: the Pennsylvania State House. It served as the state’s capital, but was taken over by the Second Continental Congress to debate and declare independence from the British.

The place where the Declaration of Independence was signed didn’t get its current moniker until Marquis de Lafayette made his way through and gave it the name, Hopely said.

They’re just buildings

However, the historical significance of Philadelphia’s Old City didn’t immediately resonate with citizens.

“It was still being used for other stuff by the Philadelphia government,” Hopely said. “It doesn’t take on a purely historical role until the 20th century.”

Many of the early-colonial monuments considered historically rich and worth preserving today were demolished to make way for structures such as the Jayne Building, an eight-story skyscraper that was one of the tallest at the time of its construction, and the Drexel Building, which was built where the Library Company of Philadelphia’s original location was.

How Independence National Historical Park came to be

More than a century and half after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the building that hosted this revolutionary moment was being overshadowed by the grandeur and stature of the newer buildings.

After World War II, there was a resurgence in interest in the American Revolution, Hopley said. It was then that Congress authorized the establishment of Independence National Historical Park. The city bought up existing buildings or the lots, most notably the site of Benjamin Franklin’s home. The history fever was also spurred by the nation’s upcoming bicentennial.

There were some, such as Judge Edwin Lewis, who wanted a full return to colonial-era Philadelphia by demolishing three city blocks. Others, such as architect Charles Peterson, wanted to highlight the colonial history while keeping portions of the newer construction.

The problem was new buildings “were crowding out these historic sites that had, you know, potential to enliven tourism and link in with the bicentennial, which was coming,” Ammon said. “So, it was perceived that they needed to go.”

By 1969, 143 buildings — mostly “commercial and industrial buildings,” according to Ammon — were demolished to make way for the park’s mall and new construction, which included a pavilion that held the Liberty Bell.

“What we lost was a more accurate, material representation of how this city actually developed,” Ammon said. “If we hadn’t torn down all those buildings, there would be structures and sites to help us tell more stories about the history of Philadelphia.”

Her project, Preserving Society Hill, looks at some of the area’s razed buildings, including the Jayne Building and Drexel Building, the latter was replaced by a reconstruction of the Library Company of Philadelphia building.

Ammon said she understood the reasoning behind the demolition.

“I do think it was natural and understandable and made sense to try to think of a way of recognizing these histories a little more,” she said.

But, she thought a “more thoughtful and selective approach might have balanced some of the gains and losses versus a large-scale clearance approach.”

“Right now, it’s very easy to tell one story,” Ammon said.

How to navigate the modern park

Although portions of Philadelphia’s history were wiped away, what’s left is still a rich telling of colonial life and the American revolution.

Some sites, such as Independence Hall, favored keeping the original structure. Others, like the Liberty Bell, had areas constructed around them. And some, like Benjamin Franklin’s ghost house, saw more unique approaches toward preservation.

Overall, there are more than a dozen sites the National Park Service runs that tell portions of early-American history.

Luke Hopely has some tips for exploring the park:

• Begin your trip at the park’s visitor center. “Start at the visitor center and talk to a park ranger,” he said.
• “Independence Hall’s exclusiveness can be a problem sometimes,” he said. “Tickets are a dollar apiece … and, a lot of times, those tickets go really quickly.” You can get tickets at recreation.gov. Although, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Independence Hall is open house, so no ticket needed.
• “There’s also more to the story of the Park than just Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell,” Hopely said. One of his favorite but less-visited sites is Benjamin Franklin’s court site, which offers a glimpse into one of the most affluent early Americans.
• He also laid out his preferred route through the park, which you can see below.

Beyond Independence National Historical Park, some other noteworthy sites and museums in the area are:

• Carpenters’ Hall — This is where the first Continental Congress took place.
• Museum of the American Revolution — This museum gives one of the most in-depth looks at the period Independence National Historical Park gets most of its significance from.
• Christ Church of Philadelphia — This church, among other things, is the birthplace of the American Episcopal Church.
• Elfreth’s Alley — One of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in America, it offers a glimpse into the life of colonial America.

Editor’s Note: Nate Harrington’s WHYY News internship has been made possible thanks to the generous support from the Dow Jones News Fund O’Toole Family Foundation Internship.