Buildings and Structures in Independence National Historical Park: American Philosophical Society, Carpenters' Hall, City Tavern, Congress Hall, Dolle

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 26. Chapters: American Philosophical Society, Carpenters' Hall, City Tavern, Congress Hall, Dolley Todd House, Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, First Bank of the United States, Free Quaker Meetinghouse, Germantown White House, Independence Hall, Independence Mall (Philadelphia), Independence Visitor Center, Liberty Bell Pavilion, Merchants' Exchange Building (Philadelphia), National Constitution Center, Old City Hall (Philadelphia), President's House (Philadelphia), Second Bank of the United States, Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial. Excerpt: Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets. It is known primarily as the location where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted. The building was completed in 1753 as the colonial legislature (later Pennsylvania State House) for the Province of Pennsylvania. It became the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783 and was the site of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. The building is part of Independence National Historical Park and is listed as a World Heritage Site. By the spring of 1729 the citizens of Philadelphia were petitioning to be allowed to build a state house. Two thousand pounds were set aside for the endeavor. A committee was formed composed of Thomas Lawrence, Dr. John Kearsley, and Andrew Hamilton with the responsibility of selecting a site for construction, acquiring plans for the building, and contracting a company for the purpose of construction. Hamilton was, along with William Allen, named a trustee of the purchasing and building fund and authorized to buy the land that would be the site of the state house. By October 1730 they had begun purchasing lots on Chestnut Street. By 1732, even though Hamilton had acquired the deed for Lot no.1 from surveyor David Powell, who had been paid for his work with the lot, tensions were rising among the committee members. Dr. John Kearsley and Andrew Hamilton disagreed on a number of issues concerning the state house. Kearsley, who is credited with the designs of both Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, had plans for the structure of the building but so did Hamilton. There were also differences between the two men on where the site of the building would be; Kearsley suggested High Street, now Market Street, and Hamilton wanted the site to be on Chestnut Street. Lawrence said