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Historic Attractions
America's most historic square mile and a lot more
William Penn’s legacy is evident throughout the region. Philadelphia’s historic city plan is one of his most enduring contributions. Walking around the streets and squares is a visual and educational treat, with architectural landmarks from every period and historical markers that tell the stories of significant people, places and events. In Bucks County, Pennsbury Manor recreates the life and times of Pennsylvania’s founder. His commitment to religious tolerance, democratic government, and peaceful relations with Native Americans was remarkable for its time and still inspires us today.
Before he became the best-known American in the world, Benjamin Franklin had established himself as the leader of Philadelphia’s economic, intellectual and political life. At Franklin Court and the Franklin Print Shop, visitors can see exhibits and artifacts associated with this unique individual. Throughout the city, Franklin established important institutions that thrive today including the University of Pennsylvania, The Library Company of Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society, and Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital chartered in the United States.
Independence National Historical Park tells the story of America’s political heritage. From Carpenters Hall, site of the first Continental Congress, to Congress Hall, home of the United States Congress, the amazing saga of creating a new national government is told through exhibitions, tours and an exciting sound and light program called the Lights of Liberty Show. The spectacular, new National Constitution Center gives an in-depth look at the major issues and principles of our democratic experiment. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are at the heart of the historical park. Join citizens from around the world in the presence of these unique symbols of America, where the meaning of freedom, justice, and opportunity becomes tangible and real.
The military struggle to achieve America’s independence took place throughout this region. Washington Crossing Historic Park tells the story of George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day, 1776, and his dramatic victory over the British. The British counterattack and their occupation of Philadelphia is the subject of several historic sites. On September 11, 1777, Washington endured his greatest defeat in the Battle of Brandywine, and he later failed to dislodge the enemy in the Battle of Germantown (Cliveden). Only the defense of Fort Mifflin and Washington’s retreat to Valley Forge in December, 1777, saved the American army. Their perseverance during that bitter winter, a strategic alliance with France, and Washington’s courageous leadership finally led to triumph at Yorktown in 1781.
Throughout the region are reminders of the ongoing commitment to fulfill the principles and ideals of the American Revolution. The Johnson House in Germantown tells the powerful story of the opposition to slavery and the stirring efforts of African-Americans, Quakers, and other conductors on the “underground railroad.” The monumental Eastern State Penitentiary, founded by the Pennsylvania Prison Society in 1829, was a bold and innovative departure in criminal justice which emphasized solitary confinement, repentance and rehabilitation of prisoners. In Chester County, the historic college campuses of Lincoln University and Cheyney State University are significant landmarks of the education of African-Americans.
America’s industrial and transportation revolutions began in this region in the 18th century. At places like Hopewell Furnace in Chester County and Rittenhouse Town in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the manufacture of iron, paper and other basic products provided a framework for the economic independence of fledgling nation. An elaborate system of canals and railroads connected Philadelphia to raw materials and resources from Pennsylvania’s rich farms and mines. The Delaware Canal from Easton to Bristol, completed in 1832, was a great engineering feat that featured 23 lift locks and nine aqueducts.
Perhaps the region’s greatest monument to both art and engineering is Philadelphia’s Fairmount Waterworks. The five-acre site acquired for this complex in 1812 became the nucleus of the 8,900 acres that now comprise Fairmount Park, one of the largest city park in the world, home to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Zoo, and eight country estates. For over a century, the Waterworks housed the machinery that provided a continuous supply of potable water to a growing city. The functional purpose of this site is in harmony with its magnificent location along the Schuylkill River, and a restored Water Works will soon open as a restaurant, entertainment venue and The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center.
The list of historic attractions in Philadelphia and The Countryside spans the centuries and covers every theme in American history. A visitor to the region is sure to come away with an understanding of the value and meaning of this history and with a greater appreciation of the purpose and promise of a great nation.
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