Philadelphia - Photo Journal

The Assembly Room at Independence Hall

Both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were drafted at these tables.

I believe this may have been Ben Franklin's chair and desk?

Washington presided over the room up here.

Independence Hall (then known as the State House) was constructed between 1732 and 1753.

Most of the furniture in this room is not original, although the National Park Service used bills and receipts from both purchases and repairs from the era to recreate it.

This chair used by George Washington is one of the only original furnishings left in the room.

And that's the tour. Don't clap too hard, it's a very old building.

Leaving Independence Hall.

For lunch it could be nothing other than a Philadelphia cheese steak. Nothing beats cheap but good street food while traveling.

In the afternoon I participated in a walking tour by a company called "Free Tours by Foot". While technically free to take, the tour guides earn their money by tips at the end of the tour, making it more of a "pay what you want" model. What follows is a two hour walking tour of historic Philadelphia called Freedom Rings. I would recommend this company to anyone who visits Philly (or the other U.S. cities this company is based in).

This is known as the Independence House, which is a re-creation of the house where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

So says this plaque.

Independence House

Signer's Walk, sort of a Ye Olde Walke of Fame for American history.

Button Gwinnett, great name

Charles Carroll

John Hancock, today mostly famous for signing his name really big.

Benjamin Franklin, the real rock star on the walk

In Greek "Philadelphia" roughly translates to "City of Brotherly Love".

Welcome to Washington Square

Bicentennial Moon Tree... kinda cool.

I think this is a replacement for the original moon tree, as it would be much bigger if planted in 1975.

Fountain needs cleaning.

Flags in Washington Square

I believe these are a mix of early state/colony flags.

Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier

William Penn planned the city of Philadelphia to have a neatly organized grid infrastructure with several park spaces for the people to enjoy. Washington Square opened in 1682, then known as Southeast Square as George had yet to be born.

Modern Philadelphia glimpsed through the trees at Washington Square

More modern Philadelphia