View source for Independence National Historical Park

{{short description|National historic site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Independence National Historical Park
| image = Liberty Bell, 2016.jpg
| image_size = 
| alt = The [[Liberty Bell]] (foreground) and [[Independence Hall]] (background)
| caption = The [[Liberty Bell]] (foreground) and [[Independence Hall]] (background) at Independence National Historical Park
| location = 143 S. 3rd Street, [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| coordinates = {{coord|39.947778|-75.148056|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Philadelphia#Pennsylvania#USA
| architect = [[William Strickland (architect)|William Strickland]], et al.
| architecture = [[Colonial architecture|Colonial]], [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]], and [[Federal architecture|Federal]]
| area = {{convert|55.42|acre}}<ref name="BP">[http://www.nps.gov/inde/upload/business_plan.pdf Independence National Historical Park – Business Plan], ''National Park Service''.</ref>
| visitation_num = 3,572,770
| visitation_year = 2011
| governing_body = [[National Park Service]]
| designation1 = nhld
| designation1_date = October 15, 1966
| designation1_type = 
| designation1_number = 66000683<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>
| designation2 = NHP
| designation2_date = June 28, 1948
| website = {{URL|http://www.nps.gov/inde/|nps.gov}}
}}

'''Independence National Historical Park''' is a [[List of the United States National Park System official units|federally protected historic district]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] that preserves several sites associated with the [[American Revolution]] and the nation's founding history. Administered by the [[National Park Service]], the {{convert|55|acre|ha|adj=on}}<ref name="BP"/> park comprises many of Philadelphia's most-visited historic sites within the [[Old City, Philadelphia|Old City]] and [[Society Hill]] neighborhoods. The park has been nicknamed "America's most historic square mile" because of its abundance of historic landmarks.<ref>{{cite book |title=Cultural connections: museums and libraries of Philadelphia and the Delaware |last=Vogel |first=Morris |year=1991 |publisher=Temple University Press |isbn=978-0-87722-840-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/culturalconnecti00voge/page/202 202] |url=https://archive.org/details/culturalconnecti00voge |url-access=registration |access-date=April 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Philadelphia |last=Dunbar |first=Richard |year=1999 |publisher=Casa Editrice Bonechi |isbn=978-88-8029-926-4 |page=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8jbgYTpQcl4C&pg=PA10 |access-date=April 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Fodor's Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Dutch Country |author=Fodor's |year=2005 |edition=3rd |publisher=Random House Digital |isbn=1-4000-1567-7 |page=8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hUOHQF770PgC&pg=PA8 |access-date=April 8, 2011}}</ref>

The centerpiece of the park is [[Independence Hall]], where the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] and the [[United States Constitution]] were debated and adopted by America's [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]] in the late 18th century.<ref>{{cite book |title=Independence: the creation of a national park |last=Greiff |first=Constance M. |year=1987 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |location=Philadelphia |isbn=0-8122-8047-4 |page=113 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aqEQydqanhUC |access-date=June 11, 2011 |quote=...and at the park's centerpiece, Independence Hall.}}</ref> Independence Hall was the principal meetinghouse of the [[Second Continental Congress]] from 1775 to 1783 and the [[Constitutional Convention (United States)|Constitutional Convention]] in the summer of 1787.<ref>[http://www.historicphiladelphia.org/the-basics/independence-hall/  Independence Hall] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519114210/http://historicphiladelphia.org/the-basics/independence-hall/ |date=2011-05-19 }}, ''Historic Philadelphia''.</ref> Next to Independence Hall is [[Carpenters' Hall]], the 1774 meeting site for the [[First Continental Congress]], and [[Congress Hall]], the meeting place of the [[United States Congress]] in the 1790s prior to the establishment of [[Washington, D.C.]] as the nation's capital in 1800.

Across the street from Independence Hall is the [[Liberty Bell]], an iconic symbol of American independence, displayed in the Liberty Bell Center. The park contains other historic buildings, such as the [[First Bank of the United States]], the first bank chartered by the [[United States Congress]], and the [[Second Bank of the United States]], which had its charter renewal vetoed by President [[Andrew Jackson]] as part of the [[Bank War]].  The Park also contains [[City Tavern]], a recreated colonial tavern, which was a favorite of the delegates and which [[John Adams]] felt was the finest tavern in all America.<ref>Staib, Walter.  ''City Tavern Cookbook: 200 Years of Classic Recipes from America's First Gourmet Restaurant,'' p. 5, Running Press, Philadelphia, London, 1999.  {{ISBN|0-7624-0529-5}}.</ref><ref>Staib, Walter.  ''City Tavern Baking & Dessert Cookbook: 200 Years of Authentic American Recipes,'' pp. 9, 14, Running Press, Philadelphia, London, 2003. {{ISBN|0-7624-1554-1}}.</ref>

Most of the park's historic structures are located in the vicinity of the four landscaped blocks between Chestnut, Walnut, 2nd, and 6th streets. The park also contains [[Franklin Court]], the site where [[Benjamin Franklin]]'s home once stood and the present-day location of a Franklin museum and the [[United States Postal Service]] Museum (Franklin was the first Postmaster General of the revolutionary government). An additional three blocks directly north of Independence Hall, collectively known as Independence Mall, contain the Liberty Bell Center, [[National Constitution Center]], Independence Visitor Center, and the former site of the [[President's House (Philadelphia)|President's House]]. The park also contains other historical artifacts, such as the [[Syng inkstand]] which was used during the signings of both the Declaration and the Constitution.

==History==
===Continental Congress and American Revolution===
{{further|American Revolution}}
In response to the [[Intolerable Acts]], which had punished [[Boston]] for the [[Boston Tea Party]], the [[First Continental Congress]] met at [[Carpenters' Hall]] in [[Philadelphia]] from September 5, 1774, to October 26, 1774.<ref name="Declaration of Independence 1">{{cite book |title=The United States Declaration of Independence (Revisited) |last=Owensby |first=J. Jackson |year=2010 |publisher=A-Argus Books |isbn=978-0-9846195-4-2 |pages=348–349 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TZfDs_yJPYC |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

The convention organized a pact among the colonies to boycott British goods, the [[Continental Association]], starting December 1, 1774<ref name="Declaration of Independence 2">{{cite book |title=The United States Declaration of Independence (Revisited) |last=Owensby |first=J. Jackson |year=2010 |publisher=A-Argus Books |isbn=978-0-9846195-4-2 |page=374 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TZfDs_yJPYC |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref> and provided for a [[Second Continental Congress]] in Philadelphia.

On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress assembled at the  [[Independence Hall|Pennsylvania State House]] after the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]] marked the beginning of the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref name="Declaration of Independence 3">{{cite book |title=The United States Declaration of Independence (Revisited) |last=Owensby |first=J. Jackson |year=2010 |publisher=A-Argus Books |isbn=978-0-9846195-4-2 |page=451 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TZfDs_yJPYC |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref> Congress adopted the [[Olive Branch Petition]] in July 1775, which affirmed American loyalty to Great Britain and entreated [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]] to prevent further conflict.<ref name="Declaration of Independence 4">{{cite book |title=The United States Declaration of Independence (Revisited) |last=Owensby |first=J. Jackson |year=2010 |publisher=A-Argus Books |isbn=978-0-9846195-4-2 |page=459 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TZfDs_yJPYC |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

The petition was rejected in August 1775, the King's [[Proclamation of Rebellion]] formally declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion.<ref name="Declaration of Independence 5">{{cite book |title=The United States Declaration of Independence (Revisited) |last=Owensby |first=J. Jackson |year=2010 |publisher=A-Argus Books |isbn=978-0-9846195-4-2 |page=465 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TZfDs_yJPYC |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

In February 1776, colonists received news that Parliament passed the [[Prohibitory Act]], which established a blockade of American ports and declared American ships to be enemy vessels.<ref>[http://www.masshist.org/revolution/congress2.php The Second Continental Congress], ''Massachusetts Historical Society''.</ref> Although the measure amounted to a virtual declaration of war by the British,<ref name="Making America">{{cite book |title=Making America: A History of the United States |last1=Berkin |first1=Carol |last2=Miller |first2=Christopher |last3=Cherny |first3=Robert |last4=Gormly |first4=James |last5=Egerton |first5=Douglas |last6=Woestman |first6=Kelly |year=2010 |publisher=Cengage Learning |location=Stamford, CT |isbn=978-0-618-47139-3 |page=117 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_7YeBPdFAAkC |access-date=May 28, 2011 |quote=For all intents and purposes, King George III declared war on his colonies before the colonies declared war on their king.}}</ref> Congress did not have immediate authority to declare independence until each individual colony authorized its delegates to vote for independence.<ref>[http://www.mutualist.org/id21.html Chapter 1: The Original Source of Sovereignty], ''Mutualist.Org''.</ref>

On June 11, the Second Continental Congress appointed the [[Committee of Five]], which included [[John Adams]] of Massachusetts, [[Benjamin Franklin]] of Pennsylvania, [[Thomas Jefferson]] of Virginia, [[Robert R. Livingston (1746-1813)|Robert R. Livingston]] of New York, and [[Roger Sherman]] of Connecticut, to draft an official [[United States Declaration of Independence|declaration of independence]].<ref name="Dunnell">{{Cite book | title = American Greatness | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0qWy2hn_274C | year = 2008 | author = Dunnell, John Peter | publisher=Xlibris | isbn = 978-1-4363-6931-2 | access-date = 2011-05-28}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=December 2017}} Congress unanimously adopted its final version of the Declaration on July 4, marking the formation of the [[United States|United States of America]].<ref name="Declaration of Independence 6">{{cite book |title=The United States Declaration of Independence (Revisited) |last=Owensby |first=J. Jackson |year=2010 |publisher=A-Argus Books |isbn=978-0-9846195-4-2 |page=557 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TZfDs_yJPYC |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref> Historians believe that the Old State House Bell, now known as the [[Liberty Bell]], was one of the bells rung to mark the reading of the Declaration on July 8.<ref>[http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/ The Liberty Bell] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704163228/http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/ |date=2015-07-04 }} ''Independence Hall Association''.</ref>

===Philadelphia Convention===
{{further|Constitutional Convention (United States)|l1=Philadelphia Convention}}
[[File:Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States.jpg|thumb|''[[Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States]]'', a 1940 portrait by [[Howard Chandler Christy]]]]
After 1781, the national government operated under the [[Articles of Confederation]], which gave the federal government virtually no power to regulate domestic affairs or raise revenue.<ref>[http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/convention1787.html The Constitutional Convention of 1787], University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.</ref> At the [[Annapolis Convention (1786)|Annapolis Convention]] in September 1786, the delegates asked for a broader meeting to be held the next May in Philadelphia to address the regulation of trade and the structure of the government.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Story of the Constitution |last1=Bloom |first1=Sol |last2=Johnson |first2=Lars |year=2001 |publisher=Christian Liberty Press |location=Arlington Heights, IL |isbn=1-930367-56-2 |page=40 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IbU6ktgXWUC |access-date=May 29, 2011}}</ref> This resulted in the [[Constitutional Convention (United States)|Philadelphia Convention]], which met from May 14 to September 17, 1787, at the Pennsylvania State House.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Story of the Constitution |last1=Bloom |first1=Sol |last2=Johnson |first2=Lars |year=2001 |publisher=Christian Liberty Press |location=Arlington Heights, IL |isbn=1-930367-56-2 |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IbU6ktgXWUC |access-date=May 29, 2011}}</ref>

The convention was dominated by controversies and conflicting interests, but the delegates forged a Constitution that has been called a "bundle of compromises".<ref>{{cite book |title=The Story of the Constitution |last1=Bloom |first1=Sol |last2=Johnson |first2=Lars |year=2001 |publisher=Christian Liberty Press |location=Arlington Heights, IL |isbn=1-930367-56-2 |page=55 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IbU6ktgXWUC |access-date=May 29, 2011}}</ref> At the convention, delegate [[James Madison]] presented the [[Virginia Plan]], which proposed a national government with [[Separation of powers|three branches]] with [[proportional representation]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Story of the Constitution |last1=Bloom |first1=Sol |last2=Johnson |first2=Lars |year=2001 |publisher=Christian Liberty Press |location=Arlington Heights, IL |isbn=1-930367-56-2 |pages=56–57 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IbU6ktgXWUC |access-date=May 29, 2011}}</ref> Large states supported this plan, but smaller states feared losing substantial power under the plan. In response, [[William Paterson (judge)|William Paterson]] designed the [[New Jersey Plan]], which proposed a one-house ([[unicameralism|unicameral]]) legislature in which each state, regardless of size, would have one vote, as under the Articles of Confederation.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Story of the Constitution |last1=Bloom |first1=Sol |last2=Johnson |first2=Lars |year=2001 |publisher=Christian Liberty Press |location=Arlington Heights, IL |isbn=1-930367-56-2 |pages=57–58 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IbU6ktgXWUC |access-date=May 29, 2011}}</ref> [[Roger Sherman]] combined the two plans with the [[Connecticut Compromise]], and his measure passed on July 16, 1787, by seven to six—a margin of one vote.<ref>[https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/common/generic/Connecticut_Compromise_Unveiling.htm Connecticut Compromise Mural], ''United States Senate''.</ref> Other contentious issues were slavery and the federal regulation of commerce, which resulted in additional compromises.

===Seat of the federal government===
[[File:PhiladelphiaPresidentsHouse.jpg|thumb|The [[President's House (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)|President's House]], which served as the presidential mansion of [[George Washington]], the nation's first [[President of the United States|president]], from 1790 to 1797, and then for [[John Adams]], the nation's second president, from 1797–1800]]
The [[Residence Act|Residence Act of 1790]] empowered President [[George Washington]] to locate a permanent capital along the [[Potomac River]]. [[Robert Morris (financier)|Robert Morris]], a representative from Pennsylvania, convinced Congress to designate Philadelphia as the temporary capital city of the [[United States federal government]].<ref name="IHA FAQ">[http://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/history/faq.htm Frequently Asked Questions], ''Independence Hall Association''.</ref> From December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800, the same [[city block|block]] hosted federal, state, county, and city government offices.<ref>[http://www.frommers.com/destinations/philadelphia/0023020033.html Historic Highlights & Society Hill], ''Wiley Publishing''.</ref> [[Congress Hall]], which was originally built to serve as the Philadelphia County Courthouse, served as the seat of the [[United States Congress]].<ref name="Congress Hall">[http://www.ushistory.org/tour/congress-hall.htm Congress Hall], ''Independence Hall Association''.</ref> The [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] convened on the first floor and the [[United States Senate|Senate]] convened on the second floor. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United States, the country admitted three new states: Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee; ratified the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution; and oversaw the Presidential inaugurations of both George Washington (his second) and John Adams.<ref name="Congress Hall"/> The [[President's House (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)|President's House]] served as the [[official residence]] and principal workplace for [[President of the United States|President]] [[George Washington]] during his two terms, and President [[John Adams]] occupied it from March 1797 to May 1800.<ref name="President's House">[http://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/ President's House], ''Independence Hall Association''.</ref> At the house, the [[Fugitive Slave Act of 1793]] and the [[Alien and Sedition Acts]] were signed.<ref name="President's House"/> The Supreme Court met at [[Old City Hall (Philadelphia)|Old City Hall]], where [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justices]] [[John Jay]], [[John Rutledge]], and [[Oliver Ellsworth]] presided over eleven [[Docket (court)|docketed]] cases.<ref>[http://www.ushistory.org/tour/old-city-hall.htm Old City Hall], ''Independence Hall Association''.</ref>

While plans for the permanent capital were being developed, Pennsylvania delegates continued to put forth effort to undermine the plan. The city began construction on a massive new [[President's House (Ninth Street)|presidential palace]] on Ninth Street and an expansion to [[Congress Hall]].<ref name="IHA FAQ"/> Regardless of these efforts, the federal government relocated from Philadelphia for the final time on May 14, 1800.

===Usage as a municipal facility===
[[File:Independence_Hall,_2016_2.jpg|thumb|Independence Hall, the iconic [[Philadelphia]] building where the [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]] unanimously adopted the [[United States Declaration of Independence|U.S. Declaration of Independence]] and appointed [[George Washington]] as commander of the [[Continental Army]] in a bold but risky effort to secure independence from [[British colonization of the Americas|Britain's colonial governance]]]]
Despite its crucial role in the nation's founding, the site served most of its useful life as a municipal facility after the federal government relocated to the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]].<ref name="Framing Independence">[http://designobserver.com/media/pdf/Framing_Indepe_323.pdf Framing Independence Mall] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723025202/http://designobserver.com/media/pdf/Framing_Indepe_323.pdf |date=2011-07-23 }}</ref> The state government moved to [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]] in October 1812, and since there was little use for the [[Independence Hall|Pennsylvania State House]], the State of Pennsylvania considered selling it and dividing the State House Yard into building lots as early as 1802.

The state came close to demolishing the hall in 1816.<ref>[http://www.ushistory.org/independencehall/info/faqs.htm Frequently Asked Questions], ''Independence Hall Association''.</ref> By 1818, the buildings had become surplus state property and were purchased by the City of Philadelphia, which used them uneventfully until late in the nineteenth century when the city government moved into a [[Philadelphia City Hall|new city hall]].<ref name="Framing Independence"/> In 1852, the Liberty Bell was removed from its steeple and put on public display within the "Declaration Chamber" of Independence Hall. Between 1885 and 1915, the Liberty Bell made seven trips by train to various expositions and celebrations until the city refused further requests.<ref>[http://www.independenceparkinstitute.com/The%20Liberty%20Bell%20Teacher%20Guide%2011-6-07.pdf The Liberty Bell: A Symbol for "We the People"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724102433/http://www.independenceparkinstitute.com/The%20Liberty%20Bell%20Teacher%20Guide%2011-6-07.pdf |date=July 24, 2011 }}, ''National Park Service''. p. 12.</ref>

==Park history==
The district's importance had waned with the western movement of City Hall and other institutions, but it remained an active and occupied business center.<ref name="Creation of INHP">{{cite book |title=The creation of Independence National Historical Park and Independence Mall |last=Cook |first=Kathleen Kurtz |year=1989 |publisher=Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania |location=Philadelphia |ol=23291672M }}</ref> The first proposal for an Independence Hall park originated in 1915, when architects Albert Kelsey and D. Knickerbacker Boyd proposed clearing the half-block between Chestnut Street and Ludlow Street in front of Independence Hall.<ref name="Framing Independence"/> Kelsey and Boyd were motivated by a desire to create a fitting setting for Independence Hall, lessen the fire hazard, reduce congestion, and beautify the entire district.<ref name="Framing Independence"/> The idea for a park gained momentum in the 1920s and 1930s, with patriotic sentiment accompanying the American Sesqui-Centennial in 1926.<ref name="Creation of INHP"/> The commencement of World War II led to a heightened sense of patriotism and urgency toward the protection of national monuments.<ref name="Framing Independence"/>

On June 28, 1948, Congress passed Public Law 795, H.R. 5053 to authorize the creation of Independence National Historical Park,<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/inde/inde_interpretive_plan.pdf Independence National Historical Park - Long-Range Interpretive Plan], ''National Park Service''.</ref> and it was formally established on July 4, 1956. On March 16, 1959, it incorporated the ''Old Philadelphia Customs House'' ([[Second Bank of the United States]]), which had been designated a national historic site on May 26, 1939. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the park was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on October 15, 1966. In 1973, the Pennsylvania legislature voted to transfer the three blocks that compose Independence Mall to the federal government. Independence Hall was designated a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] on October 24, 1979.

The [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]] Northeast Region Office is in the U.S. Custom House.<ref>"[http://www.bop.gov/locations/regional_offices/nero/ Northeast Regional Office]." [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]]. Retrieved on June 9, 2015. "U.S. CUSTOM HOUSE, 7TH FLOOR PHILADELPHIA, PA  19106"</ref>

==Management==
[[File:Carpenters'_Hall,_Philadelphia,_USA,_May_2015.jpg|thumb|[[Carpenters' Hall]]]]
[[File:Independence_Visitor_Center_Exterior.jpg|thumb|Exterior view of the Visitor Center]]
The [[National Park Service]], a federal agency within the [[Department of the Interior]], is responsible for the park's maintenance and preservation. In the 2003 [[fiscal year]], the National Park Service spent approximately [[United States dollar|US$]]30.7 million on the park. Personnel and benefit costs represented about 41 percent of expenditures, and non-recurring construction and investment projects represented about 25 percent of expenditures. The Independence Visitor Center is operated as a joint venture between Independence National Historical Park and the Independence Visitor Center Corporation, a nonprofit organization. The National Park Service employs 247 permanent employees and seven seasonal employees. The park's cultural resource management program protects the historic buildings, archaeological sites, and cultural landscapes within the park, and approximately 1.5 million artifacts within the park. In 2003, the park's major projects primarily addressed repair and rehabilitation of park buildings and grounds.<ref name="BP" />

The Independence Visitor Center has information on Independence National Historical Park, the City of Philadelphia, the [[South Jersey]] and [[Delaware River]] waterfront, and the surround Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Welcome to the Independence Visitor Center|url=https://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=www.phlvisitorcenter.com}}</ref> The {{convert|50000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} building was constructed in 2001 as the result of a cooperative effort among many area organizations, with funding from [[The Pew Charitable Trusts]], the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the [[Delaware River Port Authority]], the [[Annenberg Foundation]], the [[Connelly Foundation]], and the [[John S. and James L. Knight Foundation]].

==Independence Mall==
[[File:Philadelphia_Independence_Mall.jpg|thumb|Independence Mall, which faces Independence Hall]]
Independence Mall is the main three-block section of Independence National Historical Park. It lies directly north of [[Independence Hall]] and is bounded by Chestnut, Race, 5th and 6th Streets.

Buildings and structures on the Mall include the [[National Constitution Center]] (north 3rd block); the Independence Visitor Center and the [[Free Quaker Meetinghouse]] (middle 2nd Block); and the [[President's House (Philadelphia)|President's House Memorial]] and the [[Liberty Bell#Liberty Bell Center|Liberty Bell Center]] (south 1st Block). A multi-level underground parking garage lies beneath much of the Second Block, and a small open-air café opened on the east side of the block in 2008.<ref>Inga Saffron, [https://web.archive.org/web/20131020163403/http://articles.philly.com/2008-07-04/news/24997689_1_pavilions-cafes-structures "Changing skyline: Adding coffee to the culture,"] ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', July 4, 2008.</ref> Public restrooms and the "Peoples' Plaza" (First Amendment Area) are located on the First Block.<ref name="peoplesplaza">{{cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=People's Plaza|url=http://www.ushistory.org/tour/peoples-plaza.htm|access-date=2015-06-24|website=UShistory.org|quote='People's Plaza features the First Amendment, and provides electricity and other needs for groups to use the space for public assembly.'}}</ref>

Buildings surrounding the Mall include [[Congress Hall]], Independence Hall, and [[Old City Hall (Philadelphia)|Old City Hall]] to the south; the [[Philadelphia Bourse]], the [[National Museum of American Jewish History]], [[Christ Church Burial Ground]], and the [[Philadelphia Mint]] to the east; the approach to the [[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]] to the north; and [[WHYY-TV]], the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia]], the [[James A. Byrne Courthouse|James A. Byrne Federal Courthouse]] (which houses the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit]] and the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania]]), and the [[Rohm and Haas|Rohm & Haas Building]] to the west.

=== Conception ===
[[File:Independence_Mall_1952_NPS_photo.jpg|thumb|Independence Hall and the newly demolished first block of Independence Mall in 1952]]
The groundwork for a park area surrounding [[Independence Hall]] was laid when the [[Historic Sites Act]] of 1935 was adopted.  Even before Independence Hall was officially named a [[National Historic Site (United States)|National Historic Site]] in 1943,<ref name="teachingamericanhistory">{{cite web|title=Independence Hall|url=http://teachingamericanhistory.org/static/convention/map/independencehall.html|access-date=June 22, 2015|work=TeachingAmericanHistory.org}}</ref> Architect Roy F. Larson developed the original concept for the site now known as Independence Mall in 1937.  His concept called for a 5-block mall extending from Chestnut to Callowhill Streets, and incorporating the approaches to the [[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]].<ref name="brynmawr">{{cite web|title=Summary of INHP and Independence Mall Evolution|url=http://www.brynmawr.edu/iconog/uphp/indnoll2/linked%20pages/INHP%20HISTORY.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128184221/http://www.brynmawr.edu/iconog/uphp/indnoll2/linked%20pages/INHP%20HISTORY.htm|archive-date=November 28, 2012|access-date=June 24, 2015|work=Bryn Mawr College}}</ref> and was strongly backed by the [[Independence Hall Association]] and its president, Judge Edwin O. Lewis. In 1947, as a national park was being assembled around Independence Hall, Lewis advocated that the federal government purchase the three blocks north of the historic building for the park. The NPS was only interested in purchasing the First Block{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}. His plan rejected, Lewis took the idea of a three-block mall to the [[Pennsylvania General Assembly]], convincing legislators to build it as a state park and a monument to Pennsylvanians who had died in [[World War II]], a concept that was never fully realized.

Independence Mall State Park was created in the 1950s with the intention that the land would eventually be turned over to the NPS. Funded by 40-year state bonds, its construction was a joint venture between Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia and was overseen by [[Edmund Bacon (architect)|Edmund Bacon]], director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Many buildings were purchased and demolished for the project, most of which were late nineteenth-century buildings that replaced earlier buildings destroyed by fire in 1851 and 1855. Proponents of the mall thought these buildings were eyesores because of their contrast with the historic nature of the area.<ref name="Mires">Mires, Charlene. [https://books.google.com/books?id=hVCqiFIOGsIC&pg=PA218 ''Independence Hall in American Memory''], 2002, p. 218.</ref>  Among these were the surviving walls of the [[President's House (Philadelphia)|President's House]] – the residence of George Washington and John Adams during the decade (1790–1800) that Philadelphia served as the temporary national capital.

By 1959, the only building not demolished was the [[Free Quaker Meetinghouse]] at the southwest corner of 5th & Arch Streets. The building had been used as a warehouse for plumbing supplies before its restoration as part of the project.<ref>[http://www.ushistory.org/oddities/dedication.htm Dedication Stone of the Free Quaker Meeting House], ''ushistory.org''.</ref> In 1961, the building was moved 38 feet west and 8 feet south to its present location to allow for the widening of Fifth Street.<ref>[http://www.freequakers.org/meeting-house.aspx Meeting House] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005010021/http://www.freequakers.org/meeting-house.aspx |date=October 5, 2010 }}, ''Free Quakers''.</ref> The original approved designs for the Mall were created without involvement from the National Park Service.<ref name="brynmawr" /> As plans emerged, retailers on Market Street resisted, arguing that the demolition was out-of-scale with the comparatively small landmark at its southern end.<ref name="Mires" />

The first block closest to Independence Mall was completed in 1954.  The design for the first block was developed by Wheelwright, Stevenson and Langren, a Philadelphia landscape architecture firm. By their design, the block featured a central lawn surrounded by terraces, walkways and a formal allée of trees.<ref name="clfindependence">{{cite web|title=Independence Mall|url=https://tclf.org/landscapes/independence-mall|access-date=June 24, 2015|work=The Cultural Landscape Foundation}}</ref> The next block would have featured a central fountain and a square reflecting pool, surrounded by terraces and two brick arcades to mimic the first block.

The northernmost block was designed by [[Dan Kiley]], a [[Landscape architecture|landscape architect]] influential in the modernist style.  His 1963 plan was designed based on Philadelphia's original five-city-square layout.  Each square was represented by fountains placed in scale to the Center City map.  Surrounding the fountains was a regularly spaced array of 700 honey locust trees planted 12'-6" by 18' on-center within a brick paved plaza.  The trees ultimately failed due to the tight spacing and urban environment; many were removed, degrading the overall design intent.<ref name="clfindependence" />

=== National Park Service Takeover ===
[[File:ARCH_STREET_STUDY_-_503-527_Arch_Street_(Houses),_Philadelphia,_Philadelphia_County,_PA_HABS_PA,51-PHILA,466-2.tif|thumb|Independence Mall, {{Circa|1959}}, with the first block (foreground) is completed, and one-third of the second block completed, from [[Market Street (Philadelphia)|Market]] to Filbert Streets, and named the "Judge Lewis Quadrangle." The other two-thirds, Filbert to [[Arch Street (Philadelphia)|Arch Street]], will become the underground parking garage, with a plaza above. The buildings on the third block have not yet been demolished.]]
Concurrent with construction activities the Independence National Historical Park was created through an [[Act of Congress]] on June 28, 1948.<ref name="brynmawr" /> When it was formally established and first opened to the public on July 4, 1956,<ref name="brynmawr" /> the National Historical Park did not include any portion of the Mall.  In 1972, the Mall was donated to the NPS and the boundary for the INHP was redefined.<ref name="revisit">{{cite web|title=A Short History of Independence Hall Mall|url=http://www.revisitproducts.com/blogs/park-independence/14852677-10-a-short-history-of-the-independence-hall-mall|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624124540/http://www.revisitproducts.com/blogs/park-independence/14852677-10-a-short-history-of-the-independence-hall-mall|archive-date=June 24, 2015|access-date=June 23, 2015|work=Revisit Products Blog}}</ref> In 1974, ownership and operation of the entire Mall was officially transferred to the [[National Park Service]].<ref name="clfindependence" />

Prior to 1976, the [[Liberty Bell]] was housed within Independence Hall.  In preparation for the Bicentennial celebration, the National Historical Park Advisory Committee made a proposal to have the Liberty Bell relocated outside of Independence Hall as the building was not able to accommodate the millions of visitors expected.  The initial plan of 1972 to relocate the Liberty Bell to South Third Street and Chestnut, two blocks east, was met with resistance from residents of the city.  An alternate plan was suggested in 1973 to construct a smaller pavilion north of Independence Hall between Race and Arch Streets, but that plan was also met with resistance.  Mayor [[Frank Rizzo]] then suggested that the pavilion be placed in the block immediately north of the famous building.  It was this later idea that prevailed and the plans were drafted to construct the new glass and steel pavilion at the north end of the first block of Independence Mall near Market Street.  Designed by [[Romaldo Giurgola]] in 1974, ground breaking for construction occurred early in 1975.  Later the same year, the glass [[Liberty Bell Pavilion]] was completed. The bell was relocated as part of the New Year's Eve celebration and the Pavilion first opened to the public on January 1, 1976, at 12:01&nbsp;am.<ref name="greiff">{{cite book|last=Greiff|first=Constance M.|title=Independence: The Creation of a National Park|date=1987|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0812280470|location=Philadelphia|pages=208–214}} Greiff, pp. 208–14.</ref> This was the official home of the Liberty Bell until October 9, 2003.<ref name="Medina">{{cite news|last=Medina|first=Regina|date=November 15, 2005|title=Historic Changes to Independence Mall|newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|url=http://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/news/dn111505.htm|access-date=2015-06-24}}</ref>

=== Renovations ===
[[File:Independence-park-map.jpg|thumb|Independence Mall]]
In 1997, the NPS announced a plan to redesign Independence Mall, developed by the landscape architecture firm [[OLIN|Olin Partnership]].<ref name="clfindependence" /> As part of the plan, several new public buildings were constructed. The extensive redesign proposed the removal of all previous structures, except the [[Free Quaker Meetinghouse]].  It proposed to focus all of the proposed buildings along 6th Street at the western edge of the park with smaller pocket parks along 5th Street to the east.  The smaller parks along the eastern edge, some of which were raised above the central lawn, would provide more intimate gathering and sitting areas with extensive trees and other landscaping.  Several straight brick pathways carved each of the lawn areas within each block including two lateral cuts through the first block corresponding to Ranstead Street and Ludlow Street to the east of the park.

The Independence Visitors Center opened in November 2001, the National Constitution Center opened in July 2003, and the Liberty Bell was moved into the [[Liberty Bell Center]] in October 2003. The Liberty Bell Pavilion was demolished in 2006. Exhibits include coverage of slavery in US history and its abolition.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/inde/parkmgmt/upload/LRIP-2110_INDELRIP_Rev12-13-07.pdf Independence National Historical Park - Long-Range Interpretive Plan], ''National Park Service''.</ref><ref>[http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/ The Liberty Bell] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704163228/http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/|date=2015-07-04}}, ''ushistory.org''.</ref> A memorial at the corner of 6th and Market Streets outlines the site of the former President's House and commemorates the slaves who worked there, with foundations visible below ground.

In January 2024, the NPS announced a large suite of renovations planned to be completed by 2026, when the park and the city of [[Philadelphia]] expect an influx of visitors to celebrate the 250th birthday of the [[United States]].<ref name="RenovationInquirer-2024-01-23">{{cite web |url=https://www.inquirer.com/history/inq2/philadelphia-independence-national-historical-park-first-bank-2026-semiquincentennial-20240123.html |title=A Much-Needed Makeover: How Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park is getting ready for America’s 250th birthday. |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |last=Kummer |first=Frank |date=2024-01-23 |access-date = 2024-01-23}}</ref> While the park's annual budget is approximately $27 million, more than $85 million is earmarked to begin tackling the maintenance backlog in 2024 alone. The scope of the renovations is extensive, covering buildings and grounds across the entirety of the park site. Work includes both "mundane" yet "necessary" projects, such as replacing leaking roofs and outdated HVAC systems, as well as projects with more "pizzazz," such as the installation of a new public square and an overhaul of how the park will now tell a "broader story of the nation's founding."<ref name="RenovationInquirer-2024-01-23"/> The designated "major" projects include renovating the [[First Bank of the United States]], the [[Declaration House]], [[Welcome Park]], the [[Bicentennial Bell]], [[Carpenters' Hall]], and the West Wing of [[Independence Hall]].<ref name="RenovationInquirer-2024-01-23"/>

==Other park sites==
[[File:Map of the Independence National Historic Park (as of 2024-01-23).png|thumb|Map of Independence National Historic Park in January 2024<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/maps.htm |access-date=2024-01-23 |title=Maps |website=U.S. National Park Service}}</ref>]]
[[File:Syng inkstand.jpg|thumb|The [[Syng inkstand]], used during the signings of both the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] and the [[United States Constitution|U.S. Constitution]], is exhibited in the park]]
[[File:Independence_National_Historical_Park_(NPS).jpg|thumb|A statue of [[John Barry (naval officer)|John Barry]] in Independence Square]]
Independence National Historical Park includes:
* [[William White (Bishop of Pennsylvania)|Bishop White]] House
* [[Carpenters' Hall]]
* [[Christ Church, Philadelphia|Christ Church]]
* [[City Tavern]]
* [[Congress Hall]]
* Declaration (Jacob Graff) House
* [[Dolley Todd House]]
* [[Franklin Court]] and Benjamin Franklin Museum
* [[First Bank of the United States]]
* [[Free Quaker Meetinghouse|Free Quaker Meeting House]]
* [[Independence Hall]]
* [[Independence Visitor Center]]
* [[Liberty Bell#Liberty Bell Center|Liberty Bell Center]]
* [[Merchants' Exchange Building (Philadelphia)|Merchants' Exchange Building]]
* [[Mikveh Israel Cemetery]]
* New Hall Military Museum
* [[Old City Hall (Philadelphia)|Old City Hall]], meeting place of the Supreme Court
* [[President's House (Philadelphia)|President's House]]
* [[Second Bank of the United States]]
* [[Thomas Bond House]]
* [[Washington Square (Philadelphia)|Washington Square]] and the [[Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier]]
* [[Welcome Park]]

Other NPS sites associated with Independence NHP but not located within its boundaries include:
* [[Benjamin Franklin National Memorial]]
* [[Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site]]
* [[Deshler-Morris House|Germantown White House (formerly the Deshler-Morris House)]]
* [[Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church National Historic Site]]
* [[Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial]]

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
File:Free Quaker Meeting House from northeast.jpg|[[Free Quaker Meetinghouse]]
File:Independence National Historical Park satellite image.jpg|Independence Mall in 2002, during reconstruction
File:2012-07 Independence National Historical Park 06.JPG|[[Independence Visitor Center]], opened 2001
File:NationalConstitutionCenterPH.jpg|[[National Constitution Center]], opened 2003
File:Liberty Bell from Independence Hall window.jpg|Liberty Bell Center, opened 2003
File:Independence Mall 2004 cropped more.jpg|Independence Hall and Independence Mall, 2004
File:2012-07 Independence National Historical Park 07.JPG|President's House Memorial, opened 2010
File:Philadelphia Peoples Plaza.jpg|People's Plaza
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Philadelphia}}
*[[List of parks in Philadelphia]]
*[[Museum of the American Revolution]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==References==
* ''The National Parks: Index 2001–2003''. Washington: [[United States Department of the Interior|U.S. Department of the Interior]].

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.nps.gov/inde/ National Park Service: Independence National Historical Park]
*[[Historic American Buildings Survey]] (HABS) documentation, filed under Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA:
**{{HABS |survey=PA-1951 |id=pa1316 |title=Independence National Historical Park, Walnut, Sixth, Chestnut, and Second Streets |photos=18 |cap=2 |link=no}}
**{{HABS |survey=PA-6712 |id=pa4007 |title=Liberty Bell Center, Market Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets |photos=17 |cap=2 |link=no}}
**{{HABS |survey=PA-6801 |id=pa4188 |title=Independence Visitor Center, 101 South Third Street |photos=5 |cap=1 |link=no}}
*[http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/132independence/132independence.htm ''Independence Hall: International Symbol of Freedom,'' a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan]
*[http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/36liberty/36liberty.htm ''The Liberty Bell: From Obscurity to Icon,'' a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan]
*[http://www.nps.gov/history/history/park_histories/index.htm#inde NPS History E-Library, Independence NHP]
*[http://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/upload/INDEmap1.pdf Map of Independence NHP area, NPS.gov (pdf)<!--Map of area in relation to Philadelphia: http://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/sites/default/files/IVCC_Rack%20Brochure.pdf -->]

{{National Historical Parks of the United States}}
{{Registered Historic Places}}
{{Museums in Pennsylvania}}
{{Protected areas of Pennsylvania}}
{{Philadelphia parks}}
{{Philadelphia}}
{{National Park Travelers Club Conventions}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Independence National Historical Park| ]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:American Revolutionary War sites]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Arch Street]]
[[Category:American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places]]
[[Category:American Revolutionary War museums in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Historic districts in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:History museums in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Museums in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:National historical parks of the United States]]
[[Category:National Park Service areas in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Old City, Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Parks in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1956]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area]]
[[Category:Walnut Street (Philadelphia)]]