Philadelphia City Hall

Centered in downtown Philadelphia is the nation’s largest municipal building, serving the city’s government for over 100 years. This historic building is situated in the geographical center of William Penn’s original 1682 plans for the city. At 548 feet, including the statue of city founder William Penn topping the clock tower, it was the tallest building in the world from 1894 to 1908.

1 Penn Square Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Architecture Style French Second Empire Elaborate Victorian style, also referred to as French Renaissance

Prominent Architecture Features  Square building arranged around a central courtyard  Turreted courtyard stair towers  Slate mansard roof with dormer windows  Paired columns (spanning several floors)  Integration of 250 sculptures  Grand staircases - north & south portals

Facade Walls of brick & assembled masonry White marble and light gray granite

City Hall Observation Deck Directly below the base of William Penn statue

548 Foot Clock Tower  4 Clocks - 26 feet in diameter  3-ton bronze eagle with 12-foot wingspan perched above each clock  Supporting walls - 22 feet thick

Bronze Statue - Top of Building 37 feet (11 meters) | 27 tons William Penn - City of Philadelphia founder

PROJECT SUMMARY

Project Description City Hall was built on the area designated by William Penn as the center of Philadelphia, Center Square. The ten acre site remained a public square from the city’s founding in 1682 until City Hall construction commenced in 1871. City Hall is a square shaped building arranged around a central public courtyard. The north façade is considered the front of the building and incorporates the 548 foot clock tower.

Official Building Name Philadelphia City Hall

Other Building Names The New Public Building (Original Name)

Location Central Philadelphia | Penn Square - Intersection of Broad & Market Streets

Construction Commenced - 1871 | Topped Off- 1894 | Completed - 1901

Extensive Renovation 1992 - 2007

Historical Significance U.S. National Register of Historic Places and U.S. National Historic Landmark

LEADERSHIP | PROJECT DESIGN | CURRENT USE

Philadelphia Mayor Daniel M. Fox (1869 - 1872)

U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant (1869 - 1877)

Architect John McArthur, Jr. and Thomas U. Walter

Current Use Municipal government office building City Mayor & Executive Offices | Legislative Branch | Judicial Branch Civil Courts Pennsylvania Supreme Court City Hall tours & information center

Observation deck

NOTABLE FACTS

 Largest municipal building in the United States (larger than the U.S. Capitol Building).

 The world’s tallest all-masonry, load-bearing structure. Made of 88 million bricks and several thousand

tons of stone.

 Tallest occupied building in the world until 1908 (Singer Building, New York City).

 Tallest building in Philadelphia until 1987 (One Liberty Place).

 The 37-foot, twenty-seven ton statue of Willian Penn is the tallest atop any building in the world.

 26-foot tall bronze statues at upper corners of the Clock Tower depict Native American & Swedish settlers.

 The clocks are larger than the Clock Tower at the Palace of Westminster - London, England.

 The building incorporates 250 sculptures created by Alexander Milne Calder.

 9-story building with the Mayor’s office located on the 2nd floor.

 The observation deck, located directly below the William Penn statue, offers excellent views of the city.

Tours of Philadelphia City Hall are offered Monday through Friday and begin at the Tour Information Center. There is also a gift shop and archival exhibit on site. An impressive web-based City Hall Virtual Tour is available at: www.phila.gov/virtualch