One of my favorite buildings to see and visit when in Center City Philly is the beautifully designed City Hall. Every time I go there, sometimes just to see the building, I always spot something new I didn't see before. The architecture is just so detailed and very intricate with pillars, festoons, swags,statues and masonry. Philadelphia's City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The principal exterior materials are limestone, granite, and marble some of the most beautiful materials used together.It was the tallest habitable building in the world from 1901 to 1908 and the tallest in Pennsylvania until 1932 when surpassed by the Gulf Tower. It remained the tallest building in Philadelphia until the construction of One Liberty Place broke the informal "gentlemen's agreement" that limited the height of tall buildings in the city; it currently is the 15th-tallest building in Pennsylvania.
The building was designed by Scottish-born architect John McArthur, Jr., in the Second Empire style, and was constructed from 1871 until 1901 at a cost of $24 million. With close to 700 rooms, City Hall is the largest municipal building in the United States and one of the largest in the World. The building is topped by a 27 ton bronze statue of city founder William Penn, one of 250 sculptures created by Alexander Milne Calder that adorn the building inside and out. The statue is the tallest atop any building in the world. The tower features clocks 26 feet in diameter on all four sides of the metal portion of the tower. For many years, City Hall remained the tallest building in Philadelphia under the terms of a "gentlemen's agreement" that forbade any structure from rising above the William Penn statue atop City Hall. In 1987, it lost this distinction when One Liberty Place was completed. (The breaking of this agreement is said to be the cause of the so-called Curse of Billy Penn, under the supposed influence of which no major-league Philadelphia sports team won a championship between 1983 and 2007.) Every time I see this building it just amazes me to see all the detail, and when your standing at the portico's to go in the building, you can see just how immense this building is. I just love this place! Tootles.
The details are gorgeousss...I want a wedding cake like that one day! well all in white of course, & get a great hubby too! Hope your week has been fab so far Mistress~
ReplyDeletexo as always*
I love when you do these art and architecture pieces. I love the style and elegance of those old buildings.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of our visit and the great view we had of City Hall. We looked right out of our window at it. Gorgeous! Then I had the most fun with wonderful tour guides! What a day! Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteYou all do things so much prettier back East.
ReplyDeleteYou know what, I always take city hall for granted till I read this post Mistress. After reading your post, on my luch break I went to look at it and it IS amazing just how much beauty there is there! You really have a good eye for seeing the beauty around most of us miss! I really going to start to try to LOOK more. I wonder how much I miss?
ReplyDeleteYou know me, I could look at architecture all day! I too have always loved this building, a great example of the second empire style!
ReplyDeleteThis has always been one of my favorite buildings in the city too!
ReplyDeleteI remember one summer when the symphony held a concert in front of city hall. It made quite the back drop. Very European
ReplyDeleteLove the place! Didn't you live in a house like this in your second marriage?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mahogany, we do take it's stunning beauty for granted. I never noticed just how huge that place really is
ReplyDeleteYou always do such a nice post on these Philadelphia sites! Intresting fact about William Penn curse, never knew that.
ReplyDelete~Fab weekend darrrlin'
ReplyDeletethank you for always being so loving!
xo*
That is quite the regal building! And a intresting post.
ReplyDeleteYou have done a lot of post lately on the Philly scene. I think people don't realize just how nice a city it has become again! I so need to get there....soon!
ReplyDeleteStunning building! And some great background on it too. Reminds me of the buildings you see in England kinda!
ReplyDeleteMaddie, I'm floored each time you do a piece like this one. Keep them coming please!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It really is a wonderful building! And I wonder if you can go up in the clock?
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for the comments! I'm glad you all like these pieces. I wasn't sure if you all found them intresting like I did! Thanks and glad you enjoyed them!
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