all about the Benjamin

Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Hospital is historic for several reasons.

Founded by Dr. Thomas Bond in 1751, it was the result of the Doctor’s recent visit to London.

There he discovered the hospital concept and resolved to establish one in Philly, then the capital of the United States.

archive

The Pine Building east wing dates from 1755.

The west wing from 1797.

And the center building dates back to 1804.

Ambulances are still housed in the original carriage house.

The Pine Building is still considered one of the finest surviving examples of classic 18th century architecture in all of America.

Guess who else was also a founder.

Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790.

Because it was 1700’s Philadelphia.

Because of course he was.

fooled ya

We love the architecture of NY.

Except these are all in Philly.

born to be wylde

New York is olde but Philly is older, 

and Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest of all.

Still largely intact since the early 1700’s, Elfreth’s is billed as the oldest continuously occupied residential street in all of America.

It looks it, too.

Jeremiah Elfreth was a blacksmith and one of the more significant artisans who lived on this little stretch.

He built his house in 1741, adding to it in 1762, and today you can go inside and look around.

The St. Regis it ain’t. 

They lived small in those days because large volumes were harder to heat.

But the architecture is important and the Library of Congress has a large collection of stills for documentation.

https://loc.gov/pictures/item/pa1211/

It’s quaint and fun to walk around imagining life without electricity, never mind being constantly connected. 

I felt a kinship with the basic survival of living in colonial times.

The period still hangs in the air here. 

I was born 300 years too late.

leave it to the Germans

When you are #1 in cheesesteaks, 

the world might overlook your architectural achievements.

http://clocktowertenants.com/2017/07/and-finally-old-enough-to-drink.html

But Philadelphia’s City Hall is credited with several #1’s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_City_Hall

Designed to be the world’s tallest structure, it took 30 years to achieve 548 feet, from 1871-1901.

That’s 233 feet taller than the ClockTower that houses Big Ben. 

Almost 100 feet taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza, at 455 feet.

sciencing.com/

It easily bests Seattle’s Space Needle built in 1961. 

That top floor is at 518 feet.

It is still the worlds tallest masonry building.

A sentimental gentleman’s agreement among developers required that no building in Philly be taller than the statue of William Penn on the top of City Hall.

That agreement was finally discarded by a German from Nuremberg,

architect Helmut Jahn.

His One Liberty Place, soared to 945 feet in 1987.

Ripping off our 1929 Chrysler building in the process.

At least Philly is not also #1 in sausages.