America’s amErica's Founding city FOUNDING CITY PHILADELPHIA IS THE UNITED STATES’ FIRST WORLD HERITAGE CITY. Home to 68 National Historical Landmarks and America’s “most historic square mile,” Philadelphia is where the Founding Fathers adopted ideas for an independent new nation. Independence National Historical Park is a robust collection of sites that includes Independence Hall — where the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and the Constitution was written and debated — and the Liberty Bell , as well as the Benjamin Franklin Museum, Franklin Court Printing Office, the Second Bank of the United States and more. The President’s House on Independence Mall marks the footprint of the residence of presidents George Washington and John Adams while in office, while also telling the story of the enslaved people who built and worked in the house. Congress Hall oversaw two major presidential inaugurations, starting with the swearing-in of George Washington for his second term in 1793. Site of the first Continental Congress in 1774, today Carpenters’ Hall displays hand tools, the chairs used by Founding Fathers and other historical artifacts. Carpenters’ Hall Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia™ Liberty Bell 8 | DiscoverPHL.com
Philadelphia Official Visitors Guide FALL 2023 / WINTER 2024: Page 8
