#graff house

There are some pictures that are so representative of the city that I'm sure they exist in thousands of places, but I needed to take these pictures for my own use (for a textbook, in fact) so one fine Friday I wandered Old City and Center City to snap a few pix of old favorites.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington Square.  The Square was the burial place for Revolutionary War POW's who were kept in the Walnut Street jail.  As it happens, it was also the burial place for many who died during the terrible yellow fever epidemic of 1793.

The Graff house, at the corner of 7th and Market, is a reproduction of the place where Thomas Jefferson was staying while he wrote the Declaration of Independence.  It doesn't actually seem to get a whole lot of respect, possibly because it IS a reproduction in a place with so many originals.

And speaking of originals, the original Pennsylvania State House is now probably better known as...

Independence Hall.  Why, yes, it IS the birthplace of the United States of America, thank you very much.  Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were adopted here.

And the wing that housed the Congress during Philadelphia's time as the capital of the US (1790-1800) the momentous peaceful transfer of power of a head of state took place with the inauguration of John Adams.

Before the Revolution, though, the "founding fathers" had to meet in a private place:  the First Continental Congress met in Carpenters' Hall, privately owned by the Carpenters' Company.

Elizabeth Griscom Ashburn Claypoole Ross was quite involved in the revolution, even if not in actual flag-making; she became one of the last two surviving members of the Free, or Fighting, Quakers.

The Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, the smallest unit of the National Park Service, is at 3rd and PIne Streets.  Here the Polish engineer who fought in the American Revolution and for Polish liberty lived in 1796.  His will stipulated that all of his American goods be used to free and educate slaves, but that was never able to be carried out due to legal complications.

Christ Church was attended by many of the leading revolutionaries.

"The Signer" wasn't there at the time, of course.  But this statue represents that Revolutionary Spirit.  Or maybe somebody trying too hard on American Idol.

And, last but not least, our true Philadelphian, albeit born in Boston and spending large amounts of time in England and France, your dude and mine, B. Franklin, made of keys to replace the one made of pennies that collapsed.  (Kite and key, geddit?)

It was an honor to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela , thanks to BG183 for his skills in doing this piece 

The paradox of Jefferson and slavery

April 2, 2012 – If you live in the Philadelphia area, or are planning a trip to the region this spring or summer, be sure to stop at the National Constitution Center to experience the new exhibit on Thomas Jefferson. A visit to the Old City area is not complete without remembering one of America’s most famous forefathers.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello organized the exhibit, “Slave…