USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 25
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231
Washington and Franklin Squares.
probability is that there will be, in this city, some years hence, two monuments to Washington, in addition to the one in front of the State House built with funds raised by the school-chil . dren.
Franklin Square for a long time remained a very unattractive spot; the ground was low, wet, and marshy. Great holes were dug in it to get clay for making bricks, and in these holes ponds of water settled. Part of the square was used as a potters' field ; another part had a powder-magazine built upon it during the Revolutionary War, which afterward was used as a storehouse for oil for lighting the public lamps. There was a path through it, extending Seventh street across the square. There was a por- tion of the square at the north-east corner used by a German congregation for a burial-ground; a suit occurred between Al- burger vs. the congregation, and the lines were described in the decision of the Supreme Court.
Beek's Hollow, p. 407 .- A portion of this creek or watercourse was exposed to view in 1853, when digging for the foundation of Moses Thomas's auction-rooms on Fourth street above Walnut, and extending back to Whalebone alley. Another portion of the culvert through it was exposed to view July, 1854, when digging the cellar for the office of the Schuylkill Navigation Company on the site of the Scotch Presbyterian Church (formerly Marshall's), pulled down for the purpose. A full account of this church, written by John McAllister, whose father was formerly an active member, was published.
P. 408. Who was the original surveyor of the city ? and when was the original survey made ?
Norris's House, now the U. S. Custom-House, p. 408 .- Norris's house was built about 1750 by Charles Norris, son of Isaac Norris and brother of Isaac Norris, Jr. It was elegant and substantial, sixty feet front, with a balcony around a flat roof. It was a double house of three stories high, and had wide halls running each way through the house. The side-hall opened on either side to wide piazzas. The main staircase was very grand, constructed of polished cherry-wood, having the appearance of mahogany. His daughter Deborah married Dr. George Logan, and was a highly intelligent woman, very methodical in her habits in later life, and often loaned my father from her stores of valuable papers. Her brother was Joseph Parker Norris, formerly president of the Bank of Pennsylvania. This prop- erty was sold to the Bank of the United States in 1819.
232
Annals of Philadelphia.
THE NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
Owing to the rapid growth of the consolidated city, and the immense business transacted in the various public offices and the courts for many years past, the offices and courts have become so crowded that the present public buildings have become en- tirely inadequate, and the city has been obliged to scatter the offices into buildings in different parts of the city and at what- ever cost for rent. Besides, the question of insecurity of the val- uable public records and documents became yearly a more press- ing one, in addition to the delay and trouble to the people in transacting necessary public business. The question of new public buildings had been agitated for many years, and various sites were mentioned, such as the old Walnut Street Prison lot, on the south-east corner of Sixth and Walnut streets ; the Wal- nut street front of Independence Square; Centre Square, at Broad and Market streets, etc. Councils went so far toward using Inde- pendence Square as to pass a bill for the erection there of the new buildings in December, 1868. Finally, in 1870, a law passed the State Legislature authorizing the erection of new public buildings for the use of the city on any location that might be decided upon by popular vote of the citizens. At an election held shortly after, in which great feeling was exhibited by the partisans of the two leading sites of Independence and Centre Squares, it was decided the buildings should be erected on Centre Square. Then arose another question, which perhaps called forth still more decided, and at times more acrimonious, expression- that whether the proposed structure should be one large building at the intersection of the four squares, or a separate building on each of the four squares. The advocates of one large building conquered, and two of the finest streets in the city were spoiled by the obstruction of them by the present costly, but elegant, substantial, and magnificent edifice. Even at the present day. when millions have been spent upon it, and it has risen to half the height intended, there are parties who urge that it would be cheaper and more expedient to tear it all down, and begin anew on each separate square, than to finish the single building. The four squares were originally in one. When the distributing res- ervoir of the water-works was in Penn Square, the enclosure was oval in form, and Market and Broad streets were continued around it. The Centre House, so called, was precisely at the intersection of Broad and Market streets.
If finished, as originally proposed, of granite and marble, the new city building will cost many millions beyond the first esti- mate of ten millions, and occupy many a long year in its com- pletion. A special tax is assessed yearly for funds to carry it up. When finished it will be the noblest and most expensive
233
The New Public Buildings.
structure in the United States, as well as the highest in the world to the summit and figure on the tower.
Ground was broken for the purpose on August 16th, 1871; the corner-stone was laid July 4, 1874, Benj. Harris Brewster having been the orator on the occasion. The architect is John McArthur. The building is a range of offices and rooms, in number five hundred and twenty, occupying four sides of a square, and enclosing an open courtyard two hundred feet square in extent, suitable for holding public meetings and affording plenty of light and air. This courtyard is entered from the two streets by four noble entrance-ways adorned with fine sculptures. The dimensions of the building are 470 feet from east to west, and 4862 feet from north to south, covering an area, exclusive of the courtyard, of nearly four and a half acres. Its founda- tions, Virginia granite, each block weighing several tons, are built upon a solid bed of concrete eight feet thick. The mate- rials consumed in the foundations were 74,000 cubic feet of cement concrete; 636,400 cubic feet of foundation stone; 800,000 bricks ; 70,000 cubic feet of dressed granite; and 366 tons of iron, in- cluding floor beams. The excavation for the cellars and founda- tions required the removal of 141,500 cubic yards of earth.
The superstructure consists of a basement story eighteen feet in height, a principal story of thirty-six feet, and an upper story of thirty-one feet, surmounted by another of fifteen feet in the mansard roof. The small rooms opening upon the courtyard are each subdivided in height into two stories, thus using all the space. Above the basement story, which is of Old Dominion granite, the face of the building is of fine white marble beauti- fully sculptured and adorned with columns. From the north side rises a grand tower, which will be the most conspicuous ob- ject when approaching the city, as from its great height of four hundred and fifty feet it will be visible a great distance. The foundations of the tower are built upon a bed of solid concrete eight feet thick, laid at the depth of twenty feet below the sur- face of the ground; and its walls, which are at the base twenty- two feet in thickness, are built of dressed Virginia granite, the blocks weighing from two to five tons each. This substantial tower is 90 feet square at the base, falling off at each story until it becomes, at the spring of the dome, an octagon 50 feet in diam- eter. A statue of William Penn 24 feet in height will crown it.
The space surrounding the building and the two wide streets stretching away from the four sides will enable it to be seen to great advantage. It is surrounded by a grand avenue 135 feet wide on the southern, eastern, and western fronts, and 205 feet wide on the northern front. There will be a grand staircase in each of the four corners of the building, and one in each of the centre pavilions or entrances on the four sides. Besides these there will be four large elevators placed at the intersections of
20 *
234
Annals of Philadelphia.
the leading corridors to make easy access to the rooms in every part. A wide corridor, running round the centre of the whole building and on each story, gives access to rooms on either hand. The 520 rooms will be fitted with every possible convenience in heat, light, and ventilation, and the whole structure is as fireproof and indestructible as art can make it.
The building will be occupied by the State and city courts of law, mayor, City Councils, and municipal officers of varied func . tions, concentrating all the business of the city under one roof. All of the departments now existing will be abundantly supplied, and a vast amount of surplus room will be left for judicial and other city archives, as well as for all outgrowing wants of the large city Philadelphia will become.
The contrast between this superb structure and that of the old State House is very great. In 1744 there were 1500 houses and 13,000 inhabitants, and the State House cost about £6000, and answered for State as well as city purposes. In 1876 there were 155,000 buildings, of which 143,936 were dwellings, and a pop .. ulation of 817,448, and the city buildings will probably cost fifteen millions of dollars !
THE PROGRESS OF PHILADELPHIA.
In 1838 the subject of new public buildings for the city was actively discussed and public meetings were held; the principal idea discussed was whether they should be erected on Independ- ence Square or Centre Squares. The latter spot was thought of as far back as 1833. The late Nicholas Biddle in that year spoke of the advantages of Centre Square. The late Timothy Caldwell was the builder of the houses at the south-west corner of Walnut and Schuylkill Eighth streets (now Fifteenth street) in that year, and they were built with basements below for the purpose of offices, the same as the dwellings on the south and west of the South-West Penn Square. In the spring of 1836 a large meeting was held at the County Court-house, Sixth and Chestnut streets, at which I think the Hon. James Harper pre- sided ; and the builders and mechanics of that day were very enthusiastic in support of Penn Square. Such men as William Hause, James Leslie, John Gilder, John Northrop, John Lind- say, Matthew Arrison, and others who still survive them, took an active part at that time in favor of Penn Square.
The late Samuel Hazard, eminent as a statistician and historian of the State and city, and who spent over eighty years of his life in his native city, presented a series of facts bearing upon the question at issue, and he was requested by the public meeting to allow it to be printed in pamphlet form. As it has become very
235
The Progress of Philadelphia.
scarce, and presents so many facts which may be of interest at this time, when the same question has been so recently revived and discussed, and is of so much value for its statistics, on which calculations can be made by investors and property-owners, we reprint it nearly entire, with the addition of a few notes (which we insert in brackets) added by him in manuscript to the printed copy. It will be seen how clear and correct his views were, even in 1838, as to the future growth and importance of the city :
FACTS, ETC.
The question of the location of the new Public Build- ings, which seems now to be seriously agitated, is one that ought to be decided [but was not decided by the Public Build- ings Commissioners till July 6, 1860; see papers of the next day, the 7th] without any reference to personal interest, but with entire regard to the convenience and accommodation of those for whose use they are intended. This decision, the writer believes, will be very much aided by noticing some of the facts in relation to the progressive increase of the city up to this time -its present condition and future prospects. After presenting various facts on these several points, he will express his own opinion with regard to the proper location of the buildings to be erected, and assign such reasons for it as, to himself at least. appear satisfactory and conclusive.
Let us, then, first take a survey of the condition of the city about the period of the erection of the present State House. It was commenced in 1729, and finished in 1734 or 1735, about fifty years from the landing of William Penn, at an expense of about £6000. At this time the depth of the lot was only about half the present distance between Chestnut and Walnut streets, and so continued till 1762, when the other portion toward Wal- nut street was purchased. [See titles and plans of Square in Hazard's Reg. of Pennsylvania, vol. ii. p. 232.] The surface of the ground in the neighborhood was very uneven and irregular, being more elevated than now, and it was surrounded with com- mons, duck-ponds, and creeks, in which some of our citizens who have died within a few years remembered catching perch and other fishes.
The city was in 1704 divided into ten wards, which division, so far as known to the writer, continued until 1800. [It was divided into fifteen wards in 1825.] The eastern front, on the Delaware, from Vine to Walnut, was in two divisions-viz. Lower and Upper Delaware Wards. Their western boundary was Front street, High street being the dividing-line. Lower Delaware contained in 1741 (six years after the State House was finished) 115 taxables, and Upper Delaware Ward 99. From Walnut to Mulberry street and from Front to Second street con- tained three wards-viz. Walnut, Chestnut, and High. The
236
Annals of Philadelphia.
first contained, in 1741, 98 taxables; the second, 143; and the third, 151. Mulberry Ward occupied the whole space between Front and Seventh streets and Vine and Mulberry, and con- tained in the same year 309 taxables. South, Middle, and North Wards were formed out of the space between Mulberry and Walnut and Second and Seventh. South Ward, in which stood the State House, contained, in 1741, 105 taxables ; Middle Ward, 236; and North Ward, 182. Dock Ward embraced all the portion of the city between the Delaware and Seventh street and Walnut and Cedar, and contained in the same year 183 tax- ables. The whole number of taxables in the city at this time (1741) was only 1621. [In 1744 there were 1500 houses and 13,000 inhabitants .- Min. Com. C., 1704-76, p. 94.]
We have no detailed earlier account of the number of houses than 1749, when several respectable gentlemen (Dr. Franklin being one) undertook the task of making it. It was as follows :
Mulberry Ward,
. 488
Walnut Ward, . 104
North
196
Chestnut
. 110
Middle 66
238
High 66 . 147
South
" (State House). 117
Lower Delaware Ward, . 110
Dock
. 245
Upper . 109
Making the total number of houses in the city in 1749, 1864, besides 11 places of worship.
Twenty years after-to wit, in 1769-we have another enu- meration, when it appears there were 3318 houses, being an in- crease of 1454. This increase was principally in Dock, Mul- berry, and North Wards. South Ward, in which the State House was located, had only thirty houses added to it in those twenty years.
In 1777, when the British were in possession of the city, Gen- eral Howe directed Lord Cornwallis to take a particular account of the houses, stores, and inhabitants in each ward; which being accomplished, the result was published. The following is the result of the number of houses, to which we, add the increase in each ward for the 28 years since the above was taken in 1749:
Mulberry Ward, .
. 1096, increase 608
North
"
427
231
Middle
66
371
66
133
South
(State House), . 160
43
Dock 66
. 1016
771
Walnut
110
6
Chestnut 66
118
8
High
193
46
Lower Delaware Ward,
123
13
Upper
249
140
Houses, 3863
1999 in 28 years.
237
The Progress of Philadelphia.
The reason why Walnut, Chestnut, High and Lower Delaware did not proportionally increase with the other wards probably is. that, being small wards and convenient to the river business, they were filled up at first, and had not room for further additions.
We will now inquire into the number of inhabitants at several periods.
In 1744 the population of the city was estimated by Secretary Peters at 13,000, though it appears by a statement that in 1753 there were 14,563; in 1760, 18,756; in 1769, 28,042; and in 1777, General Howe made it but 15,847. But as he found 383 houses empty, the probability is many of the inhabitants had fled from the city on the approach of the British.
About the year 1774 the Walnut Street Prison was built.
With regard to the early commerce of the city we are in pos- session of but few facts. It appears that in
1722, 10 vessels of 1723, 13
507
1724, 19 66 959
And in 1722, 96
3531
cleared.
1723, 99
3942
1724, 119
66 5450 66 66
1725, 140 66 6655 66
And in 1728-29, 14 ships, 3 snows, 8 brigs, 2 schooners, and 9 sloops were frozen up at the docks at one time.
The trade with Great Britain formed at this time, probably, the largest portion of the commerce of the city. The imports and exports for a few years will furnish some idea of its extent :
Exports.
Imports.
1729, £ st. 7,434 16s. 1d.
£ st. 29,799 10s. 10d.
1730, 10,582 1
4
44,260 16
1
41,698 13 7 1733, 14,776 19 4
40,565 8 1
In 1729 a mail went to New York once in two weeks in winter, and once a week in summer.
In 1735, 199 vessels entered and 212 cleared, 1736, 211 215 66 66 66
1742, 230 66 66 281 66
so that the commerce of the city had somewhat increased in the seven years.
The exports from Great Britain were, in 1742, £8527 12s. 8d., and the imports were £75,295 3s. 4d. sterling.
In 1777 the number of stores, as ascertained by Lord Corn- wallis, was 315-viz. in-
48,592 7 5 1731, 12,786 11 6
1732, 8,524 12 6
428 tons were built.
66
238
Annals of Philadelphia.
Mulberry Ward,
17 |
Walnut Ward,
5
North
28
Chestnut
8
Middle
15
High
6
South
(State House) 9 Lower Delaware Ward, . 100
Dock 66
55
Upper
66
72
which shows that business was principally confined to the neigh- borhood of the river.
We have now brought down our historical sketch of the city to the period of the Revolution, embracing about one hundred years from its settlement, and have shown how slow was its progress, which the circumstances of the succeeding ten years were not cal- culated to hasten.
In 1784, the year after the peace, the imports from Great Brit- ain amounted to £689,491 9s. 9d. sterling, and in 1785 they fell to £369,215 88. 5d. The exports in 1784 were £70,263 10s. 9d., and in 1785, £57,705 6s. 5d. sterling.
In 1783 the number of houses was estimated at 6000, and in 1790 at 6651; and the population, as ascertained by the Con- gressional census of that year, was 28,522. Up to this year, and for several years beyond it, as will be seen presently, the improve- ments did not extend even to Seventh street, the then western limit of the wards.
Since commencing this article an aged citizen informed the writer that " he well remembers when a certain house (still stand- ing [pulled down in 1848 and new stores built by Wright & Son]) was erected in Market above Fifth street, 1792, the owner was almost considered as deranged for placing his building so far beyond the seat of civilization."
"The ground forming the square from Chestnut to Walnut street, and from Sixth to Seventh, was all a grass-meadow, under fence, down to the year 1794. On the Chestnut street side it was high and had steps of ascent cut into the bank, and across it went a footpath as a short cut to the almshouse out Spruce street. The only houses to be seen were the low brick building, once the Loganian Library, on Sixth street, and the Episcopal Academy, built in 1780, on Chestnut street." " The next square beyond, westward, was Norris's pasture-lot." "On the north-west corner of Chestnut and Seventh streets [on this has stood several houses, since pulled down, and many owners have long since gone to their fathers. Dr. B. S. Barton, the celebrated botanist, lived next westward of the Masonic Hall, afterward burned down, then re- built, and now occupied by the new Masonic Temple : Washing- ton Hotel stands east of it, 1856] was a high grass-lot in a rail fence, extending halfway to Eighth street. Except one or two brick houses at the corner of Eighth street you met no other house to Schuylkill." "There were no houses built out Arch or Race
239
The Progress of Philadelphia.
street, save here and there a mean low box of wood beyond Sixth street.
" When the Roman Catholic Church at the corner of Sixth and Spruce streets [nearly destroyed by fire June 23 (?), 1860, occa- sioned by boys setting off fire-crackers] was built, it was deemed far out of town-a long and muddy walk, for there were no streets paved near to it, and no houses were then nigh. From this neighborhood to the Pennsylvania Hospital, then having its front of access on its eastern gate, was quite beyond civilization. There were not streets enough marked through the waste lots in the western parts of the city to tell a traveler on what square he was traveling." "We shall be within bounds to say that twenty- five years ago (1805) so few owners enclosed their lots toward Schuylkill that the street-roads of Walnut, Spruce, and Pine streets could not be traced by the eye beyond Broad street, and even it was then known but upon paper drafts."
Birch's Views of the City in 1800 confirm the above account. For between the President's house [since pulled down] on Ninth street, now the University, and the almshouse on Spruce street, there is no intervening object. The writer of this well remem- bers when the whole of that square, in which stood Markoe's house, was enclosed by a post-and-rail fence, and almost the only house west of it was Dunlap's [since pulled down. After stand- ing as a vacant grass-lot, surrounded by a board fence, the whole square was left by Girard to the city and built upon with stores and dwellings for the support of the Girard College. Girard street runs east and west through it], at the corner of Twelfth and Market streets.
Our attention has thus far been directed entirely to the limits of the city proper. Let us now look at some few facts respecting the suburbs and the county.
In 1749 there were in the Northern Liberties 62 houses. In 1769 there were 553 houses, and in 1777 there were 1286, and 35 stores and 5015 inhabitants. In 1790 they had increased to 8337.
In 1749 there were in Southwark 150 houses. In 1769 there were 603 houses, and in 1777, 836, and 6 stores and 2872 inhab- itants. In 1790 they had increased to 5661. Passyunk con- tained in that year 884, and Moyamensing 1592 inhabitants.
From the returns of members to the General Assembly we have the following account of the highest and lowest number of votes given at elections in the county for several years about the time of the erection of the State House. The county at this time extended to the southern limit of Berks, and embraced the whole of Montgomery county.
1727, highest vote 787, Jowest 482
1728, 971, 487
240
Annals of Philadelphia.
1730, highest vote
622, lowest 365
1732,
904,
559
1734, 66
721,
66 441
1735,
66
719,
439
1738,
1306,
" 736
1739,
66
555,
332
In 1741 the number of taxables in the county was 3422, and in 1760, 5687, and the county tax was £5653 19s. 6d. Within the county there were 83 grist-mills, 40 saw, 6 paper, 1 oil, 12 fulling, 1 horse, and 1 wind-mill, and 6 forges.
In 1779 there were 7066 taxables in the county.
1786
4516
1793
66
6885
66
1800
66
7919
66
66
66
About the year 1800 the improvements began to extend west of Seventh street in some of the principal streets. In 1802, as we learn from the dates on the houses, the improvements were made on the square between Chestnut and Walnut and Seventh and Eighth, on the ruins of the immense edifice of Robert Morris, which had been commenced a few years previously. From this time buildings began to be erected with some spirit in various directions, as the following table of the houses built in the respec- tive years will show :
In 1802
464-21 W. of Twelfth street.
In 1834
361
1803
385-35
1835
465
1804
273
1836
369
1809
1295
1837
245
66
How many of these were erected in the western part of the city we are unable to ascertain precisely, but we know that a great number of those erected within the last few years have beer. built beyond Broad street. And, indeed, an inspection of the houses in that quarter will show that they almost all present an appearance of very late erection.
Let us now take a summary view of some facts relating to the present condition of the city, by which it may be compared with the past.
The taxables in the city in 1835 were 18,449, and in the county, 31,798. The number of inhabitants probably 100,000 in the city -at the general election in that year the highest vote was 5532, in the county 6048, and the united highest vote of both 11,596. In the year ending September, 1836, there were built 74 vessels of 10,214 tons. The amount of tonnage owned was 91,905 tons; 407 vessels entered, tonnage 89,485; and 350 cleared, 64,019. Imports, $15,068,233; exports, $3,971,555. The whole
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