Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-08-03


figures connected with this great city,
I propose to give them in these letters,
with such descriptions of places and
things as my ability and time will per
nit; written, always, in plain, unos-
tentatious manner. without color or
varnish. For if your readers look for
anything from me in the ''spread- eagle
style" they will be disappointed. It is
not my forte.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
The stranger, on first visiting Phil
adelphia, if he is the least bit obsery-
ing, cannot but notice the peculiar
sameness in the style of architecture
throughout the city. 1t is not unusual
to see row of Buildings extending
the entire length of a square, all built
exactly alike, generally with white mar
BILE steps, and doors and window shut
ters painted white l saw, in one in
stance, in the southern part of the city,
where the houses on both sides of the
street were built after the same plan,
even to the same ornaments, painting,
&c. It looks very nice, but when any
one of the male inhabitants of those
houses attends his "club," and goes
home at 2 A. NJ, very ''tired' and
weary" how does he find his own
door? Another peculiarly about the
buildings in this city, is, the houses
are all bnilt flush with the street. /
have yet TO find house with front
yard, and very few with side or rear
yards.
The stranger Especially if he has
been living in Pittsburg or Cincinnati)
will be very forcibly struck with the
cleanliness of this city. White marble
steps, window caps and silIs of the
same material, with white doors and
window blinds, are universally used in
dwellings here, but would not remain
white very long in city like Pitts
burg. The secret is, that anthracite
coal is used exclusively, which makes
neither fame or SMOKE, and conse-
quently SCOT is unknown.
THE STATE HOUSE.
Ofall the points of interest in Amer
lea, this is the dearest to the American
heart, the 'birth place of freedom"
the ''cradle of liberty The building
was commenced in 1929 and finished
in 1874, at cost of f5,6O0 pounds,
which is ample evidence of the public
spirit and liberality of the men of those
times-over one hundred years ago.
Within it's walls the Colonial Assem-
bly, met for deliberation, and in the
hall, now called Independence Hall,
in committee of the whole, the Decla-
ration of Independence was passed and
signed. Independence Hall remains
just as it did at that time, with the ex-
ception that the floor has been renew
ed The old time brass knocker re-
mains on the door, and the ancient
but massive chandelier (for candles)
hangs pends Mt from the ceiling.
Among the curiosities gathered with
in the hall, is the old bell of independ
ence. 1t was imported from England
in 1852, for the State House, but, hav
ing met with some accident after it was
landed, it had to be re cast This was
done under the direction of Isaac Nor
ris, Esq, then Speaker of the Colonial
Assembly, and to him is attributed the
remarkable motto that is cast on the
bell. and which was so indicative Of
its future use: ''Proclaim liberty thro'-
out all the land, unto all the inhabitants
thereof. LEY, 25-1O.
Arranged around the walls of the
Hall are oil portraits of Washington,
William Penn, Franklin, all the sign
ers of the Declaration, Lafayette, Lin
coin, Grant, and many prominent men
who figured in the Revolution. THIS
valuable collection of portraits has
been gathered from all parts of the
Republic, by the City Council, under
many disadvantages and at great cost
The collection is certainly very valua-
bic, forming, as it does, almost the
only authentic portraits extant of their
illustrious originals.
The Hall also contains many othe r
objects of interest, among which, was
named portion of the pew in Christ
Church used by Washington, Lafayette
and Franklin the chair in which John
Hancock sat as President of Congress,
and the small mahogany table upon
which the Declaration of Independ-
ence was. signed a portion of the stone
step from which independence was
proclaimed, and Rush's statue of Wash
lngton. There is also cfTgrir,- made
in 1928, which forms qnite a museum
of curiosities in itself Among the ma
terials used in its construction, will be
found a portion of mahogany beam
from n house built in 1896, near the
present city of St Domingo, for the
use of Christopher Columbus, being
the first house built in America by Eu-
ropean hands fragments of the Treaty
Elm Tree; of Penn's cottage in Lett
tia court; of the o. S. frigate, Consti-
tuition; of the ship-of-thc, line, Penn
sylvania; and one of group Of wal
nut trees that formerly stood in front
of the State House, which was then
"out of town. A portion of cane
seating from chair once the property
of William Penn; and lock of the
hair of the late Chief Justice Marshal,
are also inserted in this curious piece
of furniture.
QUAKERs.