The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-08-13
NO. 9.
Tndependeee Hall

as the State House. because Of the
fact that it was originally erected for
the State capitol or meeting hall for
the General Assembly OF the colony.
Throughout the country il is euphon-
iously and patriotieally called IDde-
pendenee Hall, although bat one room
Of the ediiiee is entitled 70 that ap-
pellatiOn. The State House still pre-
serves It's dignity as a building Of
some pretentiOns in an architectural
point of view, albeit il i composed
mainly Of red bricks, most Of which.
it is believed, were made in this e0un-
Try. The stone dressings are Of blu
ish stone, mostly with lines, ledges,
and copestones Of white stone. The
front portal Is Of brown stone, OF the
Corinthian style Of architecture
There Is a central building and east
and west wings, the latter having IN
dergone frequent and radical muta-
tions since they were originally erect
ed, but the main building stands ex-
ternsIly nearly as it did in the olden
time.
The steeple iscOmparatively a mod
ern sppendage to the structure, and
/ did not hold the bell which proclaim
ed liberty in l37j, a. Is generally
supposed The roof is of iron. and
the building has been made a. nearly
I iire-proof o. possible 1t has been
on FIRE several times, but was never
very seriously damaged, and seems
70 have been providenfially preserved
to Us through many long years.
The first description Of the State
House Of which we have anv account
was given by Professor Kahn, the
Swedish traveller, who visited our
city in l75s. He say. the greatest
public ornament he saw here then .
was the Town Hall, having a tower .
with bell, and greater than Christ's
Church, which Is not vet built Up. =
The building was commenced in 1923 I
(under the direction Of Thomas Law
renee and Andrew Hamilton, COM
missioners). finished in 1874. and the
Offices adjoining were completed in
1885 The total cost was Is. coo
Edward WOolley did the carpenter
work, Thomas Blodde the brickwork.
and William Holland the marble and
stone dressings The ground was
formally higher on Chestnut and low
er on Walnut stree; than 1t Is now,
and was graded expressly FOR the
structure. In 1888 the ground in the
rear Of the State House, and now
known as Independence Square, was
laid out and planted with shade and
ornamental trees
The design Of the State House was
prepared By John Kearsley, VI. D, 4,
an amateur architect Of the time
Soon after it was completed the Co
lOnial Legislature met here-the Sen
ate up stairs and the House Of Rep
resentatiyes in the room now called
Independence Hall Anthony Nor
ris was then President Of the Senate.
and George Latimer was Speaker Of
the House The upstairs rooms
were the largest, and were frequent
ly used as a banqueting hall for the
city and colonial feasts In Septem- I
Der, 1876. William Allen, Mayor, {
gave : banquet at his own expense ;
here to his friends. In 1851. on the I
arrival o. the new Governor, Denny,
a banque; was given in his honor by {
the colonial authorities In lT57 {
Lord Loudon, commander Of the !
Kings troops in the colonies. arriv-
ed, and was given banquet in the
State House 4
In I7I4 the inhabitants Of Phila- ;
being intensely rebel, ' ten {
dered 10 the members Of the First
Congress 4 grand banquet at the {
State House, 10 which FIVE hundred .
guests sat down. 4 year later, with
out leave or license, the Continental
Congress took actual possession Of
the State House and occupied is
rooms free Of charge, and 50 deter
mined were the people in favor Of in
that it is believed the
public feeling Of the period had
great deal to do with forcing some
shaking members TO sign Jeferson's 1
charter Of our liberties {
Philadelphia was then q unit for a
free republic, which she did nore {
70 create than any other city and {
she was foremost in sending forth ,
her sons to serve the Union she /
had originated when the war against /
slavery was inaugursted. Through {
out every trial during the last cen |
turv she has ALWAYS been found true /
and trusty to the very core and TO
the last extremity. In that hall the
Congress met day after day and per-
fected their work IL was their eita-
del as well as their meeting place, for
in the cellars and buried in the ward
were arms, ammunition and aecou-
trements, ready for use when needed. !!
even If the effort cost them their
lives, their fortunes and their sacred
honors.- 4.
The Declaration of Independence
was read and finally adopted in Inde-
pendence Hall on the 4th of July,
lTI6, and on the sth of July it was
read to the people assembled in Inde- !
pendenee Square by William Nixon.
and was received with shouts Of ap- :
proyal. Then it was that the "old
bell' (stin preserved) in the old stee- I
pie (now destroyed rang out in jOy-
Gus tones in honor Of the event. But {
the British captured the (
city, and the people, still intensely
rebel, y and true to the cause Of liber-
tY, took down the old bell and bur- ;
led it, so that the redcoats could not I
capture il and take it to England as
trophy 1t was preserved and placed !
in the old hall, and is there to this !
iay. Ii is cracked badly, bat can be {
rung on the 4th OF July, 1876, with
good effect if necessary. a
For many years the upper part OF
the State House was occupied by
Peale's Museum, and the lower part
was used for court rooms. On the :
occasion OF the retiring Of General
from the Presidency Of ,
the United States, he delivered his
farewell address in the State House I
some say in the room opposite TO 4
Inder.aodenre Hall and others main ,