The San Francisco call., 1897-01-02
RESTORING A LANDMARK.
Independence Hall to: Be Placed in IT
Original Condition.

Independence Hall to BE RACED In Its
Original Condition.
Old Independence Hall, the noblest
landmark OF colonial days, and dear to all
Americans as the birthplace of the Ma
ton IS liberty. is gradually undergoing a
restoration to it's condition at the time of
the Revolution, says Philadelphia CORE
spondent of the Chicago Chronicle.
Several persons whose studies of the
snbject cover period of many years have
contributed information by which the
Statehouse and adjoining county and city
buildings can be brought balk to their
original appearance, inside and ont.
Eventually all will be as it was when
Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamil-
ated in laying the foundation of the re-
public.
For months past the public has seen
workmen engaged in tearing away the
iEclosed brick passage-ways which were
built during the present century to con-
meet the wings of the State House with
the city and county buildings. These
modern links have disappeared, the door
ways have been filled in, and SO
much has been accomplished toward
effacing the newer features Of the row.
Now operations have been transferred
from the exterior to the interior. In the
second story of the State House, where
City Councils met from 1854 TO the present
year, the partitions have been taken odt
preparatory to restoring the original ar
rangemeEts.
Very recently evidences of what is going
on have appeared in two large cham bers
on. the lower floor, in which most public
interest centers, and these have been
closed to visitors occasionally in Or
der that the work may be facili-
lated. In the east cham ber, where
the Declaration oil Indepe ndence was
signed. four wooden pillars, put there to
withstand the extra strain when councils
went in above, have been removed. These
posts are reputed to have come from the
famous old Chew mansion in Germantown,
whichwas undergoing alterations about the
san.a time the changes were made in Inde-
pendence Hall, and, on account of their
associations they will be carefully pre-
served. In order that the hall may not
suffer in strength by their removal steel
girders have been inserted between the
ceiling and t floor above, and the build
ing is now more solid than ever. There
were iron. posts in the west cham ber and
these also: have been taken away.
The entire restoration of the two cham
bers will now slowly proceed, the east
ROOM in which the Declaration was signed, !,
receiving the first attention. This room
was occupied by the Pennsylvania Assem-
bly, in 1875, some years before the building
was finished. 1t was here, on June 16, 1775,
that George Washington accepted his ap-
pointment as general OF the Continental
army. The Assembly, moved out to make
room for the Continental Congress, and the
Declaration was signed July 4. 1776. A
painting by Trumbull, which. now hangs in
the r5tunda of the Capitol at Washington,
gives an xceilent idea of the arrangements
of the chamber at that time. The picture
has been cal refulIy studied by Architect T..
Mellon Rogers, who has the alterations in
charge, and has aided him greatly. 1t
shows that the ceiling and walls, instead
of being finished in the colonial colors of
blue and white, according to the prevailing
conception of Them, wereof uniform gray
ish tint throughout.