The Globe-republican., 1901-07-11
A STATUES HISTORY.
INTERESTING FACTS CONCERN
ING THE PENN MONUMENT.
Metal Shoes OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Was Known
Down-The Memorial Once - J1nk-
shoP-Now the TEcspttsl Green In
EhHadeIphfa.

An interesting history attaches to
the statue Of William Penn founder
OF Pennsylvania. which stiH stands
where it was placed in the grounds
OF the old hospital at Eighth and Pine
streets. The minutes of the Pennksys-
varta hospital tell the story of its
coming. a gift OF John Penn. In No
vembef- 1902. John Penn, through his
attorney. offered a portrait OF William
Penn to the managers OF the hospital
requesting to know where it would be-
placed A reply was duly sent to John
Penn, but the picture was never pre-
sented On Sept. "a, 1904 the minutes
record "a statue in lead of William
Penn is arrived in the ship Pigon from
London, No letter accompanfed the
statue which was accepted in lieu of
the portrait which John Penn had at
hrst purposed giving to the hospital.
In quaker language beginning with the
FAMILIAR greeting Esteemed friend.
and couched in friendly ssthees' and
lhous, the president. Josiah Hewes
wrote to Penn, thanking him for his
grit and telling him immediately after
IT'S arrival some young men OF our
city who are friends to your family.
requested the liberty of raising graf
ntouSiy for this purpose a pedestal of
the white marble of Pennsy Ivania Ito
De liked at the green south front OF
the hospital, with suitable inscriptions
TO record the birth OF William Penn.
the memorable era when he founded
the province of Pennsylvania and the
time of his death" Penn is represent
ed IN colonial costume. He holds in his
hand scroll engraved with a charter
or privileges to Pennsylvania, MDCC''
etc The statue stands n slab OF
marble marked: Presented by John
Penn, A D. 1904" This surmounts the
pedestal. which is engraved as follows:
IN front the weH-known coat-of-arrns
| with Penn's roundefs. Over 1t is en-
] SGaVed
oled HIS" On the east side we read:
pennsylvania Granted by Charles II
to William Penn, 1861" On the north
Ihe Proprietary Arrived 1852. Made
a Just and AmicabIe Arrang ernent
with the Natives for the purchase OF
! their Lands and Went Back TO Eng
: land 1854" The west side reads: Re
turned to Pennsylvania 1893 and Fin
ally Withdrew to His Parental Estate
1701." The history OF the substitution
OF statue for picture was not explained
until 1916, when letter of benjamin
Franklin, written in 1853. threw light
on the transaction. says the PhiIade1-
phia Record In this epistle Franklin
describes a visit to his friend Lord
Despencer, and seeing the statue OF
William Penn holding the scroll.
Franklin admired it so much he then
wished copy made to stand IN the
state house grounds in Philadelphia.
The letter, 49, copy OF the s6IoN dc
SSi1pilcl.5 Is now among the aTcnlE2S OF
the Pennsylvania hospital. Lord De-
speneer's successor took 10 interest in
William Penn. The statue was sent To
junk shop to be sold for old metal
Here John Penn found it and pur~
chased it for presentation to the Penn
| sylvania hospital. We may now see
! the statue facing Pine street. on the
hospital green. Penn still holds the
charter, in perpetual remembrance of
thai famous treaty, "never sworn to
and never broken" 1t Is curious to
know that in course of time one of TIL .
statues shoes wore out. In 1850 dur
ing a severe storm. the statue of Penn
blew down. It was found that the sup
port of one foot was corroGed and the
metal had decayed away. a new sole
and high heel were supplied TO Tenn.
and his statue was then securely re-
placed on the pedestal. where 1t now
stands today
Punish ent f;enefi ciaf