The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-06-30


cupany of the Provincial assembly and the gov
errors council virtually at the exact time when
.he colonies of Great Britain in America began
so feel their growing strength sufficiently TO IN
duce them to insist more than ever before upon
the right to be specially mindful of their own IN
terests. II only quarter OF century AFTER
the "old Liberty Bell' was cast by patrlotlc ar
tisans in this city that it used to gather the
peop.e to hear the proclamation, by order OF the
continental congress- of the absolute political sep
aration of the Is colonies from the mother coun-
try The. state house sheltered not only the
continental congress during many critical ses-
sions but also the supreme council! OF the feder-
alton OF the United States the constitutional con-
vention of 1877. the supreme court of the United
States and the provincial and state legislature
of Pennsylvania in that long period OF the con-
cept;on, birth and infancy OF the western repub-
lie Every man of any distinction whatever In
that great epoch. from Andrew Hamilton and
benjamin Franklin to Lafayette and Pulaski,
passed through its portals. 1t is the silent survv
ing witness of StupendouS past. so stupendous
indeed that hardly anything is more wonderful
than the absolute simplicity of the austere stage
setting of those dramatic actions which indirectly
transformed the whole political world
William PENIS council of state first met in
George Guests unfinished house near the mouth
of Dock creek afterward called the Blue Anchor
tavern" Settlers at that time were living In
caves along the west bank of the Delaware rtv-
err II is also supposed to have met In the
Swedes' church at WicacO, down the river. and
in William PENIS house in Laetitia court the
same which now stands in Paramount park. until
it removed to the new state house in 1747 The
Provincial assembly probably sat in the first
rough meeting house erected for the worship of
Friends shortly after PENIS arrival, and then In
the later one on Front street known as the Bank
Meeting house. But it also sat elsewhere some
times in houses that were erected for private use
1t was in January. 1929. that the assembly.
awake finally to the need of a suitable provincial
capitol. voted $4,000 (S1O.OO0), toward its cost
and appropriated the same out of an issue of pa
per money which it had just authorized William
Allen who was afterward one of Philadelphias
most famous mayors and became a justice of the
supreme court, acted as the agent of the province
in the purchase of the lots of ground on Chest
nut street. from Fifth to Sixth. and extending
halfway back toward Walnut street. which
formed the chosen Site 1t was not until 1869 that
the remainder of the square was acquired. DR..
Kearsley the architect of Christ church. aspired
also to design the state house. and is said to have
been disgruntled because he was not permitted to
do SO. Thomas Lawrence, Andrew Hamilton and
DR. John Kearsley composed the building COM
mittee.
The main structure, minus the great tower.
which had not Yet been built was in a rough
state when, in September, 1886, William Allen,
the mayor. gave a banquet and frOlic in the Long
room in the second story, which was to be the
scene OF many later reveries and solemnties
as well.
Public contractors were dilatory in those days
as in these, and ii not until 1.t5 that the
room of the assembly in the state house was COM
p,eted. II is curious to note that it was heated
at that time by means Of two open stoves, al