Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-20
|iND OLD CITY HALL
BUILDING SECRETS
I..toratIon Of independence
souare Group Is Begun
With Unusual Care
EpaNeEs BROUGHT TO LIGHT

=. .refully and reverently workmen
tearing away woodwork and plas-
\ n the old Supreme Court Building
! ,be eastern end Of the Independence
Fan group, bringing to light evidences
I tbe original construction.
The old structure. standing at the
,,bvest corner of Fifth and Chest
= streets, was the home Of the first
,.;tcd States Supreme Court from
n, 10 1900. and was the Philadelphia
nv Hall from 1901 until 1854.
high board fence was constructed
.stsrdoy. about the building to protect
sgsstrians during the work Of recon-
rrction, and this was the first step in
work of restoring the ancient
s,,cture, which will cost S55. 900.
fben completed it will be In the same
gsne as old Congress Hall, the west
Lnrost building of the group.
Years of neglect have left their mark
non the Supreme Court building. 1t
q been altered and changed within
Bring the years gone by to fit 1t to its
aver purposes until all trace of the
i,sinol construction was hidden from
|ew.
Original Plans Disclosed
Those who recall the building as 1t is
ow will remember the central stair
sv that made its narrow way from
ke>front door up to the second floor.
8 tearing away much construction,
| Is found this stairway, ugly, utili-
[rIan and confined, was not in the
|liginal plan, but put in afterward,
e original stairways being torn
Way.
Bv removing lath and plaster from
Il east and west walls. marks of the
r;gnal stairway were found on the
SsiIs, showing the second floor to have
M reached by two curved Colonial
M stairs. one on each side, exactly
in Congress Hall. These stairs will
replaced. ,,
JInsuspected doors and hidden pas
Lses have been brought to light by the
rsctice of tearing away the plaster.
Ebere the old hand made lathing is
Nj by the old hand made nails, there
ss the original building. Where the
Iodern machine made lath, with the
darn machine made nails, Is upon
wall. there the modern builders
mproyed" the building. All this
odern work must come out.
A singular feature Is the manner in
hict the second floor is suspended. 1t
bes not rest on ordinary rafters. In
lead, by the tearing away OF lath 9nd
|aster, huge beams hanging from The
bof. with big iron loops, show the floor
I be actually hung from the roof beams,
Id not laid over rafters. The old iron
myers are as good as when first placed
kere, and probably will remain.
Dungeon Cells Uncovered
In the basement are forbidding cells
dungeons, as high as the ceiling, and
feet wide by 6 feet deep. They had
| On doors, but no windows, the only
hit fltcring in from the front. In
Iem prisoners were confined when po-
ke headquarters occupied the old build
q. The prisoners were taken down
sht of steps from Fifth street.
Along one wall are marks showing
here bench was placed. and in the
Dor are iron rings, to which refractory
tisoners were manacled. The place re-
|mbles a medieval dungeon, and by
bntrast shows how humane the mod
IN police methods have become.
A, touch of human interest is given in
e rear room on the second floor. Under
e wall paper somebody, many years
%, painted his initials with the date.
hen the paper was removed, there
pod the figures and letters, as clear and
Nd as ever-"W.' W., 1900"