Philadelphia, which means “Brotherly Love”, was founded by the Englishman William Penn in 1682. Reflecting Penn’s status as a Quaker, the city was founded on principles of religious tolerance and freedom, and consequently attracted a range of minority groups.
Philadelphia is the site of some of the most significant events in US history: the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were drafted in the city and signed in Independence Hall. It was also the nations second capitol (after New York) from 1790 to 1800, before the capitol was moved to Washington, DC. It is currently the fifth largest city in the USA.
The most impressive building in Philadelphia is City Hall (first picture at top left), which was constructed from 1871 to 1901. It is a magnificent building whose exterior is composed of marble, granite and limestone. Featuring almost 700 rooms with a total floor space of 14.5 acres, it is the largest City Hall in the USA. As you can just see in the first photo, the building has a large tower atop of which is a large statue of the aforementioned William Penn. the statue itself is 11.3 metres in height, weighs 27 tonnes, and is the highest statue on any building in the world. the building has apparently caused much controversy over the years with some considering ugly, while the costs to build and maintain the building are considerable.
