Philadelphia City Hall

Penn Square

Philadelphia, PA

1838

As early as the 1830’s Philadelphia’s City and County governments were outgrowing their offices on Independence Square. Walter prepared this early design for a new city hall to be erected in the Northwest quadrant of Penn Square. It was planned that a separate courthouse and county office building would also be built on other quadrants, thus the origin of the term “Public Buildings” for what would ultimately become one large building dominating all four quadrants.

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Philadelphia City Hall

Frederick Gutekunst Print

Philadelphia, PA

1884

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City Hall Tower with Penn Statue

Philadelphia, PA

c. 1874

This is the earliest representation of the Penn Statue atop City Hall. It has been suggested that the cast-iron extension of the tower and the elaborate sculptural program, neither being part of McArthur’s original design, may have been proposed by Walter who had extensive experience with both at the U.S. Capitol.

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