Independence Hall: The Birthplace of the American Republic

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we tour the Georgian-style statehouse where liberty was first proclaimed.

Centrally located on Independence Square in Philadelphia, Independence Hall’s 107-foot façade is connected by closed arcades to two wing buildings: Congress Hall (right) and Old City Hall (left). The exposed brick, Georgian-style building features keystones above each window, a carved wooden cornice, and a decked gable roof with a wooden balustrade between the chimneys. In 1910, New York’s Roman Bronze Works replaced Joseph A. Bailey’s deteriorated marble statue of George Washington from 1860. Vlad G/Shutterstock

One of the nation’s most recognizable structures, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, earned the moniker “birthplace of America” because of its critical role in the country’s founding. Inside these stately halls, the Founding Fathers drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Formerly the Pennsylvania State House, it once housed all three branches of the state’s colonial government.