By:Marcia Abramson
I decided that this was a good time to revisit one of my favorite cities, Philadelphia. The fact that it is just 90 miles southwest of New York City and a less than three hour drive from most parts of Long Island, by way of the Belt Parkway and Verrazano Bridge, was another important reason for my venturing away from home during these troubled times. I wanted to see the city which is considered the birthplace of the United States. It did serve as our capital during most of the Revolutionary War and houses more historic shrines than any other American city.
William Penn, an English Quaker, founded Philadelphia in 1682 and planned for it to be a place of religious and racial freedom. He gave the city a Greek name, "Philadelphia," which means brotherly love, and throughout the 1700s it was a fierce rival to Boston as the political and cultural center of the American colonies. There is no greater thrill for me than visiting the old section of the city to see Independence
Hall Park at the eastern end of Market and Chestnut Streets. This park includes Independence Hall where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. I sat in the hallowed Congress Hall where Congress met from 1790 to 1800 and in Carpenters' Hall where the First Continental Congress convened in 1774 and denounced England for passing laws that violated the rights of the colonists. It was in 1775 when it met in
the State House, which became Independence Hall, that the seeds of the Declaration were planted.
In 1776 Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson scripted the Declaration of Independence. I could almost hear the pealing of the nearby Liberty Bell, crack and all, as it rang out the nation's freedom. It is not difficult to visualize in your mind's eye George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and those other courageous Americans in this austere setting verbalizing their feelings about our independence and freedom from foreign tyranny.
With all our flags waving so proudly today as a symbol of our love for America, your visit to Philadelphia should include a visit to the Betsy Ross House where the first American flag was sewn. Also just north of Independence Hall Park is Elfreth's Alley, a narrow cobble stoned street, dating back to the 18th century. Some of the houses have been occupied all during this time and one house did still have the shield of George III imbedded above the door.
Religious freedom is evidenced by the diversity of the various denominational churches. The Old Swedes Church, a Lutheran Church, is the oldest, built in 1700. Then came the old Christ Church (Episcopalian) erected from 1727-1754 with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross as members. You can see the tombs of Benjamin Franklin and his wife in the Christ Church Burial Ground. St. Joseph's Church (Roman Catholic) dates to 1733. The Mikveh Israel was established in 1740 and is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States. Its cemetery includes the graves of many Jewish soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. The 1760s saw the building of the Old St. George's Methodist Church and the "Old Pine" Presbyterian Church to be followed by the Friends' Meeting House (Quaker) in 1804.
Of course, a visit to Philadelphia should include the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which is featuring an exhibit of the works of Thomas Eakin, the city's most famous 19th century artist, starting Oct. 4 through Jan. 6. I also enjoyed my stop at the Rodin Sculpture Garden
and can recommend that, weather permitting. Not to be missed on your trip is the Italian Market on Ninth Street, from Christian to Wharton Streets, with its wonderful open-air produce, meat, fish and sundries market. I joined the throngs at DiBruno's and got a good whiff of a plethora of cheese, olives and sausages and if you like emu and ostrich meat D'Angelo Brothers is the place for you.
Philadelphia has also found an answer to the graffiti problem with a Mural Arts Project which is in evidence on more than 2,000 walls. This began as an anti-graffiti project in 1984 and is still going strong with many young artists. I have seen wonderful murals in the Santa Maria Valley in California but nothing as grand as the Philadelphia Mural Arts Project.
The Columbus Day Holiday is a wonderful time for the family to discover or rediscover the cradle of liberty in Philadelphia.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail : mascribe@aol.com
