By: Marcia Abramson
Exhaustive research revealed that Washington was guided by his education and training to establish a strict ethics code. In both New York City where he was installed as our first President and Philadelphia where Congress met, he rented the best houses available. ( The Philadelphia house rental was $2,700 a year plus another $2,500 for carriage and horses, according to David McCullough's John Adams). He espoused the belief that the head of a nation should not be any man's guest. He dressed in velvets and lace and was driven in a coach with four or six horses with outriders and lackeys in elegant livery and deserved to be the closest to American aristocracy because of his service to America.
Therefore, I did not expect to find that Elfreth's Alley, the oldest street of private residences in America dating from 1702, a Washington residence since it started as a commercial street or cartway carrying wares from the piers along the Delaware River. Jeremiah Elfreth, a blacksmith, was the largest property owner in the Alley and became its namesake. It remained the home of factory workers, tradesmen and tailors until today when a visit reveals a picture of our heritage preserved. You can join in a festival of Old Philadelphia May 31-June 2, 2002. Highlights will include special educational programs for school children, a free Street Faire with the traditional craftspeople, and a special tour of private homes and a gala reception and reunions of past residents and their descendants.
A special treat was a visit to a magnificent Society Hill townhouse, the Block Residence on, of all places, Delancey Street, arranged by Philadelphia Hospitality Incorporated. It is possible that our first President lived here during his presidency for the original mahogany stable door is still part of the renovated 18th Century stable, part of the property. You can call Philadelphia Hospitality at 1-800-714-3287 to participate in a group tour to visit some of the splendid private residences and gardens of prominent Philadelphians.
William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania in 1682, is still very visible atop City Hall. In fact, no buildings taller than Penn's hand could be built in Philadelphia until recently. But this is not the city of skyscrapers. It is the home of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, New Hall Military Museum, Franklin Court and the Declaration Hall, all located in Center City at Independence National Historical Park. Places I love to revisit on every trip to the Home of our Freedom from King George III's tyranny.
A visit to this cultural city is not complete without viewing the impressive creations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum and Fairmount Park House at 26th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Franklin Institute is a must for the older kids with a full city block of interactive exhibits, the Tuttleman IMAX Theater, Fels Planetarium and a 3-D Theater. It is located at 22 N. 20th Street in Philly. Who would want to miss learning about coin making and craftsmanship at the United States Mint at 151 N. Independence Mall East? They offer tours. For more information you can visit www.usmint.gov/minttours.
Another must destination is the new Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on the Avenue of the Arts, the home of the world renowned Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. I was fortunate to hear two wonderful Beethoven concertos performed by Pianist Murray Perahia. The orchestra has a history of great world-wide performances for more than a century. Music aficionados were concerned that the Philadelphia Sound created by the dry acoustics at their old home at the Academy of Music would change and become unrecognizable in their new home at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. However, I learned from veteran Philadelphia Orchestra devotees that they found the sound at the 2,500-seat Verizon Hall more lively. Amplification is never used and the sound is more reverberant. I found the sound warm and exciting.
The design of the Kimmel Center is of awesome modern design. It is composed of glass and other dense, hard woods and heavy materials to more efficiently reflect sound and conserve it within the audience chambers. Hopefully, you will be able to obtain tickets to some future performances. For ticket information you can call Ticket Philadelphia at (215) 893-1999.
I also found some great restaurants, and places of interest in nearby Valley Forge for my next column.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
Email: mascribe@aol.com
