Independence Hall
Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers. The structure forms the centerpiece of the Independence National Historical Park. Independence Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and as a World Heritage Site in 1979.
| Independence Hall | |
|---|---|
Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both debated and ratified | |
| Location | 520 Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°56′56″N 75°9′0″W |
| Architect | William Strickland (steeple) |
| Architectural style(s) | Georgian |
| Visitors | 645,564 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | vi |
| Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
| Reference no. | 78 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Designated | October 15, 1966 |
| Part of | Independence National Historical Park |
| Reference no. | 66000683 |
Location of Independence Hall in Philadelphia Independence Hall (Pennsylvania) Independence Hall (the United States) | |
The building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House. It served as the first capitol of both the United States and of the Province and later the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1781, and was the site of the Constitutional Convention, at which the U.S. Constitution, the longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world, was ratified on June 21, 1788.
A convention held in Independence Hall in 1915, presided over by former U.S. president William Howard Taft, marked the formal announcement of the formation of the League to Enforce Peace, which led to the League of Nations in 1920 and the United Nations in 1945, a quarter century later.