November 2010

The Tavern was built "for the convenience and credit of the city" by a group of eminent Philadelphians who felt that their hometown deserved a fine tavern which reflected its status as the largest, most cosmopolitan city in British North America. When the Tavern was completed in 1773, it was one of the most elegant buildings in the city.

From that time until the close of the century, City Tavern knew the patronage of the great and near-great of the American Revolution. It became the practice of the members of the Second Continental Congress to dine together each Saturday at the Tavern. Eight of the delegates, Randolph, Lee, Washington, Harrison of Virginia, Alsop of New York, Chase of Maryland, and Rodney and Read of Delaware chose to form a "table" and dine there daily.

It houses the world's largest collection of books, letters, manuscripts, and memorabilia pertaining to the Brownings, as well as a substantial collection of primary and secondary materials related to 19th century literature and culture.

The Declaration House, located on the southwest corner of 7th and Market Streets, was reconstructed in 1975. The exhibit is open year round, though hours vary by season.The house was originally built in 1775 by Philadelphia bricklayer Jacob Graff, Jr. During the summer of 1776 Thomas Jefferson, a 33-year-old delegate from Virginia to the Continental Congress, rented the two second-floor rooms and there drafted the Declaration of Independence. The first floor contains exhibits and a short film on the drafting of the Declaration. On the second floor, the bedroom and parlor that Jefferson occupied have been recreated and contain period furnishings. Also included are reproductions of Jefferson's swivel chair and the lap desk he used when he wrote the Declaration.

The tour takes approximately one hour and includes the Bishop White House. Built in 1775, it was occupied from 1791 -1793 by lawyer John Todd, and his wife Dolley Payne. Todd died during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic. Following her husband's death, Dolley married James Madison, destined to become the fourth President of the United States. The couple subsequently moved to the Madison estate in Virginia. The Todd House reflects the lifestyle of 18th century Philadelphia's middle class.

Tours are limited to 10 people, and tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The tour takes approximately one hour and includes the Todd House. White chose its location because it lay midway between the two churches he served. The house has been restored to reflect the lifestyle of upper-class Philadelphians during the late 18th century. Many of the items in the house actually belonged to the Bishop and are on display for visitors to see.

“No other church has played a more significant role in our nation’s birth”, according to historian David McCullough. Christ Church was founded in 1695 as a condition of William Penn’s Charter. The current building dates to 1744, and has been cited as “our finest Early American church.” Its steeple (1754) is the work of Robert Smith, one of America’s earliest architects; Thomas U. Walter, later architect of the U.S. Capitol, redesigned the interior of the sanctuary (1832-36). At Christ Church, 25% of Philadelphia’s free and enslaved Africans were baptized, a school was created to educate slaves, and the first black priest, Absalom Jones, was ordained. During the Revolutionary Era, Christ Church welcomed the Continental Congresses. Benjamin and Deborah Franklin and Betsy Ross were parishioners. Later, George Washington and John Adams attended services while they were the nation’s Chief Executives. Here, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States was created from the ashes of the Church of England. Christ Church is a privately managed historic site that is an official component of Independence National Historical Park (INHP).

Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The main part of the present buildings were most likely constructed between 1000 and 1450 A.D. They appeared much as they do today when the first Spanish explorers arrived in Northern New Mexico in 1540 and believed that the Pueblo was one of the fabled golden cities of Cibola. Today, approximately 150 people live within the Pueblo full time.

Franklin Court was the site of the handsome brick home of Benjamin Franklin, who lived here while serving in the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Franklin died here in 1790; the house was torn down about 20 years later. Today the site contains a steel "ghost structure" outlining the spot where Franklin's house stood and features an underground museum with a film and displays, an 18th century printing office, an architectural/archeological exhibit, an operating post office and a postal museum.

Since its founding, Carpenters’ House has been the home to numerous tenants in the arts, sciences and commerce. The First Continental Congress of the United Colonies of North America met here from September 5 to October 26, 1774, where they resolved to ban further imports of slaves and to discontinue the slave trade within the colonies, a step toward phasing out slavery in British North America. The meeting hall served as a hospital for both British and American troops in the Revolutionary War, and other institutions in Philadelphia have held meetings in Carpenters' Hall, including Franklin's Library Company of Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society, the First and Second Banks of the United States. Today, Carpenters' Hall is open to the public and welcomes over 150,000 world-wide visitors each year.

The Chacoan sites are part of the homeland of Pueblo Indian peoples of New Mexico, the Hopi Indians of Arizona, and the Navajo Indians of the Southwest. The majority of the park and cultural sites are self-guided year-round. Six major sites are located along the 9-mile long Canyon Loop Drive. These sites include: Una Vida, Hungo Pavi, Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo del Arroyo, and Casa Rinconada.