Independence NHP➤

Independence National Historical Park is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The park stands as one of the most significant historic sites in the United States. It preserves several key landmarks related to the nation’s founding and early history, including Congress Hall.

Located adjacent to Independence Hall, Congress Hall served as the seat of the United States Congress from 1790 to 1800, while Philadelphia was the capital of the United States. During this time, significant events such as the inauguration of George Washington for his second term as President took place here.

Don’t overlook this tour when visiting Independence Hall. This tour requires no tickets or reservations. Just wait on the line for the next tour to start (they run every 20-30 minutes.) The tour is longer and more extensive than the one you need tickets for in Independence Hall. As our ranger said, Independence Hall was the ‘Big Idea’ building, but Congress Hall is where the real work got done.

Congress Hall➤

In 1790, Philadelphia became the temporary capital of the newly formed United States. The recently constructed Philadelphia Courthouse was loaned to the Federal Government as a meeting place for the House of Representatives and the Senate.

George Washington was inaugurated here for his second term and four years later he declined to seek a third term. In 1797, John Adams, who had defeated Thomas Jefferson in the first two-party election, took the oath of office here, cementing one of the foundations of our democracy: the peaceful transition of power.

Our ranger brought us into the large courtroom on the first floor. The House of Representatives met here.  The furniture here is not original as the desks were auctioned off once the capital moved to DC. The NPS reacquired some of the originals, but they are in the upstairs rooms. So we were able to sit at these authentic looking desks with ink wells while the ranger talked.

Next we went upstairs to see the room used by the Senate as well as some other smaller committee rooms where large paintings of France’s King Louis 16^th and Marie Antoinette adorn the walls. These were gifts from France after the American Revolution ended.

In 1800, Washington, DC became the US capital and Congress Hall reverted to serving as the Philadelphia courthouse.

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Location: 6th & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, PA
Designation: National Historical Park
Date designated/established: 1951
Date of my visit: August 2017