The central hub of Philadelphia's passenger rail system, what was originally called Pennsylvania Station-30th Street opened in 1933, replacing the outdated and small Broad Street Station. The boom in Philadelphia rail commuters also meant the station was equipped with the most modern innovations of the electrified rail system, including an electric intercom system. Today, the station, which has been seen in such movies as Trading Places and Unbreakable, is one of the busiest Amtrak stations in the United States.

On May 17, 1838, just four days after it opened, Pennsylvania Hall was burned to the ground by anti-abolitionist mobs. Prominent abolitionists like Lucretia Mott and the Grimke sisters looked on as Pennsylvania Hall, at 6th Street near Franklin Square, was burned. Pennsylvania Hall was to be the rallying place and symbol of the new abolitionist movement of blacks and whites alike, but racially-motivated tension and violence, especially during the 1830s and 1840s, meant Philadelphia abolitionists would lose all the momentum they had gained before that time. The victims were blamed for causing unrest, and the struggle for racial equality continued.

A culinary icon of the city and a tourist draw, the Philadelphia cheesesteak was officially created in 1930, when vendor Pat Olivieri, tired of making hot dogs, grilled some steak and onions; the new sandwich was immediately noticed. Soon after, Olivieri and his brother opened Pat's King of Steaks, which is also famous for its 40-year rivalry with Geno's across the street. But these two locations are by no means the only places to get an aunthentic Philly cheesesteak: Tony Luke's, Rick's Philly Steaks, and Jim's Steaks (among many others) all offer the tasty, famous sandwich.  

Beginning in the 1840s, Chinese laborers began settling in Philadelphia, seeking work (much of it harsh and limited by discrimination); many of these immigrants nationwide gathered in "Chinatowns," but Philadelphia's Chinatown was distinctly characteristic of the city. The community grew rapidly during the twentieth century, and Chinatown transitioned from secluded neighborhood to neighborhood engaged with the entire city. Chinatown's "friendship arch" welcomes visitors to a place at once a tourist attraction (full of shops and restaurants) and a thriving, living neighborhood.

On the central square laid out by William Penn, City Hall, built from 1871 to 1901, replaced the outdated and undersized Old City Hall. The current City Hall is an incredibly ornate and detailed structure (made in a style that was outdated before the building was even completed): it has 700 rooms and it holds 250 pieces of sculpture, including the 37-foot tall William Penn statue that graces its tower. For most of its history, City Hall, at 549 feet, was the tallest building in Philadelphia. While in 1987 that “gentlemen’s agreement” to keep it as the tallest Philadelphia building was violated, the image of City Hall and William Penn are the image of Philadelphia, both in city and in government.

This 45-foot high, 10-ton steel and Cor-Ten sculpture was created by Claes Oldenburg in 1976 and stands at 15th and Market Streets. The sculpture, which references City Hall's tower in the form of a visual pun, was also the backdrop for a scene in the movie Trading Places. Another Oldenburg sculpture, a split button, can be found in front of the University of Pennsylvania's Van Pelt Library.

Church bells rang in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, as the Continental Congress adopted the United States Declaration of Independence, which declared the 13 colonies at war with Great Britain to be independent states. Published in several forms, including a broadside found in newspapers like the Pennsylvania Packet, the Declaration not only listed grievances the new colonials had with Great Britain, as well as declaring its own set of unalienable rights. The Declaration's legacy also extended to other nations that utilized it as a model for framing their own demands for rights and independence.

Henry Disston’s Disston Saw Works influenced and infiltrated nearly every aspect of Tacony in northeast Philadelphia. In 1871, Disston began moving his nearly thirty-year-old saw business—renowned for the quality and dependability of its products—to a large location in Tacony. Disston had made a name for his business nationwide for his introduction of new products and cost-cutting machinery. A believer in hard work and fair treatment of his employees, Disston shaped a working-class community around his factory. An average of 2,500 people worked at the factory, and Disston ensured that employees had adequate wages, benefits packages, and training. Employees’ families reaped the benefits of Disston’s paternalism too: the Disston family funded construction of new homes and a new school, and provided the town with its own water source, a hall, and a library. Disston’s deed for the nearly 400 acres of land he owned specifically prohibited buildings that sold liquor; although challenged, the deed has withstood the test of time. Although Disston’s family controlled the company until the 1950s, global competition and financial difficulties led to the company’s sale and significant dismantling of the large site. Today, the Disston complex is home to R. A. F. Industries, and Disston’s name is still found in various points in the old industrial town of Tacony.

In 1844, the Fairmount Park system was founded when the city purchased from the assignees of the defunct Bank of the United States the estate known as Lemon Hill - formerly the estate of Henry Pratt - fifty-two acres for ,000. Through the next few decades, the Park was expanded by purchases of adjacent properties, like Sedgely, adjacent to Lemon Hill. The Park hosted the 1876 Centennial Exposition - one of industrial Philadelphia's finest moments - and includes notable features like Shofuso, Memorial Hall, Bartram's Garden, and several museums. The Park, which contains 10 percent of the land in Philadelphia city and county, now encompasses 9,200 acres and 62 smaller, neighborhood parks.

The Fairmount Water Works began with the eighteenth-century yellow fever epidemics of Philadelphia, when the contamination of water became an important issue.  The newly-created Philadelphia Water Department directed the construction of a water works (the first municipal water works) on the eastern banks of the Schuylkill River.  Completed in 1819, the Water Works supplied the city of Philadelphia with water for 94 years. Always a tourist attraction, it became the home for the Philadelphia Aquarium, where fish, sea lions, and seals entertained city tourists until 1962. The Water Works is now open to visitors and has its own Interpretive Center.

Immediately northeast of Center City, Fishtown was named for the prosperous fishing industry on the Delaware that was dominated by German immigrants in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The neighborhood's working class character was augmented by the influxes of German, Irish, and Polish immigrants in the nineteenth century and the industries of the neighborhood. Two Roman Catholic churches built by nineteenth-century immigrants, St. Laurentius (Polish) and Holy Name of jesus (Irish), still serve the community. More recently, Fishtown has become a hotspot for new real estate and gentrification.

This large neighborhood adjacent to the Frankford Creek began as a German settlement and progressed into the eighteenth century as a manufacturing center, home to a gunpowder mill and the Frankford Arsenal, among other industries. With the opening of the Market-Frankford Line in 1922, the working-class neighborhood became a center for commercial activity as well. Although Frankford lost commercial success to the suburbs, neighborhood residents have pushed to revitalize the industrial neighborhood.

The original Penn square formerly called Northeast Square was renamed in 1825 for Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin. Originally a pasture, the square was also utilized for gun powder storage during the American Revolution and provided a graveyard for the German Reformed Church in the nineteenth century. But twentieth-century construction projects like the the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Vine Street Expressway cut off the Square and replaced the neighborhood's buildings with noise and automobile traffic.  

Girard College combines various under-known narratives in one building, Founder's Hall. The life of Stephen Girard is an amazing tale: merchant, mariner, and philanthropist, he died as one of the wealthiest men in America. He left millions in his contested will to various organizations and for the creation of Girard College, a boarding school for "poor, white, male orphans." Founder's Hall, the columned, Greek Revival centerpiece of the campus-- it's bigger than the Parthenon-- was designed as a classroom building by architect Thomas U. Walter, famous for later constructing the United States Capitol building's domes. Girard wanted no "needless ornament," in the structure, but Founder's Hall was both grandly designed and the most expensive building project in America pre-Civil War. But architecture and philanthropy are only two parts of the story. During the Civil Rights era, when many began questioning Girard's “whites only” policy. When one African-American woman's attempt to enroll her two sons was refused, a legal battle and daily protests, some led by Martin Luther King, Jr., around the walls of the college, ensued for months before the Supreme Court ruled that Girard College must allow children of all races into the school. Today, Girard College's student body has a strong African-American component, as well as a majority of females-- a group not permitted at Girard until 1984.

Recognized as a national leader in urban farming and a committed partner of the Philadelphia community, Greensgrow was created in 1998 on the site of an old galvanized steel plant and transformed its imediate surroundings. Greensgrow began with the hydroponic growing of lettuce, and moved on to a complex containing large beds of organic soil and heirloom vegetables, a Farm Stand, a Nursery, and a City Supported Agriculture. Recognized as a national leader in urban farming, Greensgrow additionally offers tours and classes and has recently begun making biodiesel.

Founded in 1824 by a small group of Philadelphia gentlemen interested in history, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania began its collecting activities focusing on colonial and early American history, as well as regional Pennsylvania history. Courting historically important families like the Penns, the Historical Society amassed one of the most significant collections - including books, letters, broadsides, pamphlets, prints and photographs, genealogical materials, and artifacts - of these periods and regions, and now includes 600,000 printed items and 19 million manuscript and graphic items. Today the Society is open to researchers and provides various historical programming for the city.

Morrey was the first mayor of Philadelphia, an English Quaker, a wealthy merchant, and a longtime Philadelphia public servant. In 1691, a charter not only incorporated Philadelphia into a city, but also appointed Morrey as mayor. After his mayoral stint, Morrey became a judge and a member of William Penn's council.

Formerly known as the Pennsylvania State House, this structure was completed in 1753 and is considered the birthplace of the United States. The building was the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress and the place where both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed. The building's bell tower was the original home to the Liberty Bell; the second floor was the home of a natural history museum; the basement was once home to the city's dog pound. The restored building is now part of Independence National Historical Park.

An L&I (Licenses and Inspections) permit is required for Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Zoning projects in the city of Philadelphia to ensure the proper adherence to codes of the city, focusing on public safety. Since 1952, the Department of Licenses and Inspections has worked to regulate the conduct of busineses and people by issuing licenses, conducting inspections, and enforcing regulations and codes. 

 In 1985, 99,000 people packed into now-demolished JFK Stadium to witness benefit concert Live Aid, with a simultaneous concert in London, England; the concert was viewed by 400 million people worldwide via television. Organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, Live Aid—along with all-star Christmas tune “Do They Know It's Christmas?”—aimed to provide famine relief for Ethiopia. With performers like Run-DMC, Madonna, and Mick Jagger, the star-studded event raised about two million dollars, and set the stage for further relief concerts.

An original Square of Penn's design and once called Northwest Square, Logan Circle was utilized as a burial ground and a pasture, much like Washington Square. But Logan Square also hosted the last public execution in Philadelphia-- a hanging-- and was in 1825 named for William Logan. Around this time, bringing horses, carts, or wagons into the square became a punishable offense. Later improvements like the Ben Franklin Parkway required a rethinking of the square similar to the Place de la Concorde in Paris, and the Swann Fountain made Logan Circle one of the most beautiful spots in the city.

Lucretia Mott was renowned as an outspoken abolitionist, Quaker minister, and proponent of women's rights.  While she frequently traveled away from her Philadelphia home, Mott helped to establish the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and harbored fugitive slaves.  Mott spoke frequently in churches and halls in the city and nationwide asserting the need for equality for both women and blacks. 

Michael Nutter became Philadelphia’s 98th Mayor when he was elected in November 2007. Nutter was raised in West Philadelphia, attended the University of Pennsylvania, and is a former councilman. During his time as councilman, Nutter introduced significant ethics legislation, worked to lower taxes, and led efforts to pass a citywide smoking ban. After positioning himself as a reformer, Nutter won the mayoral election in a landslide.

Famed opera impresario Oscar Hammerstein (grandfather of the famous lyricist) brought his operatic franchise to Philadelphia, where he built one of the grandest opera houses in the nation: over 4,000 seats, a gorgeous design, and a bold challenge to the Academy of Music (run by the Metropolitan Opera Company) downtown. After only two sold-out seasons of grand opera in a full-on Philadelphia opera war, Hammerstein ran into debt, and had to sell his wildly popular opera house to his competitor. But the population and business boom on North Broad at the turn of the nineteenth century faded quickly, and future owners would have difficulty drawing crowds and earning profit. The Met Company left after a few years of opera, vaudeville, and plays. Another company turned the Met into a ballroom in the 1930s. A sports promoter later covered the orchestra pits with flooring so basketball, wrestling, and boxing could take place. Attendance waned as the neighborhood was increasingly abandoned and deteriorated. In 1954 the Met was sold to the Reverend Thea Jones, who used the Met for a huge church congregation that once more filled the rafters. But the congregation decreased and the building deteriorated rapidly, as plaster began falling and the second level was sealed off with a tarp. By 1994, the building was declared imminently dangerous, but was saved from demolition by Reverend Mark Hatcher and his church, which purchased the building in 1996 and raised funds to repair the church in a neighborhood that has finally seen some resurgence. 

Mother Bethel began with the journey of Richard Allen, a former slave who was converted to Methodism and later bought his freedom. Methodist leaders brought the young preacher to Philadelphia in 1787 to preach to the segregated black congregation at Saint George’s Methodist Church, but tensions between white and black parishioners pushed Allen to leave, taking with him the rest of the black flock of Saint George’s. In that same year Allen formed both Bethel Church. Bethel Church worked to abolish slavery, end the colonization movement, improve education, and assist free slaves. By the early 1800s Bethel had become a “mother” to the first African-American denomination—the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Its social aid helped the black community through tumultuous times in the mid-nineteenth century. Its greatest work came during only a brief period, when the church’s basement became a stop on the Underground Railroad. Numerous fugitives were hidden, clothed, and fed. Great abolitionists like Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass spoke from the church’s pulpit.In the twentieth century, the church assisted thousands of blacks arriving from the south as part of the Great Migration, and created a Richard Allen Museum. The congregation has continuously been large and influential in the black community. The 1889 church has stood on land that is the longest continuously held parcel by African Americans.

With roots in the seventeenth century European tradition of Mummers Play, these costumed performers participate in the New Year’s Day Mummers Parade, where Mummer clubs compete in the divisions of Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades with costumes, scenery, music, skits, and dance, and travel north on Broad Street. Most Mummer’s clubs (the earliest of which dates back to about 1840) are based in South Philadelphia, and the televised (now nationally) parade has become a Philadelphia icon.

The site of Elfreth's Alley, the Betsy Ross House, and Christ Church (among numerous other historic buildings), Old City is one of the oldest and most historic districts in the city, and was the area in which William Penn and Quakers first settled and spread the city westward from the Delaware River. Modest in comparison to nearby Society Hill, Old City thrived for a time as part of the city's manufacturing center, but, like Society Hill, struggled when manufacturing moved elsewhere. But starting about 50 years ago, Old City's historic areas and buildings attracted a new wave of residents and business owners, and Old City now is a popular place for viewing historic structures and art galleries.

The nation's first hospital was founded by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond in 1751. With the story of the Good Samaritan as its official seal, the hospital's commitment to care was first shown in the Revolutionary War, when both Continental and British soldiers were treated. With talented physicians at its helm, including such notables as Philip Syng Physick and Thomas Story Kirkbride, and facilities like a renowned medical library, maternity hospital, and mental hospital, the Pennsylvania Hospital has maintained a reputation for its superior care. The success of the charitable effort by Franklin and bond inspired others, including Stephen Girard, to become Philadelphia philanthropists.

In 1829, two men created The Pennsylvania Inquirer in the hopes of getting a piece of the frenzied media action in the city—Philadelphia already had six major, competitive newspapers. While the first two owners struggled, the next owner, Jesper Harding, and his son, William, established the Inquirer as a dominant force in media. The Hardings acquired rival papers, established delivery routes, cut prices, changed the paper’s size, and changed the name to The Philadelphia Inquirer. In the Civil War, the Inquirer’s battlefield coverage garnered respect and popularity. By 1889, the paper was sold to James Elverson, who innovated the paper further, by cutting prices and increasing the paper’s size again, utilizing promotions and classified advertising, and adding new sections, including a Sunday edition. Elverson even used the paper to campaign for public works. Elverson’s son’s tenure began in the 1910s, during which time the base of operations was moved to Broad Street. The paper thrived and circulation soared. But after Elverson the younger’s death in 1929, the paper was sold, and through a series of other sales, was sold to Knight Newspapers. The paper’s reputation from 1975 to 1990 flourished, as the paper’s reporting garnered national awards. In recent times, cuts, a push to local coverage, and competition with internet sources have led to circulation drops and a sale to businessman Brian Tierney. Today, Inquirer figures estimate an average of two million readers both in print and in online editions, as the paper focuses on adapting to the changing needs of its readers.

Known as America's First Zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo opened in 1874, with Frank Furness-designed gates and gatehouses. More than 3,000 visitors came to the zoo on its opening day, where admission was 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children, and 813 animals greeted visitors. Today at the zoo, little has changed regarding the zoo's gates, gatehouses, and The Solitude, the home of John Penn; but now, over 1,300 rare and endangered animals greet over 1.1 million visitors today.

It has only happened twice—in 1980 and 2008—that the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series of baseball. The 1980 win was the Phillies' first win in its 98-year tenure. The Phillies team included legends like Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose; it was the highest-rated television broadcast of the World Series to date, and sent Philadelphia into a frenzy. That celebration would be eclipsed by the 2008 Phillies World Series win over the Tampa Bay Rays broke a city-wide, 25-year long sports championship drought, giving the city new sports heroes in the likes of pitcher Cole Hamels.

The Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia actively promotes the appreciation, protection, and appropriate use/development of the historic structures and communities of Philadelphia. The organization was formed in 1996, when the Preservation Coalition and the Historic Philadelphia Preservation Corporation merged. Since that time, the Preservation Alliance has made significant efforts toward saving endangered buildings of the city, and also promotes advocacy, regional and neighborhood initiatives, and public education.

One of William Penn's original five squares and formerly Southwest Square, Rittenhouse Square was renamed in1825, after David Rittenhouse, prominent Philadelphia clockmaker, astronomer, and public servant. The first house erected on the square in 1840 was a stately townhome for a retired merchant and Congressman; it set the tone for the other lots of the square, which were divided and sold for other stately homes and buildings. While today, private homes have been replaced by high rise residences, restaurants, and hotels, among other luxurious amenities, the stately beauty of the square and its Park still wow residents and visitors.

The Royal Theater, called “American’s Finest Colored Photoplay House,” upon its 1920 opening, was the first black-run theater in the city. The theater became a beacon for the African-American entertainment sector on South Street. Patrons regularly filled the theater’s 1,200 seats to see acts like Fat Weller and Bessie Smith. Patrons also loved the films at the Royal, which included films shot at local Colored Pictures Film Corporation. The first staff of the theater went on to become the nucleus of the Negro Motion Pictures Operators Union.   The community was closely tied to the theater. Neighborhood residents were the Royal’s most loyal patrons and participated in talent shows and radio broadcasts. Business owners received increased foot traffic after Royal shows. But by the 1960s, the threat of the construction of an expressway in the neighborhood (that never materialized) and Civil rights legislation, which allowed blacks to move freely and patronized other entertainment venues, decimated the Royal’s neighborhood and attendance. The Royal closed its doors in 1970. The Royal deteriorated quickly: trees sprouted from its masonry and moisture destroyed the interior. Urban decay took hold of the neighborhood by the 1980s, with drugs and empty lots becoming staples of the neighborhood. By the early 1990s, the Royal was up for demolition.  But the demolition request spurred new interest in the Royal: but for years, an owner was hard to come by. Finally, by 2000, native Philadelphian Kenny Gamble purchased the theater; Gamble hopes to rehabilitate it. Meanwhile, the resurgent neighborhood has new small businesses and homeowners.

ENIAC, short for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, a secret World War II project carried out by two men affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Engineering. Completed in 1946, ENIAC, widely accepted as the first modern computer, filled a 50-foot long basement room and weighed 30 tons. The successful use of ENIAC informally ushered in the age of information technology and prompted others to build improved computers. ENIAC is still guarded by Penn's engineering school, and was fired up as recently as its 50th anniversary.

Fairmount Park's ties to Japan started before Shofuso, the Japanese House and Garden: at the 1876 Centennial Exposition, Japan had its own exhibit buildings on site (a bazaar/tea house and a dwelling), as well as exhibits in the main buildings; and Niomon, a seventeenth-century authentic Japanese gate, was located on the same site as Shofuso-- the heavily vandalized Niomon burned to the ground in 1955. Shofuso in Fairmount Park was designed only a few years after the end of World War II and was given to the United States as a goodwill gesture-- the first official gift to the United States by the Japanese, it was originally part of a series of model homes in the sculpture garden at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  It may be the only example of the Shoin-zukuri architectural style found outside of Japan.

From Walnut to Lombard, Front to 8th, Society Hill takes it name from the Free Society of Traders, and became one of eighteenth-century Philadelphia's most popular and affluent neighborhoods and home to gentlemen and the federal government. After the initial boom in real estate, the city expanded westward, and Society Hill's draw waned, and the neighborhood quickly became dilapidated. But a widespread interest in the history of Philadelphia beginning in the 1950s revitalized the neighborhood's historic streets and buildings, making it a popular destination for tourists hoping to get a glance at the past.

A small town bounded by the Delaware, Tacony was a small resort town with a railroad station before it was molded by Henry Disston and his saw works, which arrived in 1872. Disston's paternalism, coupled with the employment of several thousand, shaped the neighborhood into a working-class, tight-knit communnity, with its own water supply, churches, schools, community organizations, and newspaper. After the Disston's family sale of factory and the exodus of other industries in the mid-twentieth century, Tacony has seen economic decline. Today, however, Tacony has its own minor league football team, the Tacony Eagles, and remnants of the Disston family all over town.

From May 25 to September 17, 1787, the Philadelphia Convention - now known as the Constitutional Convention - convened in the Pennsylvania State House to discuss the issues of governing in Pennsylvania and to discuss the challenges of the Articles of Confederation. The 55 delegates at the Convention were all significant leaders, including George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin, spent considerable hours developing and signing the United States Constitution (a compromise between several proposed plans). Not all were pleased with the result, but the Constitution provided a document for the foundation of government operations, to be discussed and developed over the course of further government operations.

Philadelphian Thomas Eakins painted from about 1870 to 1916 - an extraordinarily long career that cemented him as one of the most important American painters. Focusing primarily on subjects from his hometown, Eakins' work was largely ignored in his time, but paintings like The Gross Clinic and The Agnew Clinic not only display Eakins skill but also provide a glimpse into scenes and people of Philadelphia. As a teacher at the Pennsylvania Academy, Eakins improved art education, utilizing realism and anatomy study.

Also known as Pennsport, Two Street is a South Philadelphia neighborhood where many of the first Irish immigrants lived (south 2nd Street) and also is the home of many Mummer clubs, who practice beneath I-95 along Columbus Boulevard starting in October. Originally part of Moyamensing Township and the First Ward, the red brick neighborhood was a manufacturing sector in the nineteenth century and today is home to a diverse community, many of whom are family of the Irish and manufacturing families that came to Two Street many years ago.

The easternmost section of West Philadelphia, University City was not recognized as such until the 1960s. At that time, parts of the District of West Philadelphia, Blockley, Mantua, and Hamilton Village (among other smaller neighborhoods) were consolidated when the idea of a University city, a haven for students and faculty (especially of the University of Pennsylvania), became a driving force in creating a revitalized and distinct neighborhood. Now encompassing several universities, the area furthers its name as being home to medical institutions, research facilities, and a distinct residential section in the west.

John Wanamaker, Philadelphia citizen, became a legend in retail with the opening of first of the Oak Hall Bazaar, a men’s clothing store, in 1866; and then with the opening of his first department store, the Grand Depot, in 1876. Wanamaker’s stores were filled with retail innovations: the price tag, money-back guarantee, newspaper advertisements, promotions, the White Sale, bonuses/insurance/pensions for employees, an in-store sick room, and guides to the city, just to name a few. Wanamaker’s store—which was replaced by the grand structure at Juniper and Market in 1911 that became an icon—became synonymous for quality and fairness in prices. After shoppers began moving to the suburbs in the mid-twentieth century, the store’s sales declined, leading to a series of sales of the store, the most recent to Macy’s.

This original square of William Penn's plan was formerly, simply called Southeast Square and was an open, pasture-like space for grazing animals; as “Congo Square,” it became the place where Africans were brought before being sold into bondage, and a place for blacks to sell goods. The space later became used for burials of Colonial troops and Philadelphia citizens, many who died because of the yellow fever outbreaks. Today, the Square is host to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Another Philadelphia speciality, water ice-- similar to a sno-cone but smoother and often fruitier-- was popularized as a summer treat in South Philadelphia and has since spawned the creation of other water ice businesses, including Philadelphia Water Ice and Rita's Water Ice (created by a former Philadelphia firefighter), which has over 500 stores on the east coast.

In 1682, William Penn selected a 1200-acre site between the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers for a new city, Philadelphia; the site had once been settled by Indians, Swedes and the Dutch, but came into English control in 1664. Penn arrived and drew up a plan based upon a gridded street pattern with a central square with smaller squares at each corner. The simplistic layout of the city, along with the city's rise as a port, factored into the city's real estate boom (it became the largest cities of the colonies by 1760) and the use of the plan as a model for other cities. 

In 1793, two factors combined to cause a devastating epidemic that killed about 4,000 people: an abnormally hot summer (which had followed a humid spring) and the influx of refugees—some infected with Yellow Fever—from what is now Haiti. The summer outbreak actually led to many prominent Philadelphians, including Stephen Girard, Benjamin Rush, Philip Syng Physick and Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church founder Richard Allen, coming to the aid of the sick. Many Philadelphians, including members of the federal government, fled the city, and many rich citizens actually moved out of the crowded sections for good. The outbreak led to intense discussion over the unsanitary conditions of Philadelphia, and led to the founding of the Philadelphia Water Works.