Independence Hall Canvas

Originally built as the Pennsylvania State House it was loaned to the second continental congress and is the location of the passage of the Declaration of Independence, the appointment of George Washington as Commander in Chief, and the site of the Constitutional Convention.    Across the Street is where Benjamin Franklin opened a library and the first bank in the USA was established in this same neighborhood.    Local Civic Leadership in Philadelphia saved Independence Hall from developers in the early 1800's.  In 1799 the Pensylvania legislature decided to move their Capital to Harrisburg PA and no longer be centered in Philadelphia.  The state legislature owned "Independence Hall" and planned on selling the land and building to private developers for profit.  Philadelphia's city government appealed to the state legislature wishing to purchase the land at a slight discount for historic preservation and civic pride.  The state legislature rejected the proposal and demanded the full as