File:An historical account of the old State house of Pennsylvania now known as the Hall of independence (1876) (14781812431).jpg

Identifier: historicalaccoun01etti (find matches)
Title: An historical account of the old State house of Pennsylvania now known as the Hall of independence
Year: 1876 (1870s)
Authors: Etting, Frank M. (Frank Marx)
Subjects: Independence Hall (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publisher: Boston, J. R. Osgood and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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slender spire or point. Immediately in front of the spire on the mainroof, a second bell, called the clock bell, and sometimes confoundedwith the Liberty Bell,was suspended with a slight covering or shedbuilt over it, as is seen in Birchs Familiar Views of the StateHouse. The Bill for this work is also extant, and may interest thecurious : — Mr. Thomas Nevell,for the State House. 1781, To John Coburn, Dr.July 16. — To sundry hands getting down the Old Steeple, andgetting up the new one, getting up the Bell, and fixing of it, £12 00 00 To tlie two falls and blocks and Crab getting the OldSteeple down and the new u)), and the Bell, . . . 8 00 00 £20 00 00 Note. —This is the Riggers bill against Nevell the Carpenter. In September, 1784, important repairs were needed for the protec-tion of the building. These are specified in the Report of the Com-mittee, and are entirely immaterial, so far as the general appearance isconcerned. The sidewalk had not been entirely paved, but was in
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EARLY SURROUNDINGS. 129 turf, except apparently the then usual pebble-stone footway of semi-circular form leading up to, and from, the steps. These stones seemto have been taken up about 1784 or 1785, and a brick side-walk par-allel with the street, nine feet in width, was constructed; the inter-vening space was graveled. It so remained for some time after thecommencement of the present century. No trees then ornamented the front, but a pump for the converi-iency of the public, and for protection from fire, in connection withthe leather fire-bucket — one hundred of which were ordered to be sup-plied and which were kept constantly on hand — was placed in front ofeach arcade. It was at one time deemed desirable to open a street through toMarket, immediately opposite the State House, and a Committee wasappointed by the Assembly, March 19,1772, to confer with the ownersof the lots, to ascertain if the same may be had at a reasonable priceand make report.

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