Tidbits

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Tidbits

This gargoyle sits on the corner of a garage in a non-descript neighborhood.

That's not the crack. It's a repair. The actual crack that took the bell out of commission after 93 years of use is around the back. It goes all the way to the top. If a bell cracks anywhere but at the top, standard repair calls for drilling out the crack to keep the edges from vibrating against each other. The story the ranger told about this bell is that when it arrived from England, it didn't sound good (possibly a crack in transit.) Rather than send it back, a couple of local pot makers (Pass and Stowe) melted it down, added some pots, pans, and candlesticks, and recast it. It still didn't sound good. So, they melted it again, added even more pots, pans, and candlesticks. When they were done, it sounded good, but looked amateurish. Never mind -- it was going to be in a tower where nobody would look at it. They never made another bell. The fatal crack occurred while celebrating Washington's birthday. Yes, you can touch it.

Sidewalk cafes are common even in neighborhoods. This one is also a flower shop.

The Chinatown Arch is at Arch and 10th Streets.

Detail of One East Penn Square.

Billy Penn would be furious if he knew about this statue of him. The story goes that he was a Quaker. His dad had loaned King Charles II large sums of money. KCII wanted to pay that debt. KCII wanted to be rid of Billy Penn and all his trouble making Quaker buddies. Billy Penn wanted land in America, far away from KCII. So, BP offered KCII a deal. BP would take his Quaker trouble-makers to America and call the debt paid. KCII agreed on one condition -- that the land be named after BP's wealthy father. According to Quaker strictures, nothing can ever be named after a person. You can only name things after plants and rocks. But eventually BP gave in. When he first designed Philadelphia, he set Philly up on a grid system alternating parks and housing areas. Some of the streets still bear the original names: Walnut, Chestnut, Pine, Locust, Spruce. But the parks are now named after people. And to add insult to injury, Until the mid 70's this statue of Billy Penn was the highest thing in the city. You can take an elevator ride up to the top of City Hall, directly under this statue. On a clear day you can see all the way down the Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Art Museum.