I.

RELOCATED BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND PHILADELPHIA

II. MAJOR RECONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS IN PHILADELPHIA
III. MAJOR/POPULAR RELOCATED OUTDOOR STATUES AND
MEMORIALS IN PHILADELPHIA
IV. RELOCATED SHIPS IN AND AROUND PHILADELPHIA
Researched by Harry Kyriakodis

I. RELOCATED BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND PHILADELPHIA

Letitia Street House: Located at Girard Avenue east of 34th Street, the Letitia Street House is one of the
oldest houses in Philadelphia. For the longest time, historians and city officials believed that this house
had been bought by or was built at the request of William Penn for his use when he arrived in
Philadelphia. He later supposedly gave it to his daughter, Letitia, at her marriage. So in 1883, the
house—having been used as a hotel for some eighty years—was purchased by the city and was moved
from Letitia Street to West Fairmount Park. There, it operated as a museum until it was discovered that
the house had little to do with the Penn family. As it turns out, the house was constructed about 1715 for
Thomas Chalkley on land originally owned by Letitia Penn. It was built in the early Georgian style by a
house carpenter named John Smart. Quietly in 1965, the Letitia Street House ceased admitting tourists.
The house is somewhat neglected and practically forgotten, hidden by trees on a hill near the busy ramps
to and from the Schuylkill Expressway off Girard Avenue.
Cannon Ball House: This structure survived bombardment during the Revolutionary War, but was
demolished in 1996 after the city allowed it to deteriorate. The humble farmhouse was used as a staging
area by British forces when they laid siege to Fort Mifflin (then known as Fort Mud) in November 1777.
During the siege, two American cannonballs whizzed through the front of the house and exited the
opposite side, wounding three British soldiers inside. Marks where the balls hit the walls were still visible
over 200 years later. One of the oldest houses in Philadelphia, it survived so long because it was out of
the way in the southern part of South Philadelphia, where it ended up surrounded by the Southwest
Sewage Treatment plant. When the plant needed space to expand, the house in 1975 was relocated a
mile closer to Fort Mifflin. Cannon Ball House was moved with great ceremony at a cost of $168,000 paid
for by the EPA, but was then left to rot. The 1996 wrecking was done without the formal approval of the
city and state agencies responsible for historic buildings.
Cedar Grove: This native gray stone house was moved and reassembled stone-by-stone at its present
location on Lansdowne Avenue in Fairmount Park in 1926-28. It was originally located in the Frankford
section of Philadelphia, built by wealthy widow Elizabeth Coates Paschall in 1748-50. Cedar Grove
became the summer residence for five generations of her family, member of which made several
additions, extensions, and innovations. The house features an unusual two-sided wall of closets and
many of the original family furnishings. Lydia Thompson Morris donated Cedar Grove and the family
furnishings to the City of Philadelphia in 1926. Administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, it depicts
life as it might have been in the early 1800s.
Whitby Hall: James Coultas, a merchant, ferry operator, farmer, mill owner, vestryman, soldier,
philanthropist, judge, and High Sheriff of Philadelphia (1755-1758), built this house in 1754, or perhaps
earlier. Taking its name from the Yorkshire, England, village in which Coultas was born, the mansion was
located in West Philadelphia, on the banks of the Ameasaka (a.k.a. Thomas' Run, a stream that joined
Cobb's Creek) at what is now 1601 South 58th Street, at Florence Avenue. An addition to it was made
around 1811. Nearby Whitby Avenue is a reminder that the house was an early local landmark. For one
hundred years, this was noted as one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in America, and it
was one of several colonial buildings still standing in West Philadelphia at the turn of the 20th century. To
preserve it from the advancing city, the structure was taken apart stone-by-stone around 1923 and re-
erected as a private residence in the Merion Golf neighborhood, at Haverford, Pennsylvania.
Log cabin at Stenton: This large log cabin, now used as a residence, is on the grounds of Stenton, the
house museum at 4610 North 18th Street administered by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of
America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Stenton was the colonial mansion of James Logan,
William Penn's secretary and agent.) The log cabin was originally built as a dwelling for a Quaker family
perhaps as early as 1755-56 in what was to eventually become the southwest corner of 16th and Race
Streets in downtown Philadelphia. In 1817, the Society of Friends purchased the city block from 16th to
17th Streets and Race to Cherry Streets for use as a Quaker burial ground. The 2-story cabin was part of
the transaction. Friends Select School was later founded (1886) on the site of the cemetery—the graves
having been removed—and the log cabin remained. It lasted as part of the campus for over eighty years,
but when Friends Select undertook an expansion in the late-1960s, the cabin was moved to the Stenton
Park on January 26, 1969. For more about the cabin and its relocation, see Carol H. Brown, A Friends
Select School History (Philadelphia, PA: Friends Select School, 1989).
• Another log cabin stands in Philadelphia, built by an artist around 1986 with a truckload of logs
from West Virginia. The 2-story structure is located on the 800 block of Lawrence Street in
Northern Liberties, near Poplar Street.
• See also "Grant's Cabin" below.
Hatfield House: Now located at 33rd Street and Girard Avenue, this house started out between 1750 and
1770 in Nicetown for the Naglee family. It was remodeled around 1800 and again in the 1830s, when a
Greek revival style portico with five Ionic columns was added to dress up the façade. The house was
purchased by its namesake, Dr. Nathan L. Hatfield, in 1854 and served as a residence and a boarding
school for girls, still owned by the Hatfield family. In 1930, the structure was moved from Hunting Park
and Pulaski Avenue, near Wayne Junction, to its present location in East Fairmount Park. Dr. Hatfield's
son, Major Henry Reed Hatfield, presented it as a gift to the city. Hatfield House combines two
architectural rarities in Philadelphia: frame (rather than brick or stone) construction and use of the Greek
Revival style.
Free Quaker Meeting House: Constructed in 1783 at the southwest corner of Fifth and Arch Streets, this
was the first Free Quaker Meeting House in the world. Just before the building was restored in the mid-
1960s, it was moved about 20 feet west to its present location so as to enable the widening of 5th Street
as part of the creation of Independence National Historical Park. The Free Quakers—sometimes called
the Fighting Quakers—split from the pacifist main body to support the American Revolution. They were
inspired to assist in the conflict, even though they knew they would be "read out" (expelled) from the main
community of Quakers. The group of approximately 200 worshipped separately for only a few years until
participation waned. Betsy Ross was one of the two last congregants here. At the time when she and
John Price Wetherill locked the meeting house's doors in 1834, Ross was 82 years old. The building was
successively used as a school, an apprentice library, and then a plumbing warehouse. After its move and
renovation, it was used as headquarters for the Junior League of Philadelphia. The structure is now a
historical interpretive center. Its original basement vaults may still be under the intersection at 5th and
Arch Streets. For more on the relocation and restoration, see Charles E. Peterson, Notes on the Free
Quaker Meeting House, Fifth and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, Built 1783-84 (Compiled for Harbeson,
Hough, Livingston and Larson, Architects to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, from a Study of the
Documents and of the Fabric, by Charles E. Peterson, FAIA) (September 1966).
First Mother Bethel AME Church: Minister Richard Allen in 1791 founded the African Methodist
Episcopal Church (AME), familiarly known as "Mother Bethel." Allen officially became its minister and
promptly bought some property on the east side of Sixth Street near Lombard Street. Two years later, he
purchased (for $35) an old frame structure that had been formerly been a blacksmith shop and famously
hauled it with his own teams to Sixth and Lombard Streets. Allen’s congregants restored the building,
enlarged it, and opened a house of worship in July of 1794. The current Mother Bethel AME Church at
419 Soth 6th Street was constructed on the same location in 1889. The former blacksmith shop and two
subsequent structures occupied the same spot, which is the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by
African-Americans in the United States.
Joseph Sims House: Now located at to 234-36 South Eight Street, this fine 3-story structure is the last
survivor of Franklin Row, a group of ten row houses built in 1809-1810 on the west side of South 9th
Street between Locust and Walnut Streets. Franklin Row was designed by architect Robert Mills as a
speculative venture of Captain John Meany and John Savage. This particular house was originally 228
Franklin Row (228 S. 9th Street). It was purchased by merchant Joseph Sims, a member of
Philadelphia's early-19th century elite society, who appears to have rented out the place for many years.
After being used as a residence, a bookshop, and a commercial laboratory (Booth, Garrett & Blair from
1935 to 1966), the Sims house was abandoned and became endangered, as all the other Franklin Row
houses had been demolished by then. To save it, the house was moved to the southwest corner of 8th
and Locust Streets in 1978. (I remember seeing it myself being moved to its current location; the building
was on a trailer with many many wheels.) A parking garage for Jefferson University stands on the
house's original site.
George School Meetinghouse (Twelfth Street Meetinghouse): The George School is a private Quaker
boarding and day high school near Newtown, Pennsylvania. Built in 1812 and incorporating materials
dating back as early as 1755, the campus meetinghouse was originally the Twelfth Street Meetinghouse
in Philadelphia, once located at 20 South12th Street, by Market Street. Students and faculty of the
adjacent William Penn Charter School had used the Twelfth Street Meetinghouse from 1875 to 1925.
When the Twelfth Street Meeting combined with the Race Street Meeting in 1956 to form Central
Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, the building became redundant. The land was sold in 1969 and the
building was saved by it being dismantled and rebuilt in its present location in 1972-1974. The structure's
pieces traveled down I-95 on a trailer with a police escort.
Saint Clement's Church: This historic Anglo-Catholic parish is located at 20th and Cherry Streets.
Designed by architect John Notman, construction began in 1856 and was completed three years later.
The city in 1929 undertook a project to widen North 20th Street by some forty feet as part of the Benjamin
Franklin Parkway project. Facing the prospect of having to demolish the church, the vestry decided to
move it forty feet to the west. They first purchased two additional properties to the rear of the church.
Then the 5,500 ton structure was raised onto steel beams, moved forty feet to the west, and placed on a
new foundation. For more on the relocation, see the pamphlet A Memorial on the Moving of St.
Clement's Church Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA: Innes & Sons, c. 1929).
Grant's Cabin: A log cabin served as General Ulysses S. Grant's wartime headquarters while he was at
City Point, Virginia, during the closing days of the Civil War. It was from this site that Grant planned and
organized the Siege of Petersburg, which ultimately helped bring about the end of the Civil War in
Virginia. And it was at here also that President Lincoln, Grant, and key military leaders met to discuss
how to reunify the country once the war was over. In 1865, Grant agreed to present his cabin as a gift to
the citizens of Philadelphia in recognition of their loyal support during the war. The log structure stood as
a major tourist attraction in Fairmount Park for many years. But through the decades, interest in the Civil
War waned and the cabin faced neglect. In 1983, the Fairmount Park Commission gave it to the National
Park Service, which reconstructed the cabin on its original site at Appomattox Manor. It is now an
integral part of the historical attractions at City Point.
U.S. Centennial Exposition buildings: Several non-permanent buildings used during the 1876
Centennial Exposition were dismantled and then reassembled elsewhere, outside of Philadelphia.
• The most significant structure from the Centennial still standing (in its original place) in
Philadelphia is Memorial Hall. Completely renovated in recent years, it now serves as the home
of the Please Touch Museum.
• The Ohio House, at the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Montgomery Drive, is another
Centennial Exposition building still standing. It now serves as a café (Centennial Cafe).
• The Catalog Building, at which visitors picked up official Exposition catalogues, was dismantled
after the fair ended. In 1885, it was reassembled in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and then moved to
Strafford, Pennsylvania, two years later to serve as a railroad station for the Pennsylvania
Railroad. Still standing, an electrical fire severely damaged the building’s interior and west side
in 1998. SEPTA rolled the station from its platform to the adjacent parking lot, where renovations
took place.
• On December 1, 1876, most of the Exhibition buildings were auctioned. Some buildings made
their way to New Jersey towns along the Atlantic Ocean.
• The fair's largest observation tower found a home in Coney Island, New York, as did several
other structures.
• Horticultural Hall survived as a conservatory until Hurricane Hazel hit in 1954. It was demolished
in 1955. A new Horticultural Center was built in 1973. Two small adjoining brick public toilet
facilities are the only reminders of the ornate Horticultural Hall.
• The Main Exhibition Building was sold for $250,000. It reopened in May 1877 and continued as
an attraction for two years. The operation encountered financial troubles and closed in 1879.
The building was demolished in 1881.
 • Machinery Hall was used to store some of the smaller buildings dismantled after the Exhibition. It
remained to at least 1879. Today a small lake occupies the area.
• Agricultural Hall was salvaged for its lumber, some of which was used to build homes, a railroad
station, and a 900-foot-long bridge over Wreck Pond Inlet in Spring Lake, New Jersey.
U.S. Sesqui-Centennial Exposition buildings: Several non-permanent buildings used during the 1926
Sesqui-Centennial were dismantled and then reassembled elsewhere, outside of Philadelphia.
• One such structure was the Ohio House, re-erected at the state fairgrounds near Columbus,
Ohio, and torn down (for good) in the 1980s or 1990s.
• Sulgrave Manor Replica: The home at 20 West Willow Grove Avenue in Philadelphia's Chestnut
Hill is a faithful replica of Sulgrave Manor, George Washington's ancestral home in England. It
was built by Louis Duhring as an exhibit for the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in 1926, following
which the house was moved to Chestnut Hill. Apparently, Washington never heard of or knew
about the real Sulgrave Manor during his lifetime.
• The American Swedish Historical Museum at 1900 Pattison Avenue, within FDR Park, is the last
major structure from the Sesqui-Centennial still standing (in its original place) in Philadelphia.
This land on which the museum stands was considered significant as it was part of a land grant
Sweden's Queen Christina gave to colonist Sven Skute in 1653.
The Japanese House (Shofuso): Located in West Fairmount Park is the only authentic 17th-century
house designed in the shoin style in the United States. The shoin-zukuri (desk-centered) house was
designed by distinguished architect Junzo Yoshimura and was originally constructed in 1953 in Nagoya.
After being exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in the mid-1950s, the Shofuso (pine
breeze villa) was presented to the United States as a gift from the people of Japan. It was reassembled
on the same spot as the Japanese pavilion of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and opened to the public in
1958. The building sits amid a formal two-acre garden designed by landscaper Tansai Sano. This site is
now the most popular tourist destination in Fairmount Park.
Liberty Bell Pavilion: Just after midnight on January 1, 1976, to mark the opening of the U.S.
Bicentennial Year, the Liberty Bell was moved to a small glass and steel pavilion in front of Independence
Hall for easier viewing by the larger number of visitors expected during the year. On October 9, 2003, the
Liberty Bell was moved to the new Liberty Bell Center along 6th Street between Market and Chestnut
Streets. Efforts to find a local taker for the structure having failed, the Liberty Bell Pavilion was
disassembled in 2006. Parts of it—pine flooring, 40 tons of granite, and thousands of bricks—were
shipped to Alaska, where they became part of Remembrance Park in downtown Anchorage.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses numerous architectural works that have been relocated to the
museum from around the world. These include altars, entranceways, fountains, temples, various period
rooms, a medieval French cloister, and a Japanese teahouse. (See the museum's website
(www.philamuseum.org) for more information.) For example, the museum's Galleries of Indian and
Himalayan Art have as their centerpiece the spectacular Pillared Temple Hall (India, Madurai, 16th
century) from Southern India. This veritable forest of granite blocks, carved with huge figures and scenes
from Hindu mythology, is the only Indian stone architecture standing in the United States.

II. MAJOR RECONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS IN PHILADELPHIA

New Hall: The Carpenters' Company was so successful in renting out Carpenters' Hall that it was forced
to move out of the building and construct a new headquarters: New Hall. The building was completed in
1791, adjacent to Carpenters' Hall on Chestnut Street. The guild met there from 1791 to 1857, at which
time it began meeting at Carpenters' Hall again. In December of 1790, Secretary of War Henry Knox
established his headquarters in Carpenters’ Hall. General Knox moved the War Department to New Hall
in 1791 when that structure was completed. New Hall was used by the War Department until 1792, thus
qualifying it as the first "official" Pentagon. The building was also the site of the founding of the U.S. Navy
in early 1798. Later that year, on July 11th, the U.S. Marine Corps was founded at New Hall. The
original New Hall was razed in the 1950s due to its dilapidated condition. It was reconstructed to its
original appearance in 1958 by the National Park Service and currently houses an Army-Navy Museum.
Library Hall: Located at 105 South 5th Street, this structure is a faithful reconstruction of the building that
served as the home of the Library Company of Philadelphia between 1790 and 1880. The original edifice
was built from designs of Dr. William Thornton, a physician who had no architectural training. Library Hall
was demolished in 1884 to clear the site for the ten-story Drexel Building. That building, in turn, was
razed in 1956 as part of the creation of Independence National Historical Park. Library Hall was then
rebuilt on the same location in 1959 to serve the library of the American Philosophical Society. The
reconstruction even includes a replica of the statue of Benjamin Franklin over the entrance.
City Tavern: The colonial-themed restaurant at 2nd and Walnut Streets is a reconstruction of
Revolutionary America's finest tavern. City Tavern was built in 1773 by a group of eminent
Philadelphians who felt that their hometown deserved a fine tavern that reflected its status as the largest,
most cosmopolitan city in British North America. When completed, City Tavern was considered the finest
establishment of its kind in the colonies, and soon became one of the social, political, and economic
centers of late-18th century America. It gained fame as the gathering place for members of the
Continental Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, and for officials of the Federal Government
from 1790 to 1800. At a famous meeting there in May of 1774, radicals propelled the colony of
Pennsylvania into the forefront of the dispute with England. The delegates of the First Continental
Congress were feted there at the beginning and end of their sessions, and George Washington was
honored there with banquets and balls on many occasions. (The first time that Washington and Adams
ever met was in City Tavern.) Never one to over-praise, John Adams in 1774 called it "the most genteel"
tavern in America. Eventually eclipsed as a center of the political and business world, City Tavern was
demolished in 1854. The present structure is a faithful reconstruction, in the same location, by the
National Park Service in 1975-76 for the U.S. Bicentennial celebration.
Declaration (or Graff) House: The original Graff house was built in 1775 by Philadelphia bricklayer and
dry goods merchant Jacob Graff, Jr. It was three stories with a 36-38 foot frontage on Market Street,
extending some 45 feet on Seventh Street. During the summer of 1776, Thomas Jefferson rented the
two second-floor rooms and there drafted the Declaration of Independence. The house was enlarged
and sold several times afterwards and eventually became a place of business. It was torn down around
1883 and a bank was built there. Later, a diner occupied the site. In preparation for the U.S.
Bicentennial and at the urging of the Independence Hall Association, the Graff house was reconstructed
in the mid-1970s as a tourist attraction on the same location. The first floor contains exhibits and a short
film on the drafting of the Declaration and a tribute to Jefferson's work in Philadelphia. The second floor
shows a recreation of the bedroom and parlor that Jefferson occupied.

III. MAJOR/POPULAR RELOCATED OUTDOOR

STATUES AND MEMORIALS IN PHILADELPHIA
Washington Grays' Monument: There are two statues of American soldiers in front of the Union League
at Broad and Sansom Streets. The one with the stovepipe hat includes an inscription that reads "To Our
Fallen Comrades 1861-1865" on the granite base. The base, which is the actual monument, was erected
by the Light Artillery Corps on April 19th, 1872, on the east side of Broad Street at the east side of the
intersection with Girard Avenue. The laying of trolley tracks on Girard Avenue forced the monument's
relocation to the center of Washington Square in 1898, about or after which time statue was added. But
the 1950s transformation of Washington Square into a Revolutionary War shrine forced the monument to
move again, this time to Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park. It stayed there from 1954 until 1991, when
the Union League rescued it from a neglectful public.
George Washington statue: In front of Independence Hall is a simple bronze statue of George
Washington. This is a copy of a white marble work by Joseph Alexis Bailly (1825-1883) that was installed
and dedicated there on July 5, 1869. The original statue was the result of a movement begun by the
school children of Philadelphia in the late 1850s to honor Washington. It unfortunately became very
deteriorated from the weather and in 1910 was moved to City Hall's Conversation Hall, where it is still
located. Both it and its identical yet more durable replacement are eight feet, 4 inches tall. They show
President Washington clutching his sword with his left hand while his right hand rests on a Bible. Cast in
1910, the bronze work at Independence Hall stands on a pedestal three feet square and seven feet high.
Abraham Lincoln Monument: The city of Philadelphia's Monument to Abraham Lincoln sits at the
intersection of Kelly (East River) and Lemon Hill Drives. It shows Abraham Lincoln in a sitting position,
holding in one hand the Emancipation Proclamation, and a pen in the other, his eyes toward heaven,
asking the Almighty for approval. Created by American sculptor Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), the
bronze monument was dedicated on September 22, 1871, after several years of work, having been a gift
to the city from the Lincoln Monument Association. It was apparently the third statue erected to Abraham
Lincoln in America. The entire Lincoln Monument was moved from the center of the intersection to the
side of Kelly Drive in 2002 for the purpose of traffic safety.
Joan of Arc statue: On the east side of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a gilded statue of Joan of Arc.
This is perhaps the finest example of French bronze statuary in the nation. Sculpted by Emmanuel
Fremiet and cast in 1874, the monument depicts the French heroine riding into the battle of Orleans in
1429. It originally stood at an intersection in Paris but was removed when a subway was constructed.
The Fairmount Park Art Association purchased it in 1890 and installed it at the east end of the Girard
Avenue Bridge the following year. Unappreciated there, it was moved to its present location on Kelly
Drive near 25th Street in 1948. It was then that it was given its gilt coat at the Philadelphia Museum of
Art.
St. George and the Dragon: In 1876, the Society of the Sons of St George commissioned a sculpture of
St. George slaying the dragon, the allegorical tale in which the Roman soldier killed a plague-bearing
dragon on the notion that the people he saved convert to Christianity. The statue, whose sculptor is
unknown, was cast in England in time for the U.S. Centennial. It was placed atop the pediment topping
the portico of St George's Hall, then located at 13th and Arch Streets. In 1903, the Society moved a
building at 19th and Arch Streets and placed the statue atop that structure. They sold the building in
1923 and moved to 19th and Spring Garden Streets; the sculpture followed. In 1935, it was moved into
storage at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it remained for 40 years. In 1975, it was dedicated on
West River (Martin Luther King) Drive, near Black Road, in time for the U.S. Bicentennial.
U.S. Centennial Exposition monuments and statues:
• Bartholdi Fountain: The elegant fountain in Washington's Bartholdi Park (southwest of the US
Capitol building, between Independence Avenue, First Street and Washington Avenue) was
created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi for the Centennial. It occupied a prominent position near
the entrance at Fairmount Park until being purchased by the U.S. government in 1877. It was
moved to Washington, D.C., where it was later placed by the National Botanic Garden. The
fountain was dismantled when the Garden was relocated in 1927. It was put up at its present
location in 1932.
• B'nai B'rith Monument to Religious Liberty: This ornate monument is located in front of the
new National Museum of American Jewish History at the southeast corner of 5th and Market
Streets. Commonly called the Statue of Religious Liberty, the work is dedicated to "the people of
the United States" as an expression of support for the constitutional guarantee of religious
freedom. It was commissioned by the Order B'nai B'rith and Israelites of America, and was
created by Sir Moses Jacob Ezekiel, the first American Jewish sculptor to gain international
prominence. The 25-foot marble sculpture was carved in Italy and shipped to Philadelphia in
1876 for the Exposition, where it was installed for display. After being moved several times within
Fairmount Park, the B'nai B'rith Monument was relocated to the front of the old National Museum
of American Jewish History in 1985. It was moved a half-block south to its current location in
2010. This was the first public monument erected by Jews in the United States.
• Christopher Columbus Statue: Located in Marconi Plaza, on the west side of Broad Street,
south of Oregon Street, is said to be country's first publicly-funded monument to Christopher
Columbus. The sculpture has Columbus on a large pedestal of Italian marble, his left hand
holding a scroll, his right hand resting on globe, and an anchor at his feet. Thought to be the
work of Emanuele Caroni, it was purchased for $18,000 with money raised by Italian-Americans
and the Columbus Monument Association. Following a splendid parade that was part of the fair's
celebrations, the statue was unveiled and dedicated on October 12th, 1876—the 386th
anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World—along Belmont Avenue near Memorial
Hall. The statue was refurbished and moved to Marconi Plaza in 1982.
 • The Dying Lioness: This bronze sculpture was made for the fair's outdoor sculpture exhibit by
German artist Wilhelm Wolff. It was later purchased by the Fairmount Park Art Association and
now stands just outside the entrance to the Philadelphia Zoo along Girard Avenue. This 1873
work is regarded as one of the most effective pieces of animal sculpture in the nation.
• Humboldt Monument: The statue of naturalist and statesman Alexander von Humboldt by
Frederick Drake now stands along West River Drive along the Schuylkill River south of the
Belmont Pumping Station. It was a gift of the German Society of Philadelphia for the Exposition.
• Margaret Foley's Fountain: The fountain that stood at the center of Horticultural Hall during the
Exposition was stored away in pieces for a while. Some sources say it was lost, but today it
stands in a corner of one of the greenhouses at the Fairmount Park Horticultural Center. The
work contains a center piece decorated with sculpture of three children.
• Pegasus sculptures: In front of Memorial Hall are two bronze sculptures of Pegasus by Vincenz
Pilz. Dating from 1863, they were originally installed atop the Imperial Opera House in Vienna,
but were removed because they were felt to be too large for the building. The sculptures were
then purchased by Philadelphian Robert H. Gratz and placed before Memorial Hall—where their
scale seems fine—in 1876 in anticipation of the Exposition.
• Witherspoon Monument: This bronze statue of the Presbyterian clergyman by Joseph A. Bailly
originally stood a little northeast of Memorial Hall during the Exposition, its cornerstone having
been laid, with appropriate ceremonies, on November 16, 1875. It now stands just east of the
nearby Horticultural Center.
• Other monuments and statues displayed during the Exposition left the Philadelphia region.
• The Catholic Total Abstinence Fountain still remains in its original location.
Law, Prosperity and Power: This ornate marble sculpture was crafted around 1880 by French artist
Daniel Chester. Originally located at the U.S. Post Office Building at 9th and Chestnut Streets, it was
given to the city with the building's demolition in 1937. The sculpture was relocated to West Fairmount
Park, on South George's Hill Drive, north of the Mann Center, the following year. It depicts 3 allegorical
figures: Law (standing central female), Prosperity (seated female) and Power (seated male.)
• See also Benjamin Franklin statue below.
Washington Monument: At Eakins Oval across the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a mounted George
Washington is poised to lead a march down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. There had been talk of a
great monument to President Washington in Philadelphia since about 1810, but it was not until 1897 that
this ornate equestrian statue was unveiled. Standing 44 feet high, the Washington Monument was once
the largest bronze memorial in America, and is still considered one of the greatest equestrian monuments
in the world. Sponsored by the Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania, the memorial was created by
German sculptor Rudolf Siemering for $250,000. It was commissioned in 1881. The State Society of the
Cincinnati of Pennsylvania formally presented the Washington Monument to the city of Philadelphia on
May 15th, 1897, at its original location at the Green Street entrance to Fairmount Park. President William
McKinley was the day's keynote speaker and pulled the cord to unveil the monument. The memorial was
moved about two blocks to its present location at Eakins Oval in 1928 when the Benjamin Franklin
Parkway was completed. For more on the this ornate work of art, see Ceremonies Attending the
Unveiling of the Washington Monument Erected in Fairmount Park and Presented to the City of
Philadelphia by the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania Saturday, May 15th, 1897
(Philadelphia, PA, 1897).
Benjamin Franklin statue: The statue of a seated Benjamin Franklin on the campus of the University of
Pennsylvania (across from the Van Pelt Dietrich Library) was originally unveiled on June 14, 1899, in
front of the now-demolished U.S. Post Office Building at 9th and Chestnut Streets. John J. Boyle, a
famed Philadelphia sculptor created the huge bronze sculpture. Given to the University after the Post
Office was razed, the work was moved to its present site in 1939. For more on the statue, see
Ceremonies Attending the Unveiling of the Statue of Benjamin Franklin, June 14, 1899, Presented to the
City of Philadelphia by Mr. Justus C. Strawbridge (Philadelphia, PA: Allen, Lane & Scott, 1899).
• See also Law, Prosperity and Power above.
Matthias W. Baldwin statue: One of the statues located at the north side of Philadelphia City Hall
honors Matthias Baldwin, founder of the Baldwin Locomotive Works. To honor him, the Board of
Trustees of the Fairmount Park Art Association for the Baldwin Memorial Monument in 1902 selected a
statue designed by Herbert Adams of New York. The Baldwin Works funded the bronze work and
presented it to the Art Association in 1906. It was originally installed at the eastern side of the
intersection of Broad Street and Spring Garden Avenue, not far from the sprawling Baldwin factory.
Since 1921, the Baldwin statue has faced north towards the factory's former location on North Broad
Street.

Eagle sculptures on the Market Street Bridge: The four eagles on the east and west approaches of the
Market Street Bridge came from New York's Pennsylvania Station, donated to the City of Philadelphia by
the Pennsylvania Railroad after Penn Station was demolished in the mid 1960s. They were created by
Adolph Alexander Weinman in 1903 and are directly across from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, built
and formerly owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Eagle sculpture: Considered community landmark by Philadelphians, the colossal Eagle in the center of
the Grand Court of John Wanamaker (now Macy's) Department Store was originally part of Germany’s
contribution to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. The bronze sculpture was acquired
from that fair by the civic-minded Wanamaker, along with other items, including the Wanamaker store's
Grand Court Organ.
The Pilgrim statue: This 9'1" bronze figure was a reworking by August Saint-Gaudens of his 1887 figure
of "The Puritan—Deacon Samuel Chapin" in Springfield, MA. The Pilgrim was commissioned in 1904 by
the New England Society of Philadelphia at a cost of $10,000. It was installed the following year at City
Hall Plaza. The sculpture was relocated to the northern end of Boathouse Row on Kelly (East River)
Drive in East Fairmount Park in 1920. In 1998, the Pennsylvania Mayflower Society paid for a replanting
of the garden at the statue's base and rededicated the work.
Anthony J. Drexel statue: Sir Moses Ezekiel crafted this bronze statue of Anthony J. Drexel in 1904 and
it was unveiled in Fairmount Park, east of 33rd Street, on June 17, 1905. On the University’s 75th
Anniversary in 1966, it was moved to 33rd and Market Streets. It was moved again in 2003 to the
pedestrian plaza at 32nd and Market Streets.
Rebecca at the Well: Created in 1908 by John J. Boyle, this fountain memorial was donated by the
Philadelphia Fountain Society as a bequest of Rebecca Darby Smith. The subject is Rebecca offering
water to a stranger and a camel. The fountain was originally installed at Twelfth and Spring Garden
Streets, but was moved to the Horticulture Center in West Fairmount Park in 1934. It is no longer a
fountain.
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Memorial: The City of Philadelphia appropriated $88,000 for a Civil War
memorial in 1918. Created by Hermon Atkins MacNeil, the resulting memorial consists of two twin
pylons, one depicting sailors and the other depicting soldiers. Each 40-foot pylon is adorned near its
base with a group of nine male figures dressed in military uniforms and intertwined around a cannon. A
low relief of a female figure with her hands clasped across her chest rises from above the heads of the
figures. At the top is an eagle with wings spread and a shield. The twin monuments are made of
Tennessee marble with a granite base. They were originally installed at Logan Square, along the
Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 1927. In 1954-55, they were moved 150 feet northwest along the
Parkway (towards the Philadelphia Museum of Art) to accommodate the construction of the Vine Street
Expressway.
Hamlet and the Fool (the Shakespeare Memorial): John Sartain approached the Fairmount Park Art
Association in 1892 with an interest in raising funds for a monument to Shakespeare. Funds were in
place by 1917 and Alexander Stirling Calder was commissioned. Officially called Hamlet and the Fool,
the sculpture was cast in 1926 by the Roman Bronze Works and dedicated on Shakespeare's birthday in
1929. Its original site was in front of the Free Library, but because of the Vine Street Expressway's
construction, the Shakespeare Memorial was moved in 1953 to its present location. The work depicts
two figures, representing Comedy and Tragedy. Hamlet is shown leaning his head against a knife, while
Touchstone, the jester, sits at his feet, his head rolled back in laughter. The well-known quote from As
You Like It is inscribed on the base: "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players."
Robert Morris statue: This larger-than-life statue of Robert Morris is situated near Walnut and Fourth
Streets, behind the Second Bank of the United States. The bronze work was originally installed in 1926
along Chestnut Street in front of the Second Bank at a time when that building was serving as the U.S.
Customs House. It took fourteen years to complete due to several mishaps and financial difficulties. For
more on the statue, see Ceremonies Attending the Unveiling of the Memorial Bronze of Robert Morris of
the Steps of the Custom House at Philadelphia June 18, 1926 (Philadelphia, PA: Fairmount Park Art
Assn., 1926).
All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors: In 1927, the state of Pennsylvania appropriated
fifty thousand dollars for the commission of this sculpture to recognize the patriotism of the African-
American servicemen from all wars. The ornate bronze and granite memorial was completed in 1934 by
Swiss-born American sculptor J. Otto Schweizer. Initially tucked away in Fairmount Park at Lansdowne
Drive and Belmont Avenue, the work was moved to its originally-proposed location at Logan Square in
1994. When the memorial was unveiled in 1934, the granddaughter of the African-American state
legislator responsible for its creation pulled the drape at the dedication ceremony. Sixty years later, she
pulled the drape once again, southeast of 20th and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Spirit of the Juveniles: This work consists of two groupings of figures: The Great Mother and The Great
Doctor. They were created by Waldemar Raemisch in 1955 for the Youth Study Center on the north side
of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 19th and 20th Streets. With the demotion of the Center, the
modernistic statues were moved in August of 2008 to the front of the School of the Future on the north
side of Parkside at 40th Street and Girard Avenue.
Mr. Baseball: Artist Harry Rosin sculpted this statue of Connie Mack (Cornelius McGillicuddy) in 1957.
Originally located outside Connie Mack Stadium at Lehigh Avenue and 20th Street, the statue was moved
to the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in front of Veterans Stadium in 1971 and remained
there until that stadium was torn down in 2004. The statue is now located outside Citizens Bank Park.
Three-Way Piece Number 1: Points: This abstract bronze on a granite base appears to be a massive
three-pointed stone, or it may seem like a large animal, delicately balanced on three points (paws).
Completed by sculptor Henry Moore in 1964, it was purchased by the Fairmount Park Art Association
three years later. The sculpture was first installed in John F. Kennedy Plaza but was relocated in 1990 to
a landscaped area along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 16th and 17th Streets.
Three Disks, One Lacking: Now sited at the northeast corner of 17th Street and the Benjamin Franklin
Parkway, this abstract work by Alexander Calder was completed in 1964. It was purchased in 1969 by
the City of Philadelphia through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and installed in 1969
next to 8 Penn Center to adorn the newly constructed Penn Center Plaza. In 1998, the stabile was
reportedly moved to the top floor of the newly re-opened Reading Terminal Headhouse. The work was
subsequently relocated to 21st and the Parkway, where it later became part of the temporary exhibit
“Calders on the Parkway”, administered by the Philadelphia Art Museum. Three Disks, One Lacking was
moved to its current location in early 2009 when the Calder exhibit was taken down.
International Sculpture Garden: The International Sculpture Garden at Penn's Landing was conceived
and installed by the Fairmount Park Art Association in the 1960s to display several ancient and historic
artworks in order to celebrate the effect of other cultures on the American experience. Dedicated in 1976
as part of Philadelphia's U.S. Bicentennial celebration, the waterfront site symbolizes the international
nature of the port and the diversity of human achievement through time. The garden includes two Pre-
Colombian Spheres from Costa Rica (c.300-c.1525), the largest Nandi figure (the sacred bull belonging
to Shiva) ever to leave India (c.1500), two Korean mangbusucks (stone memorial figures, c.1695), carved
water spouts and related religious ceremonial items from Java, Indonesia (12th-13th century), and a
carved cedar Kwakiutl Totem central house pole (c.1850s). The Art Association continues to own and
maintain the sculptures. The site is undergoing a lengthy redesign and expansion, during which time
several of the works are in storage.
Philadelphia LOVE: The Love statue, one of Philadelphia's outdoor public sculptures, is located in John
F. Kennedy Plaza ("LOVE Park") across from City Hall. The large red aluminum installation by Robert
Indiana was lent to Philadelphia for the Bicentennial Celebration in 1976 and then removed in 1978. F.
Eugene Dixon, Jr., a local businessman and chairman of the Philadelphia Art Commission, later
purchased the work and donated it to the city.
Rocky statue: In the movie Rocky III, a massive statue of Philadelphia fighter Rocky Balboa, arms raised
in triumph, is unveiled in the courtyard of the Museum of Art. In real life, actor Sylvester Stallone offered
to leave the statue there as a gift to the city. But many felt the sculpture lacked dignity and was
essentially a movie prop that did not belong permanently at that location. So the city formally accepted
the gift and moved it to the sports complex in South Philadelphia. The controversy was rekindled in 1990,
when the film producers relocated the sculpture for the filming of Rocky V, but Rocky was returned to the
Spectrum afterwards. In 2006, the statue was returned—permanently, it seems—to the foot of the Art
Museum steps, in an apparent rare display of local open-mindedness tinged with the tourism marketing
notion of giving people what they want. Sylvester Stallone spoke at the dedication.
Allow Me: This popular statue is of a man with one hand holding an umbrella and the other raised as if
hailing a taxi. It was created in the mid-1980s by the sometimes-controversial millionaire philanthropist
and sculptor J. Seward Johnson, Jr., as part of an exhibition at the Four Seasons Hotel. Purchased by
lawyer Joseph Shein, it was moved in 1985 to the front of the building that housed his law offices at the
northeast corner of 17th and Locust Streets. Allow Me remained there until 2005 when Shein donated
the sculpture to the Prince Music Theater at 1412 Chestnut Street. The bronze, aluminum and stainless
steel work has since been located under the Prince marquee. It was damaged in 2008 during the
celebrations of the Phillies World Series win, but was soon repaired. Several other versions of Allow Me
exist throughout the nation.
For more examples of relocated outdoor public art in Philadelphia, see www.philart.net/exhibit.php?id=12.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses numerous statues, sculptures and other works of art relocated to
the museum from around the world. (See the museum's website (www.philamuseum.org) for more
information.) For example, the statue of Diana (the Roman goddess of the hunt) at the top of the
Philadelphia Museum of Art's Great Stair Hall once graced the tower of New York City's original Madison
Square Garden. It was installed in 1893 as a weathervane to replace a larger though similar figure
placed on the building a few years before. The work has a nude Diana with her bow drawn and an arrow
on the string, with one foot lifted as if she were on the run. Like the original, it was designed by Augustus
St. Gaudens and was modeled by Julia “Dudie” Baird. The figure is thirteen feet high and weighs 1,500
pounds, made of copper. It was originally fitted with a billowing drapery to catch the wind. In 1932,
seven years after the Madison Square Garden building was demolished, the New York Life Insurance
Company gave the statue—then stored in warehouse—to the Philadelphia museum after an unsuccessful
search to find a suitable home in Gotham. A half-size casting of the sculpture is in the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. The fate of the original, larger Diana is not known. All of these statues were
controversial and created a great deal of public criticism about nudity in art in New York City and
elsewhere.
See the websites of other Philadelphia art institutions for information about other indoor statuary that has
been relocated to Philadelphia.

IV. RELOCATED SHIPS IN AND AROUND PHILADELPHIA

Gazela: This barkentine was built around 1901 in the shipyard of J.M. Mendes in Setubal, Portugal, to
carry fishermen to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Every spring she would leave Lisbon laden with
as many as 35 dories stacked on deck like drinking cups and a crew of 40 men (35 fishermen/sailors, two
cooks, two mates and the captain) and a couple of apprentices. Her hold would be full of salt which
would be displaced with the fish that were caught (cod, flounder, halibut, haddock and perch) and
preserved with that very salt. Gazela’s last voyage to the Banks as a commercial fishing ship was made
in 1969. About this time, the Philadelphia Maritime Museum was searching for a historic wooden sailing
vessel. Word reached Gazela's owners and the following year, she was purchased for the museum by
philanthropist William Wikoff Smith. On May 24, 1971, with a crew of Americans, the ship left for her new
home and on Thursday, July 8th, made her first entrance into Philadelphia. In the fall of 1973, Gazela
was towed from Philadelphia to Norfolk for overhaul. She returned to Philadelphia under her own power
in June of 1974. Gazela was part of Operation Sail in 1976, the 1982 Statue of Liberty Sail and the 1982
gathering of tall ships in Philadelphia. From 1976 to 1990 Gazela sailed up and down the East Coast for
the Maritime Museum and, later, the Penn’s Landing Corporation. In 1990, ownership passed to the
Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild. With a strong volunteer program, she has extended her range of
activities to include parts in a couple of films and sailing farther from home. Today, she is the goodwill
ambassador for the international seaport of Philadelphia, where she serves as a reminder of the city's
three-century heritage as a great international port. In July 1992, she was part of the largest gathering of
tall ships ever, in observance of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to the New World. Gazela is
normally is usually moored at Penn's Landing, at the foot of Market Street.
Lightship LV 79, Cape Lookout Shoal (aka Barnegat): This vessel was commissioned in 1904 and
spent twenty years marking Five Fathom Bank, some fifteen miles from the Cape May Lighthouse, before
being used as a relief lightship for two years. It began serving as a lightship (floating lighthouse) eight
miles east of Barnegat Lighthouse in 1927. LV 79 was withdrawn from Barnegat station in 1942 to serve
as an examination vessel at Edgemoor, Delaware. The lightship would intercept all vessels entering the
Delaware River and a boarding party would determine the ship’s identity, cargo, homeport and last port of
call. LV 79 later returned to Barnegat station, where it served until its decommissioning in 1967. The
Barnegat was then donated to the Chesapeake Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland. Unable to
afford maintenance expenses, the museum sold the ship to Heritage Ship Guild in the mid-1970s to be
used as a floating display at Penn’s Landing at the foot of Market Street, where the Barnegat remained
through the early 1990s. The vessel is now at Pyne Poynt Marina in Camden, New Jersey, and is in dire
need of maintenance and repair work.
Moshulu: This, the world's oldest and largest four-masted sailing ship, is berthed at Philadelphia's Penn's
Landing, where she has been a waterfront fixture since 1975. The legendary 394-foot steel clipper vessel
was built by in Glasgow, Scotland, for the Siemers Company of Hamburg, Germany. Launched in 1904
and originally named Kurt, this state-of-the-art sailing ship was the finest and latest of man's
achievements in the shipbuilding industry. She was also one of the last ships that carried cargo under
sail before steam and fuel-powered boats took over the oceans. Kurt was heavily constructed for the
long and arduous passage around Cape Horn, a trip she made 54 times. When World War I broke out,
Siemers ordered the Kurt to remain in port (Astoria, Oregon) to be safe from British cruisers. When the
United States entered the war, the Kurt was appropriated by the U.S. government. The Kurt was first
renamed the Dreadnaught and then the Moshulu (an Indian word meaning "fearless") by Mrs. Woodrow
Wilson. The Moshulu sailed under the American flag until 1935 when she was bought by Gustaf
Erickson. It was under Erickson's ownership that she took part in the famous "grain races" of the 1930s
and won a 1939 race among the grain carriers for the fastest time from Australia and around Cape Horn
to Europe. (This was apparently the last such race.) Later that year, the Moshulu lay in Kristiansand,
Norway, which was occupied by Nazi forces. In November of 1942, she was towed to Oslo fjord and was
rigged down under German military orders. The vessel was used as a floating warehouse until she was
bought by the Finnish State Granary in 1957 to become a grain storage hulk. In the 1970s, the
Moshulu—by then, stripped to the hull—was purchased to be used as a floating restaurant-museum. She
was towed across the Atlantic first to South Street, New York, then to Penn's Landing. In 1995, Moshulu
was purchased by H.M.S. Ventures, Inc. Over eleven million dollars were invested into restoring the ship,
turning her into a centerpiece of luxury. In May of 2000, Pier 34—where the Moshulu was docked since
her restoration—collapsed into the Delaware River, killing three women and injuring dozens attending a
party at the club atop the pier. The ship closed at that time. Two years later, the Moshulu was moved
from Pier 34 to the Penn's Landing marina, where it is docked between the Olympia and the Spirit of
Philadelphia. It reopened as a South Seas-oriented restaurant in 2003.
SS United States: Along the Delaware River at Pier 82 in Philadelphia is docked the fastest ocean liner
in the world. Familiarly called "The Big U," this huge semi-derelict ship still holds the Westbound North
Atlantic crossing speed record it set in 1952. (The United States took the speed record from the HMS
Queen Mary, which had held the record for 17 years.) Indeed, she is clearly the greatest ocean liner ever
built in this country—as well as the last. And at just over 990-feet long and 17 stories high, the Big U is
also the largest passenger vessel built in America. This was the first passenger liner launched by
floatation, on June 23, 1951. Equipped with sleek, modern fittings and furniture, the vessel was operated
by the United States Lines and made her maiden voyage from New York Harbor to Southampton,
England, a year later. The flawless voyage was followed by some 400 transatlantic crossings—a total
2,772,840 miles. After 17 years of providing luxury oceanic travel, the SS United States was taken out of
service in November 1969, the victim of increasing costs and competition from jetliners. Years followed
when the famous ocean liner was towed from one port to another around the world. Along the way, her
appointments and fittings were auctioned off and her glorious interior was stripped for asbestos removal.
Various plans to restore her to service failed. Apparently, Philadelphia has one of few piers large enough
to accommodate the SS United States: Pier 82 on Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront, not far from
the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. This is where the Big U has been moored since 1996, in a sad
state of disrepair.
Jupiter: This tugboat was built in the Philadelphia shipyard of Neafie and Levy in 1902. She is believed
to be the oldest tug still active that represents Neafie and Levy's work, as well as the oldest continually
operating harbor tug on the Delaware River. Constructed of out charcoal iron, she was made for the
Sacony Vacuum Company and christened Sacony #14. From 1902 to 1939, she was in service in New
York, towing Sacony fuel ships and barges. In 1939, Independent Pier Company of Philadelphia bought
the tug and renamed her Jupiter. Philadelphia became her home port, and she was used for various
commercial towing activities. During World War II, the tug was involved in the launching of the numerous
naval vessels from the shipyards along the Delaware River. Jupiter continued working commercially out
of Philadelphia until 1989, when the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild bought the vessel. Currently,
she takes part in educational programs, festivals, and boat parades. Jupiter is also used as a functioning
tug, moving the Ship Guild's other vessels. The operation and maintenance is performed by a volunteer
group of active and retired tugboat professionals and enthusiasts. The vessel is usually moored at
Penn's Landing, at the foot of Market Street.
USS Becuna: The Historic Ship Zone at Penn's Landing includes this World War II submarine, which
offers visitors the chance to glimpse the lives of members of the nation's "silent service." The Balao-cless
Becuna was commissioned in May of 1944 as the submarine flagship of the Southwest Pacific Fleet
under General Douglas MacArthur. Very active during the war, the sub was awarded four Battle Stars
and a Presidential Unit Citation for her efforts, including destroying thousands of tons of Japanese naval
and merchant ships. The ship was retired from service in 1969. It afterwards was sent to Penn's Landing
and is now part of the Historic Ship Zone, maintained by Independence Seaport Museum. USS Becuna
is a National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. There are only a few
WWII submarines on display in the country, and this is one of them.
USS New Jersey (BB-62): Now a floating museum on the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey, this
is the most decorated battleship in U.S. Navy history. The ship earned nineteen battle and campaign
stars for tours of duty in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. Affectionately called "Big J"
by supporters, the battleship New Jersey is one of only four Iowa-class dreadnoughts ever built and one
of the largest battleships ever constructed. The ship's keel was laid at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in
1940, and the hull was launched on December 7, 1942. After commissioning on May 23, 1943, the ship
proceeded to the Pacific Ocean. There, BB-62 was involved in a long list of World War II operations,
including the Marshalls, Marianas, Carolines, Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. A particular highlight
was service as flagship for Commander Third Fleet, Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, during the Battle of
Leyte Gulf in October, 1944. The New Jersey settled into a peacetime routine after the war before being
decommissioned in 1948. This rest was short-lived, as Big J was reactivated in 1950 to provide gunfire
support during the Korean War. When this conflict was over, Big J again returned to a role of
midshipman training, and was mothballed again in 1957. BB-62 was re-commissioned in 1968 and had a
successful Vietnam combat tour, firing main battery guns at hard targets ashore and providing major-
caliber gunfire support for friendly troops ashore. Scheduled for a second Vietnam tour, Big J instead
was decommissioned in late 1969 because of budget cuts. The USS New Jersey returned to the active
fleet in the early 1980s as a result of the nation's military buildup. Big J rushed to the Mediterranean in
1983 to provide fire support to Marines in embattled Beirut, Lebanon. The battleship subsequently
served in a variety of roles, including regular deployments to the Western Pacific. The Navy
decommissioned BB-62 for the fourth time in 1991, and later designated the old ship to serve as a
floating museum. Big J completed a final voyage from Bremerton, Washington, to the former
Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard, arriving there on Veteran's Day, 1999. After a fierce contest between
Camden and other New Jersey towns, the Navy decided to permanently berth the huge battleship in
Camden, across from Center City Philadelphia. Big J was moved to the southern end of Camden's
waterfront in late 2001. Today, the battleship New Jersey is a signature waterfront attraction to veterans,
patriots, and families from around the world.
USS Olympia: The celebrated naval cruiser USS Olympia is docked at Penn's Landing. The ship is a
National Historic Landmark, a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark (American Society of
Mechanical Engineers), and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The ship is also part of
the Save America's Treasures program. Built in San Francisco and launched in 1892, Olympia was one
of the nation's first steel warships. During active service, the 5,870-ton protected cruiser was home to a
crew of 440 enlisted men and 34 officers. The vessel became the flagship of the U.S. Navy's North
Atlantic Squadron, and protected American interests in many foreign countries. If any date marks the
beginning of the United States' reign as a world power, it is surely May 1, 1898, the day of the Battle of
Manila Bay. Cruiser Olympia served brilliantly in this contest, during which Commodore George Dewey
uttered the famous command "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley" to the ship's commander,
Captain Charles Gridley. When the smoke cleared seven hours later to reveal that the Spanish fleet had
been totally destroyed, the world knew that the United States had arrived as a world power. As the oldest
surviving steel-hulled warship in the nation, the cruiser is the only American warship from the Spanish-
American War still in existence, and one of only four warships representative of the time period that exist
worldwide. The USS Olympia was the first U.S. Navy ship fitted with an ice machine (cooled with
compressed air) and mechanical refrigeration (which included a mechanically-chilled drinking water
dispenser, called a scuttlebutt). Furthermore, on September 30, 1899, the world's first demonstrations of
practical wireless telegraphy (radio) occurred when messages were sent to and from the Olympia to keep
track of its progress as it and other warships steamed up the Hudson River towards a celebratory naval
review. The ship's last assignment, in 1921, was to bring the body of the Unknown Soldier home to its
final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery. This sacred task was a fitting conclusion to the
vessel's many years of service to the United States. USS Olympia remained docked at the Philadelphia
Naval Yard for over thirty years before being taken over by the Cruiser Olympia Association, a group
determined to restore her. The ship opened as a museum at the foot of Race Street in 1958 and was
later moved to Penn's Landing. Part of Independence Seaport Museum since 1996, Olympia is open for
tours at the museum's Historic Ship Zone along with the USS Becuna. Olympia, however, is in a
somewhat deteriorated condition, with its hull very thin, so much so that there is a danger that the ship
will sink. Independence Seaport Museum is looking for a buyer for USS Olympia as of 2010.