Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded by William Penn. Laid out in 1682. Chartered a city, 1701. Pennsylvania's capital until 1799; the nation's to 1800. County was one of Pennsylvania's original three, formed 1682 and consolidated with city in 1854. Name means "City of Brotherly Love."
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
William Penn laid out Philadelphia in 1682 on a rational grid between two rivers, envisioning a 'greene countrie towne' whose very name proclaimed brotherly love. Chartered as a city in 1701, it served as Pennsylvania's capital until 1799 and, during the founding era, as the capital of the United States until the government moved to Washington in 1800. The surrounding county, one of Pennsylvania's original three, was consolidated with the city in 1854.
Why it matters
For a crucial stretch of the nation's birth, Philadelphia was the capital where the republic was debated and governed, making it one of the most consequential grounds in American history.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- African American Museum in Philadelphia0.6 mi away · 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Bridgette Mayer0.7 mi away · 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Visitor Center0.7 mi away · 599 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Liberty Bell Center0.7 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia
- Congress Hall0.7 mi away · Philadelphia, PA
- National Constitution Center0.8 mi away · 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
Attractions
- Reading Terminal0.2 mi away
- One Liberty Observation Deck0.3 mi away
- The Universal Sphere0.4 mi away
- Chinatown Friendship Gate0.4 mi away · 10th and Arch Street
- President's House0.7 mi away
- Liberty Bell0.7 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
Food & drink
- Burger King0.6 mi away
- Philly Pretzel Factory0.6 mi away
- Munchie’s Cafe0.6 mi away · 728 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- El Azteca0.6 mi away
- Park’s Salad Bar0.6 mi away
- Lamberti Pizza & Market0.6 mi away · 707 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- Residence Inn Philadelphia Center Citynearby · 1 East Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA
- The Notary Hotelnearby · 21 North Juniper Street, Philadelphia
- Philadelphia Marriott Downtown0.2 mi away · 1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Philadelphia - Convention Center, PA0.2 mi away · 1200 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Loews Philadelphia Hotel0.2 mi away · 1200 Market Street, Philadelphia
- ROOST East Market0.2 mi away
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · William Penn
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Anne Brancato Wood (1903-1972)
Philadelphia, PA · est. 1994
In an era when women had held the vote for barely a decade, Anne Brancato Wood — the daughter of Italian immigrants — broke into the rough world of Philadelphia Democratic politics in 1928 and won a seat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1932. As one of the very few women in Harrisburg through 1941, she championed social-reform legislation at a time when the New Deal was reshaping what government owed its citizens. Her business offices once stood at this South Philadelphia address.
St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church
Philadelphia, PA · est. 2015
Founded in 1830, St. John the Evangelist rose as one of Philadelphia's grand Catholic churches and, from 1838 to 1864, served as the cathedral for a diocese spanning Pennsylvania, Delaware, and part of New Jersey. A notable patron of the arts, it was adorned with frescoes by the Italian painter Nicola Monachesi and hosted the American premiere of Mozart's Requiem in its entirety in 1834. After fire destroyed the original building in 1899, the congregation rebuilt, consecrating the new church in 1902.
Thomas E. Cahill (1828-1878)
Philadelphia, PA · est. 2009
Thomas E. Cahill rose from a poor immigrant family and, denied a secondary education himself, resolved that others would not be. His bequest founded Roman Catholic High School for Boys, which opened in Philadelphia in 1890 as the first free Catholic high school in the United States. The school became the seed of a diocesan high-school system that spread as a model across the country.
Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977)
Philadelphia, PA · est. 2021
Leopold Stokowski led the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1912 to 1941, transforming it into one of the world's most celebrated ensembles. Charismatic and inventive, he cultivated the lush, distinctive tone known as the "Philadelphia Sound" and worked tirelessly to bring classical music to ordinary audiences. His collaboration on Walt Disney's Fantasia and his many recordings carried symphonic music far beyond the concert hall.