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Memorial Hall (Philadelphia)
Encyclopedia
Memorial Hall, designed by Herman J. Schwarzmann
for the 1876 Centennial Exposition
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, is an early example of monumental Beaux-Arts architecture in the United States. Schwarzmann, the chief engineer of the Fairmount Park Commission, also designed the temporary Horticultural Hall for the exposition. The building is located in Fairmount Park
, west of the Schuylkill River
, at the corner of East Memorial Hall Drive and the Avenue of the Republic. Since October 18, 2008, the Hall has served as home to the Please Touch Museum
.
Construction began on and was completed for the opening ceremonies on , at a cost of $1.5million dollars. President Ulysses S. Grant
and other dignitaries presided over the event, which was the first major world's fair
to be hosted in the United States. The exterior is finished with granite and the interior is decorated with marble and ornamental
plaster. The building is 365 feet (111.3 m) by 210 feet (64 m) with basement and ground floor, and 150 feet (45.7 m) tall at the top of the building's most distinctive feature, an iron and glass dome
. Surmounting the dome is the 23 feet (7 m) statue of Columbia
(the poetic symbol of the United States
) holding a laurel branch. At the corners of the dome stand four statues symbolizing industry, commerce, agriculture and mining.
.
After the Exposition, Memorial Hall reopened in 1877 as the Pennsylvania Museum of the School of Industrial Art and also served as the first home of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
, which remained there until 1929. The building was taken over by the Fairmount Park Commission in 1958. It also was used for a gymnasium
and a swimming pool
in both wings. In 1982, the building was being used as a police station.
baseball player and long-time broadcaster Richie Ashburn
was held shortly after his death from a heart attack in New York City
. Several hundred thousand people mourned his passing as they walked by his casket in the Grand Hall.
, a vintage base ball
team which plays by 1864 rules.
Herman J. Schwarzmann
Herman J. Schwarzmann , also known as Hermann J. Schwarzmann or H. J. Schwarzmann, was a German-born American architect who practiced in Philadelphia and later in New York City.-Early life:...
for the 1876 Centennial Exposition
Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, is an early example of monumental Beaux-Arts architecture in the United States. Schwarzmann, the chief engineer of the Fairmount Park Commission, also designed the temporary Horticultural Hall for the exposition. The building is located in Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with , all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010.-Fairmount Park proper:...
, west of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, at the corner of East Memorial Hall Drive and the Avenue of the Republic. Since October 18, 2008, the Hall has served as home to the Please Touch Museum
Please Touch Museum
The Please Touch Museum is a children's museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The museum focuses on teaching children through interactive exhibits and special events, mostly aimed at children seven years old and younger.-History:...
.
Construction began on and was completed for the opening ceremonies on , at a cost of $1.5million dollars. President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and other dignitaries presided over the event, which was the first major world's fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
to be hosted in the United States. The exterior is finished with granite and the interior is decorated with marble and ornamental
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
plaster. The building is 365 feet (111.3 m) by 210 feet (64 m) with basement and ground floor, and 150 feet (45.7 m) tall at the top of the building's most distinctive feature, an iron and glass dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
. Surmounting the dome is the 23 feet (7 m) statue of Columbia
Historical Columbia
Columbia is an historical and poetic name for America – and the early United States of America in particular, for which it is also the name of its female personification...
(the poetic symbol of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) holding a laurel branch. At the corners of the dome stand four statues symbolizing industry, commerce, agriculture and mining.
Background
Memorial Hall was designed in a Beaux-Arts style to house the Centennial Exposition's art exhibits. The exposition received so many art contributions that a separate annex was built to house them all. Another building was built for the display of photographyPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
.
After the Exposition, Memorial Hall reopened in 1877 as the Pennsylvania Museum of the School of Industrial Art and also served as the first home of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
, which remained there until 1929. The building was taken over by the Fairmount Park Commission in 1958. It also was used for a gymnasium
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
and a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
in both wings. In 1982, the building was being used as a police station.
Richie Ashburn viewing
In September 1997, a viewing for former Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
baseball player and long-time broadcaster Richie Ashburn
Richie Ashburn
Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska...
was held shortly after his death from a heart attack in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Several hundred thousand people mourned his passing as they walked by his casket in the Grand Hall.
Please Touch Museum
The Hall fell into disrepair until 2005, when the Please Touch Museum began an $85-million renovation to convert it into its new home. The museum opened its doors to the public on October 18, 2008. Memorial Hall's eastern lawn serves as the home field for Athletic Base Ball Club of PhiladelphiaAthletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia
Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia is a vintage base ball team based in Philadelphia, which plays by 1864 National Association Rules. Athletic is a member of the Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League...
, a vintage base ball
Vintage base ball
Vintage Base Ball is baseball presented as being played by rules and customs from an earlier period in the sport's history. Games are typically played using rules and uniforms from the 1850s, 1860s and 1880s. Vintage baseball is not only a competitive game, but also a reenactment of baseball life...
team which plays by 1864 rules.
Gallery
External links
- "Memorial Hall" U.S. History - Independence Hall Association
- Listing, drawings, and photographs at the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- International Exhibition of 1876 Memorial Hall Philadelphia Buildings