There's no question that Philadelphia has some of the best history in the country. From the founding of our very nation, to early 20th century innovation, and even modern art - there's a little bit of Philly history in everything we do. Take a look at some of these photos from the early 1900s in Philadelphia and see if you can spot landmarks that are still standing.
Wanamakers looks a little smaller in this 1901 photo! The world's largest organ was purchased for this building and installed in 1909.
This warehouse on Race Street Pier dated back to 1705! Judging by the stars on the flag, this photo was taken between 1908 and 1912. This salthouse was one of the first buildings on the Delaware waterfront.
The Wagner Free Institute of Science was home to the first branch of the Philadelphia Public Library, which opened in 1892. Here's a scene of Philadelphians participating in a program in 1907.
Some of these photos of Philadelphia are some of the oldest that have ever been taken! I can't stop looking at the picture of the Parkway before it existed! It's hard to imagine Philadelphia without our iconic landmarks, like the Eakins Oval and Rocky Steps.
As one of the most historic cities in America, it makes sense that the history of our great city includes many things Philly did first. We've changed not only the country but the entire world through the course of Philadelphia's history. There are so many things invented in Philadelphia, many thanks to our famous founding fathers like Benjamin Franklin and William Penn. We can brag about so many inventions from Philadelphia and things Philly did first. Here are a few of the most notable Philadelphia firsts:
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1. Philadelphia was home to the very first zoo in America.
The first zoo in America was chartered in 1859. However, the outbreak of the Civil War delayed the opening of the Philadelphia Zoo until July 1, 1874. When the zoo opened, the collection numbered around 1,000 animals, and admission was only a quarter. Today, the Philadelphia Zoo is one of the best zoos in the entire world and one of the best Philadelphia inventions for animal lovers. It's renowned for breeding animals that otherwise struggle in captivity, and it's known as a worldwide leader in conservation efforts for many endangered species.
2. Another great Philadelphia first: we were home to the first lending library in America.
In the 1730s, books were hard to come by for the average American citizen. Books were expensive, and there weren't any public libraries. On July 1, 1731, Ben Franklin and a group of members from the philosophical organization known as "The Junto" decided to help solve this problem and make reading more accessible. The group drew up an agreement to form a library. Books were ordered from London, and the library's motto was a Latin phrase that means "to support the common good is divine." A few of the books in the library's collection were donated by Benjamin Franklin himself.
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3. Philadelphia opened the first hospital in America.
Dr. Thomas Bond first sought to create a public hospital in the United States in the 1750s. With the help of Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania Hospital was founded on May 11, 1751. Pennsylvania Hospital was also home to America's first surgical amphitheater. In another Philadelphia first, the hospital would house the first medical library in the country. The main building, which dates back to 1756, still stands today.
William Penn founded the city in 1682. He created a grid that was based around five squares, which are now known as Rittenhouse, Washington, Logan, Franklin, and City Hall. This was the very first time a North American city had been officially planned.
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5. Philadelphia was home to the world's first computer.
It may not look like the computers we know and use daily today, but ENIAC was the world's first all-purpose digital computer. It was invented at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946. Can you imagine where we'd be without it? It's incredible to think that we now hold more computing power than this in our hands each day!
6. The first department store parade was in Philadelphia.
The very first department store parade was the 1920 Gimbel's Thanksgiving Day parade, which took place in Philadelphia. Macy's may be the famous one today, but their New York parade didn't start until four years later, after they saw the success of the Philadelphia holiday celebration.
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7. Here's another invention from Philadelphia that's used pretty frequently: the first American flag was sewn here.
Okay, there's no concrete evidence that Betsy Ross was the actual designer of the first American flag. However, it is certain that an upholsterer or seamstress in Philadelphia was the first to make the many flags that the colonial troops were to carry into battle during the American Revolution.
8. The first Fourth of July celebration took place in Philadelphia.
The country was just a year old when cannons were fired across the Delaware River from Philadelphia on July 4, 1777. The celebration marked one year since independence had been declared from Britain from the cobblestone streets of Philadelphia.
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9. The first "university" in America opened in Philadelphia.
While Harvard, William and Mary, Yale, and Princeton often fight this claim, it's true that UPenn was the first medical school in the country - it was founded in 1765. Therefore, it was the very first American school to offer both undergraduate and graduate education. It was also the first institution in the country to use the title "university."
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10. The first American volunteer fire company was in Philly.
Benjamin Franklin's Bucket Brigade at the Union Fire Company was the very first volunteer fire department in the country. It was founded back in 1736. Where would our city be without Ben?!
11. The first museum in America opened in Philadelphia.
The Museum of the American Philosophical Society was founded in 1743. This makes it the oldest museum in America. The society is even considered the country's first "learned" society.
These things invented in Philadelphia are just a small sample of the incredible history that our great city can brag about. Walkthe streets of Old City and read each historic marker along the way - you'll be stunned by what you learn about your hometown.
Philadelphia should be considered the birthplace of weird America. From the very beginning, Philadelphians have been up to some strange shenanigans - from Ben Franklin's desire to be electrocuted, to the whole "starting a revolution" thing. It's no wonder that the history of Philadelphia is dotted with interesting events that aren't taught in our history classes - there simply isn't enough time to teach them all! How many of these weird Philly facts did you know?
In 1946, The University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering created the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC), considered the world's first electronic computer.
2. The only tall ship restaurant in the world is docked at Penn's Landing.
Not only is the Moshulu the only tall ship restaurant in the world, but she has some incredible history! The elegant ship was seized by the United States and hidden in Oregon during World War I, seized by the Germans in World War II, was featured in The Godfather II, and purchased by the Walt Disney corporation - yet somehow, she made it to Philadelphia. These days, you can enjoy a fine meal either above deck or below.
3. Slices of Albert Einstein's Brain are hiding in Rittenhouse Square.
The Mutter Museum is one of only two places in the world where you can see the genius physicist's brain, and the story of how it got here is quite weird. It all started on the night that Albert Einstein died in Princeton, NJ in 1955. Despite Einstein's specific request that his body was not to be studied after his death, the pathologist on duty removed his brain (and, strangely, his eyes) and took it with him to the University of Pennsylvania to be dissected and preserved on over 200 slides.
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In November 2011, the Mütter Museum received a call from Lucy Rorke-Adams, offering a box of the brain slides. They had been handed down from Thomas Harvey, the pathologist who initially removed the brain, to a chain of neuropathologists, and ended up with Rorke-Adams. The only other place in the world where you can see Einstein's Brain is the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, MD, but they rarely put the slides on display.
4. The Curse of Billy Penn kept Philly teams losing for decades.
When the construction of One Liberty Place was completed in 1987, it was the first skyscraper to stand taller than City Hall's William Penn statue. From that moment on, Philadelphians began to believe in The Curse of Billy Penn. For the next 29 years, Philadelphia sports teams were kept from winning any championship, and in general, were not successful. In 2007, the height of One Liberty was eclipsed by the new Comcast Center, and at the top, a small replica of the City Hall statue was placed. The Phillies, against all odds, won the World Series the following year, breaking the curse.
5. Philadelphia is home to many "hospital firsts."
Philadelphia was home to the first hospital in America, which was founded by Dr. Thomas Bond and Ben Franklin (of course!) in 1751. The Pennsylvania Hospital intended to care for "the sick, poor, and insane." Later, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) became the first pediatric-only hospital. And, to add one more to the list, Fox Chase Cancer Center was the first cancer-focused hospital in the country. To put it simply: if you get sick, you want to be in Philadelphia.
6. Toynbee Tiles got their start on the streets of Philadelphia.
If you're in the habit of looking down when you walk through Philly, chances are you've seen these weird tiles on the street. They began to appear in the 1980s across North America (and even a few down into South America). They all say the same thing: "TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOViE `2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER." To this day, nobody really knows what, exactly, they mean or who created them, but there are plenty of theories out there. We do know that they first started here in Philadelphia, and there are more here than anywhere else. If you see a Toynbee Tile in another city, it may even reference a Philadelphia address!
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7. The first Moon Tree was planted in Washington Square Park.
For some reason, NASA decided to send tree seeds to the Moon with Apollo 14. The seeds came back with the astronauts and were ceremoniously planted; the very first one was planted in Washington Square Park on May 6, 1975.
Baleroy Mansion was built in 1911 in Chestnut Hill. It's considered one of the most haunted places in the world and is frequently the site of paranormal investigations. For a few years, the mansion was home to an antique chair once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte. Over the years, four people who sat in the chair died nearly immediately afterwards, so the owner of Baleroy put the chair in storage, and never again allowed guests to sit in his chair of death.
9. America's first serial killer was executed at Moyamensing Prison.
You know where the Acme at Passyunk Avenue and Reed Street stands? It used to be Moyamensing Prison. The prison opened in 1835, and the infamous H.H. Holmes - one of America's first serial killers - was executed here for his gruesome string of murders around the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. He was convicted for nine murders, though many believe the true number of Holmes' victims could be in the hundreds. He was hanged, but the hanging didn't go quite as planned and it took nearly 20 minutes before Holmes to be pronounced dead.
Do you know of any other unusual trivia about Philadelphia? Share your favorite facts in the comments below!
