Independence Hall

A historic civic building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and adopted. Completed in 1753, it became a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Independence Hall is a historic civic building on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House, it was the first capitol of the colonial Province of Pennsylvania. It is an example of American Georgian architecture, with a symmetrical design, classical proportions and exposed brick set off by stone.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress met here from 1775 to 1781. The Continental Army was founded in the building on June 14, 1775, and the Declaration of Independence was adopted here on July 4, 1776. From May 25 to September 17, 1787, it hosted the Constitutional Convention, which drafted the U.S. Constitution. Today it is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park, and it was designated a World Heritage Site in 1979.