House, and, at another period, the first Papal chapel. The present owner of that corner, Samuel Coates, Esq. now having a large brick building there, told me he had those facts from his uncle Reynalls, the former owner, who said that at a very early day the Coffee House there was kept by a widow, Sarah James, afterwards by her son James James, and lastly by Thomas James, jun. The Gazettes too, of 1744 and 1749, speak of incidents at "James' Coffee House."* Mrs. Sarah Shoemaker, who died in 1825, at the age of 95, told me that her father or grandfather spoke of their drinking the first dish of tea, as a rarity, in that Coffee House. But I perceive a sale at auction is advertised in the year 1742, as to take place at Mrs. Roberts' Coffee House," which was in Front street below Blackhorse alley, west side-thus indicating that while she kept her house there, Mr. James was keeping another Coffee House at Walnut street. I notice also, that in 1744 a recruiting lieutenant, raising troops for Jamaica, advertises himself as to be seen at "the widow Roberts' Coffee House." There she certainly continued until the year 1754, when the house was converted into a store. I ought to add, that as early as the year 1725 I noticed a case of theft, in which the person escaped from "the Coffee House in Front street by the back gate opening out on Chesnut street;" from which fact I am inclined to think it was then the same widow Roberts' house, or some house still nearer to Chesnut street. In the year 1741, John Shewbart makes an advertisement in the Gazette, saying he is about to remove "from the London Coffee House, near Carpenter's wharf," to the house in Hanover square, about half a mile from the Delaware, between Arch and Race streets," which is a short walk and agreeable exercise." The Philadelphia Mercury, of 1720, speaks of the then Coffee House in the Front street. STATE-HOUSE AND YARD. THIS distinguished building was began in the year 1729, and finished in the year 1734. The amplitude of such an edifice in so early a day, and the expensive interior decorations, are creditable evidences of the liberality and public spirit of the times. Before the location of the State-house, the ground towards Chesnut street was more elevated than now. The grandmother of S. R. Wood remembered it when it was covered with whortleberry bushes. On the line of Walnut street the ground was lower, and was built upon with a few small houses, which were afterwards purchased and torn down, to enlarge and beautify the State-house square. The present aged Thomas Bradford, Esq. who has described it as it was in his youth, says the yard at that time was but about half its present depth from Chesnut street-was very irregular on its surface, and no attention paid to its appearance. On the Sixth street side, about 15 to 20 feet from the then brick wall, the ground was sloping one to two feet below the general surface-over that space rested upon the wall a long shed, which afforded and was used as the common shelter for the parties of Indians occasionally visiting the city on business. Among such a party he saw the celebrated old King Hendrick, about the year 1756, not long before he joined Sir William Johnson at Lake George, and was killed. In the year 1760 the other half-square, fronting on Walnut street, was purchased. After pulling down the houses there, among which were old Mr. Townsend's, who lamented over it as a patrimonial gift forced out of his possession by a jury valuation, the whole space was walled in with a high brick wall, and at the centre of the Walnut street wall was a ponderous high gate and massive brick structure over the top of it, placed there by Joseph Fox.-It was ornamental but heavy; vis a vis to this gate, the south side of Walnut street, was a considerable space of vacant ground. About the year 1782 the father of the present John Vaughan, Esq. coming to Philadelphia from England to reside among us, set his heart upon improving and adorning the yard, as an embellishment to the city. He succeeded to accomplish this in a very tasteful and agreeable manner. The trees and shrubbery which he had This shed afterwards became an artillery range, having its front gate of entrance upon Chesnut street. planted were very numerous and in great variety. When thus improved, it became a place of general resort as a delightful promenade. Windsor settees and garden chairs were placed in appropriate places, and all, for a while, operated as a charm. It was something in itself altogether unprecedented, in a public way, in the former simpler habits of our citizens; but after some time it became, in the course of the day, to use the language of my informant, Mr. Bradford, the haunt of many idle people and tavern resorters; and, in the evening, a place of rendezvous to profligate persons; so that in spite of public interest to the contrary, it run into disesteem among the better part of society. Efforts were made to restore its lost credit; the seats were removed, and loungers spoken of as trespassers, &c.-but the remedy came too late; good company had deserted it, and the tide of fashion did not again set in its favour. In later years the fine elms, planted by Mr. Vaughan, annually lost their leaves by numerous caterpillars, (an accidental foreign importation,) which so much annoyed the visiters, as well as the trees, that they were reluctantly cut down after attaining to a large size. After this, the dull, heavy brick wall was removed to give place to the present airy and more graceful iron palisade. Numerous new trees were planted to supply the place of the former ones removed, and now the place being revived, is returning again to public favour; but our citizens have never had the taste for promenading public walks, so prevalent in Londoners and Parisians-a subject to be regretted, since the opportunity of indulgence is so expensively provided in this and the neighbouring Washington Square. We come now to speak of the venerable pile, the State-house, a place consecrated by numerous facts in our colonial and revolutionary history.-Its contemplation fills the mind with numerous associations and local impressions-within its walls were once witnessed all the memorable doings of our spirited forefathersabove all, it was made renowned in 1776, as possessing beneath its dome the Hall of Independence" in which the representatives of a nation resolved to be "free and independent." The general history of such an edifice, destined to run its fame coextensive with our history, may afford some interest to the reader. The style of the architecture of the house and steeple was directed by Doctor John Kearsley, sen.-the same amateur who gave the architectural character to Christ church. The carpenter employed was Mr. Edward Wooley. The facts concerning its bell first set up in the steeple, (if we regard its after-history,) has something peculiar. It was of itself not a little singular that the bell, when first set up, should, in its colonial character, have been inscribed as its motto-Proclaim liberty throughout the land, and to all the people thereof!" But it is still stranger, and deserves to be often remembered, that it was the first in Philadelphia, and from the situation of the Congress then legislating beneath its peals, it was also the first in the United States to proclaim, by ringing, the news of "the Declaration of Independence! The coincidents are certainly peculiar, and could be amplified by a poetic imagination into many singular relations ! This bell was imported from England, in 1752, for the Statehouse, but having met with some accident in the trial-ringing, after it was landed, it lost its tones received in the father-land, and had to be conformed to ours, by a re-casting! This was done under the direction of Isaac Norris, Esq. the then Speaker of the colonial Assembly, and to him we are probably indebted for the remarkable motto so indicative of its future use! That it was adopted from Scripture (Lev. 25, 10.) may to many be still more impres sive, as being also the voice of God-of that great arbiter. by whose signal providences we afterwards attained to that "liberty" and self-government which bids fair to emancipate our whole continent, and in time to influence and meliorate the condition of the subjects of arbitrary government throughout the civilized world! "The motto of our father-band Circled the world in its embrace: 'Twas "Liberty throughout the land, And good to all their brother race!" Long here-within the pilgrim's bell Had linger'd-tho' it often pealedThose treasur'd tones, that eke should tell When freedom's proudest scroll was sealed! Here the dawn of reason broke On the trampled rights of man; Brightest since the world began! While e'er the thrilling trump of fame Shall linger on the pulse of time!" It was stated in the letters of Isaac Norris, that the bell got cracked by a stroke of the clapper when hung up to try the sound. Pass and Stow undertook to re-cast it; and on this circumstance Mr. Norris remarks: "They have made a good bell, which pleases me much that we should first venture upon and succeed in the greatest bell, for aught I know, in English America-surpassing too (he says) the imported one, which was too high and brittle[sufficiently emblematic!]-the weight was 2080 lbs." At the time the British were expected to occupy Philadelphia, in 1777, the bell, with others, were taken from the city to preserve them from the enemy. At a former period-say in 1774, the base of the wood-work of the steeple was found in a state of decay, and it was deemed advisable to take it down, leaving only a small belfry to cover the bell for the use of the town clock. It so con |