
Old City Hall
About Old City Hall
Old City Hall, located at Chestnut and 5th Streets in the Independence Hall complex of Independence National Historical Park in Center City Philadelphia, was built in 1790–91 in the Federal style. The architect was David Evans, Jr.
Originally intended as Philadelphia's City Hall, it housed the Supreme Court of the United States from the completion of its construction in 1791 until 1800, when the national capital was moved to Washington, D.C. Three chief justices, John Jay (Jay Court), John Rutledge (Rutledge Court), and Oliver Ellsworth (Ellsworth Court), officiated the Supreme Court from this location.
After the national capital moved to Washington, D.C., the building continued to serve as Philadelphia's City Hall until 1854. It is a contributing property to Independence National Historical Park and is owned by the City of Philadelphia, which leases the building to the National Park Service.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Founded
- 1790
- Architect
- William Strickland
More museums in Philadelphia →Best museums in Pennsylvania →
Photos of Old City Hall
01PennsylvaniaAntoine Taveneaux · CC BY-SA 3.0
02Supreme Court FrontBen Franske · CC BY-SA 4.0
03Independece hallSabold-Herb Co. · Public domain
04U. S. Supreme Court BuildingBeyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.005Philadelphia, PAProfReader · CC BY-SA 3.0
06(Philadelphia)ajay_suresh · CC BY 2.0
Shared by photographers under free licenses on Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo to see it full size there.
Visitor reviews
No one has reviewed Old City Hall yet. If you've been, tell other visitors what stood out and when you went. Anyone who has visited can write one, with or without their name, and we read each review before it appears.
No reviews yet. Been here? Be the first to share your visit.
Nearby museums
Make a day of it. 4 more museums are within a mile of Old City Hall; the closest, Independence National Historical Park, is practically next door.



