Aerial Artist Steeplejack now repainting steeple on Pennsylvania’s oldest church The steeple and belfry of Historic Gloria Dei (Old Swedes) Church, the oldest one in Pennsylvania, will have a bright new look later this week. A steeplejack from Ev-Air-Tight Calking Co./Jack Hassler Steeplejack Co. is giving the church at 916 S. Swanson Street its first upper-exterior repainting since…

“He snatched lightning from the sky and the scepter from tyrants” — Crowds of people walking near Independence Hall on S. 5th Street pass by this statue of Ben Franklin every day. And most of them miss its key message. Franklin, dressed in a toga like an ancient Roman, stands with his right elbow resting on a pile of books — with…

Orchestra-goers or baseball fans?

2 plaques at Gloria Dei Church contain more fiction than fact Just recently I learned that the two plaques — prominently displayed in Philadelphia’s Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church since 1947 — are historically inaccurate. They honor the supposed legacies of Colonel John Hanson (1630–1713) and his grandson “president” John…

Philly’s Carpenters’ Hall not 1st to use Robert Smiths’ plans; it was the 2nd!

How to see the Liberty Bell without waiting in a long line The Liberty Bell is certainly one of Philly’s most popular tourist sites. And it’s well worth a visit. But if you or your guests are short on time and just can’t wait in a long line, empty your pockets and go through an airport-like security checkpoint … there is another…

Yellow YO/OY sculpture is bright addition to 5th & Market Streets — Locals and tourists alike are enjoying a colorful, 2-sided sculpture in front of the newly named Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. Created by Deborah Kass, an artist based in Brooklyn, N.Y., the sculpture says “YO” when looked at from one side, and “OY” on the other. …

3 top Philly sites are being renovated at the same time Many people believe things happen in threes. And that’s certainly true in Philadelphia this summer. By the end of May, three popular Philly tourist attractions will be closed for renovations. They include: The Athenaeum of Philadelphia The building closes May 28, and is…

You just have to keep your eyes open While walking behind Independence Hall with my brother last week, I saw something completely new to me. At the site of the former Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Building, I suddenly spotted an image of William (or Billy) Penn I’d never noticed before. Of course, this just proved to me…