• Congress Voting Independence

    Independence

    National Historical Park Pennsylvania

Before the Digging Begins

Drawing of map

This detail from an 1860 map shows the buildings, yards and alleyways that existed on a portion of the southern most block of Independence Mall. These kinds of Sanborn maps help archeologists plan their digs.

(Map: Free Library of Philadelphia).

Before the Digging Begins

Long before the first shovel full of dirt is turned, a detailed background study is prepared for the areas where construction will take place. Documentary records in libraries and archives are searched for information on the history of the sites. Using maps, tax records, deeds, and other official records, along with diaries, letters and other historical sources, archeologists gather a detailed picture of the history of the project area. Records reveal who lived and worked on the blocks, how the residential and commercial character of the area changed over time, and what portion of the former landscape might have escaped destruction during hundreds of years of development and change.

Did You Know?

Painting

Did you know the Liberty Bell first went on public exhibit in 1852. At that time, the Bell was moved out of the Independence Hall tower storage room and down into the building’s first floor Assembly Room, the room where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were signed.