DO TREAD ON ME - Philly by foot

The streets were alive with men in powdered wigs, blacksmiths forging metals and industry spurred by the river. The corners and backrooms were home to the whispers of independence for a soon-to-be nation. Though colonial times may seem like the distant past, step into Old City, and step back in time, where the architecture, history and atmosphere are alive and well and all within easy walking distance.

Elfreth’s Alley
Elfreth’s Alley, popularly known as the “oldest residential street in America,” located between Front and Second and Arch and Race Streets, is a living museum, detailing how families and everyday people went about their daily lives in colonial Philadelphia. Once bookended by two blacksmith’s shops, the block-length street, which opened in 1702, boasts 32 row houses from the 18th and early- 19th centuries. All 32 homes have been restored to their 1790 facades, and number 126 is home to the Elfreth’s Alley Museum, displaying authentic period furniture. Guided and free cell-phone tours reveal the everyday lives of two seamstresses and their sewing business, as well as European immigrants and cabinetmaker Daniel Trotter. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Christ Church
From Elfreth’s Alley, it’s only a short walk down 2nd Street to Christ Church, fondly known as “the nation’s church.” Founded in 1695, many notable city residents worshipped at the still-active Anglican church, including parishioners Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Rush. Both George Washington and John Adams regularly attended services during their presidencies. Over 300 years of history survive inside, and you can even find your favorite historical figure’s pew with a little luck.

Talks about Christ Church’s history, its parishioners and artifacts are given daily. The church is open daily from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. However, there are no tours on Wednesdays between 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. while they conduct services.

In the Christ Church Cemetery, located a few blocks away between 4th and 5th Streets on Arch, lies Philadelphia’s favorite son: Benjamin Franklin. The celebrated statesman, inventor and American icon, who died in 1790 at the age of 84, wrote his own death announcement in the Pennsylvania Gazette – in advance, of course. Along with Franklin, the graveyard serves as the final resting place of four other signers of the Declaration of Independence. Historians lead visitors on guided tours starting on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. The last tour begins an hour prior to closing.

Carpenter’s Hall
While popular destinations like the National Constitution Center and Independence Hall are on every tourist’s must-see list, get off the beaten path and discover the home of the First Continental Congress: Carpenter’s Hall. Located at 320 Chestnut Street, in a beautiful redbrick Georgian building trimmed with elaborate white cornices, Carpenter’s Hall has also served as home to Benjamin Franklin’s Library Company, the first lending library, and the American Philosophical Society, a renowned research library with extensive holdings of Thomas Jefferson’s letters and ephemera from the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Set back on Chestnut Street and surrounded by broadleaf trees, Carpenter’s Hall houses one of the several paintings of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart and furniture reflective of the era, bolstering the heady, historical atmosphere. Here Patrick Henry declared to the Continental Congress that, “The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American.” Carpenter’s Hall served as an infirmary for American and later British soldiers during the Revolutionary War; headquarters for General Henry Knox; and the First Bank of the United States, organized by Alexander Hamilton, which later became the basis for the Federal Reserve. Carpenter’s Hall is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

City Tavern
While labor and religion played substantive roles in the lives of colonial Philadelphians, like now, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. And perhaps nowhere in the city represents the leisurely side of yesteryear than the City Tavern. Located at 128 South 2nd St., just slightly north of Walnut Street, the historical establishment served as more than just a place for locals to blow off steam. Opened in 1773, many of the founding fathers held accounts. As a dining and gathering locale, many even conducted business there, and the City Tavern was the unofficial meeting place of the Continental Congress during the summer of 1774.

Partially destroyed by fire in 1834 and demolished in 1854, the tavern was historically restored in 1976 in an effort to recreate the cuisine and ambience unique to 18th-century America. Three stories high and resplendent from the brick walls to the gaping fireplaces and the pewter mugs in dancing candlelight, chef Walter Staib has created a rich haven for hearty colonial fare. On the menu are potpies, tasty breads and aptly named brews, all served by staff in traditional colonial attire. Dining at the City Tavern offers a stellar way to experience the history of Philadelphia. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. on. Dinner service begins at 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sundays beginning at 3 p.m.

The Todd, Bishop White and Graff Houses
Hunger abated, more history waits. The Todd and Bishop White Houses, contrasting neighbors near the corner of 4th and Walnut Streets, offer a fine way to acquaint you with a broad view of colonial lifestyles. After John Todd, an on-the-rise lawyer, succumbed to yellow fever, his widow, Dolley, later married James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. They held lively dinner parties – though the house is emblematic of modest Quaker simplicity. Bishop William White’s House, an elegant, opulent townhouse, reveals the environs of colonial elites. As chaplain to the Second Continental Congress and later to the U.S. Senate, Bishop White entertained the likes of John Adams, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson in his lavish parlor. White also served as the rector of Christ Church and the spiritual leader of Philadelphia for nearly 60 years.

At 7th and Market Streets sits perhaps the most hallowed ground in the city: the Graff or Declaration House. Built in 1775 on the outskirts of Philadelphia at the time, Jacob Graff Jr., a well-known bricklayer, laid claim to the stately Georgian home. However, it was Graff’s famous tenant that would secure its place in history.

Arriving from Virginia in June of 1776 to attend the meeting of the Second Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson rented two second-floor rooms. In the weeks that followed, he penned the Declaration of Independence, the immortal words that spurred our nation’s birth. Although torn down in 1883, the National Park Service recreated the structure from old photographs. Philadelphia boasts an extraordinary array of places to whet an appetite for colonial history as well as colonial fare. So strap on your best walking shoes and set forth to satisfy both.

Go online at: elfrethsalley.org
carpentershall.org
christchurchphila.org
citytavern.com