Editing Congress Hall (section)

== Construction and Original Purpose ==

The building was constructed to serve as the courthouse for Philadelphia County, replacing older facilities that had become inadequate for the growing region. Construction began in 1787 and was completed in 1789, producing a Georgian-style brick building that complemented the adjacent State House (Independence Hall). The architect is unknown, though the design has been attributed to various Philadelphia builders. The building featured courtrooms on the first floor and office space above, with separate entrances for different functions. The timing of its completion proved fortuitous: just as the new federal government needed a meeting place, Philadelphia had a nearly new public building available for use.<ref name="riley">{{cite book |last=Riley |first=Edward M. |title=Independence: The Story of the American Revolution |year=1976 |publisher=National Park Service |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>

When Congress accepted Philadelphia's offer to serve as temporary capital while Washington, D.C., was constructed, the county courthouse was selected to house the legislative branch. The building required modifications to accommodate its new federal tenants: the first floor was converted into a chamber for the House of Representatives, while the second floor became the Senate chamber. The arrangement reflected the relative status of the two chambers in the early republic—the House, with its larger membership, occupied the more spacious ground floor, while the smaller, more elite Senate met upstairs. The county courts relocated to other facilities, and Congress Hall began its decade as the seat of the national legislature.<ref name="bowling">{{cite book |last=Bowling |first=Kenneth R. |title=The Creation of Washington, D.C.: The Idea and Location of the American Capital |year=1991 |publisher=George Mason University Press |location=Fairfax, VA}}</ref>