Editing One Liberty Place (section)

== History ==

=== The Gentlemen's Agreement ===

For 86 years, from 1901 to 1987, an unwritten "gentlemen's agreement" among Philadelphia developers ensured that no building would rise higher than the brim of William Penn's hat atop [[Philadelphia City Hall]]—a height of 548 feet. While never legally mandated, the tradition was widely respected, keeping City Hall as the dominant feature of the Philadelphia skyline.

=== Breaking the Height Limit ===

Developer '''Willard Rouse''' and his company Rouse & Associates announced plans in 1984 to build a skyscraper that would exceed the traditional height limit. Despite opposition from preservationists and traditionalists, the project moved forward.

One Liberty Place opened in '''December 1987''', rising 945 feet—nearly 400 feet taller than City Hall. The building instantly became Philadelphia's tallest and sparked a fundamental change in how the city viewed its skyline.

=== The Curse of Billy Penn ===

Shortly after One Liberty Place opened, Philadelphia sports fans began noting an unusual drought:
* '''No championships:''' Between 1983 (76ers) and 2008 (Phillies), no Philadelphia major sports team won a championship
* '''The curse:''' Fans attributed the drought to the violation of the gentlemen's agreement, calling it the "Curse of Billy Penn"

When the Comcast Center was constructed in 2007-2008, a small statue of William Penn was affixed to its top beam, "restoring" Penn to the highest point in the city. The Phillies won the World Series that fall, and many fans declared the curse broken.

=== Two Liberty Place ===

A companion tower, '''Two Liberty Place''' (848 feet, 58 stories), was completed in 1990. The two towers share a complex base with retail and dining options.