Editing Colonial Georgian Architecture (section)

== Independence Hall ==

Independence Hall, originally the Pennsylvania State House, stands as Georgian architecture's supreme achievement in Philadelphia and arguably in colonial America. Begun in 1732 to designs by Edmund Woolley and Andrew Hamilton, the State House presents a facade of impeccable Georgian proportion: a central block with symmetrical flanking buildings, arched windows on the ground floor giving way to rectangular windows above, and a tower that rises through stages to its steeple. The building's restrained elegance—its refusal of unnecessary ornament, its reliance on proportion and fine craftsmanship—embodied the rational ideals of its Quaker-influenced builders and would later serve as appropriate setting for the Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Convention.<ref name="moss"/>

The building's materials tell Philadelphia's story: red brick laid in Flemish bond, white marble trim from local quarries, and woodwork of local timber. The interior features the Assembly Room where the Declaration was signed, preserved with Georgian paneling and furnishings that evoke the solemn deliberations that occurred within. Independence Hall's influence extended beyond Philadelphia—its design inspired state capitols and public buildings throughout the early republic, establishing Georgian as the architectural language of American democracy. The building's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognizes its historical and architectural significance.<ref name="tatum"/>