Editing Five Public Squares (section)

== Centre Square (City Hall) ==

Centre Square occupied the most prominent location in Penn's plan, at the crossing of the city's two principal streets. For nearly two centuries, the square remained open public land, used for various purposes including a water works that supplied the growing city. The Fairmount Water Works, completed in 1815, stood on Centre Square before being relocated to Fairmount in the 1820s. The construction of [[Philadelphia City Hall]], begun in 1871 and completed in 1901, transformed Centre Square from open green space into the site of one of the largest municipal buildings in the world. This development represented a significant departure from Penn's vision, though City Hall's public function maintains the square's role as a civic gathering place.<ref name="gallery">{{cite book |last=Gallery |first=John Andrew |title=Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City |year=1994 |publisher=Foundation for Architecture |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

City Hall's placement on Centre Square was controversial at the time, with some arguing that Penn's intention for the squares to remain open should be honored. Proponents countered that a grand civic building at the center of the city was consistent with Penn's vision of the square as a public space, even if not literally open parkland. The debate reflected ongoing tensions in Philadelphia between preservation of Penn's legacy and adaptation to the needs of a modern city. City Hall's construction ultimately transformed the area, making the intersection of Broad and Market Streets the symbolic center of Philadelphia in a way that an empty square might never have achieved.<ref name="weigley"/>