Editing Thomas Holme (section)

== The Portraiture of Philadelphia ==

Holme's most enduring contribution to Philadelphia history is his 1683 map, titled "A Portraiture of the City of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania in America." This engraved map, published in London to promote Penn's colony, depicts the [[Philadelphia's Grid Plan|grid layout]] of streets, the locations of the [[Five Public Squares|five public squares]], and the pattern of lots stretching between the two rivers. The map shows the city as Penn and Holme envisioned it, rather than as it actually existed at that early date—much of the land depicted remained undeveloped forest and farmland. Nevertheless, the "Portraiture" established the framework within which Philadelphia would develop, and its basic elements remain visible in Center City's street pattern today.<ref name="snyder">{{cite book |last=Snyder |first=Martin P. |title=City of Independence: Views of Philadelphia Before 1800 |year=1975 |publisher=Praeger Publishers |location=New York}}</ref>

The map reveals several features of Holme's design that shaped Philadelphia's development. The two major streets—Broad Street running north-south and High Street (now Market Street) running east-west—cross at the center of the plan, their intersection marking the location of Centre Square (now City Hall). The numbered streets begin at the Delaware River and progress westward toward the Schuylkill, while named streets (Chestnut, Walnut, etc.) run east-west. The corner squares are positioned symmetrically within the grid, and the Delaware riverfront shows planned wharves and a "blue anchor" landing point. This careful planning distinguished Philadelphia from the haphazard growth of older colonial towns and established a model that would influence American urban design for generations.<ref name="reps">{{cite book |last=Reps |first=John W. |title=The Making of Urban America: A History of City Planning in the United States |year=1965 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, NJ}}</ref>