Editing William Penn (section)

== Founding of Philadelphia ==

Penn arrived in his colony in October 1682 aboard the ship ''Welcome'', landing first at New Castle (in present-day Delaware) before proceeding up the Delaware River. He had already selected the site for his capital city: a peninsula between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers that offered deep-water access, defensible terrain, and proximity to the existing Swedish and Finnish settlements. Penn named the city Philadelphia, from the Greek words for "brotherly love," expressing his hope that the city would embody the Quaker ideals of peace, equality, and community. The name also alluded to the ancient city of Philadelphia in Asia Minor, one of the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation.<ref name="weigley">{{cite book |last=Weigley |first=Russell F. |title=Philadelphia: A 300-Year History |year=1982 |publisher=W.W. Norton |location=New York}}</ref>

The city Penn envisioned was unlike any in the crowded, fire-prone cities of Europe. Working with his surveyor [[Thomas Holme]], Penn designed Philadelphia as a "greene countrie towne" with wide streets, generous lots, and ample open space. The [[Philadelphia's Grid Plan|grid street plan]]—with major thoroughfares running east-west (including High Street, now Market Street) and north-south (Broad Street)—was innovative for its regularity and scale. Penn placed [[Five Public Squares|five public squares]] at strategic locations throughout the plan: one at the center (now the site of City Hall) and four others at the corners of the original grid (now Rittenhouse, Washington, Logan, and Franklin Squares). Each square was intended to remain open forever, providing residents with access to light, air, and green space.<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>