Excerpt from Catalogue of the Portraits and Other Works of Art, Independence Hall, Philadelphia: With a Short Historical Sketch of the Buildings Comprising the State House Row

The original draft of this bill, with its inter lineations and amendments in the handwriting of Andrew Hamilton, is still preserved.

Andrew Hamilton, a member of the Assembly, who was one of a committee of three appointed to select a site and put up the building, authorized Wil liam Allen, a prominent merchant of Philadelphia, to buy, in his own name for the use of the Province, the first piece of ground necessary. This was in 1730, and by 17 32 Hamilton succeeded in getting the bal ance of ground needed. In the spring of 1732 ground was broken, and the building begun.

It fell to Mr. Hamilton to carry out the design of the noble building he had planned; and, as usual in those days as well as in our own, while seeking conscientiously to serve the public without fee or reward, he was repaid by malicious insinuations and active opposition. The Assembly, however, by formal resolution approved all he did, and made Mr. Hamil ton the first superintendent of the building.

On August 8, 17 32, the Assembly purchased from Mr. Allen the ground upon which the State House was built.

The first public use to which any portion of the building was put was for a banquet to the citizens of Philadelphia by Mr. Allen, who was then Mayor. This banquet was given in September, 1736, in what has ever since been known as the Banqueting Hall.

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