This is the INTRODUCTION to my third book, The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a postcard history title

issued by Arcadia Publishing on uly !, "#$%& This book contains almost "## images o' the Park(ay,
tracing the de)elopment o' this storied Philadelphia thorough'are o)er the past hundred years& O' course,
it includes images o' the many cultural attractions along the road(ay and their de)elopment and history
as (ell& *ore in'ormation is at (((&arcadiapublishing&com+,!-$%.!$"$/0-+1en2amin34ranklin3Park(ay3
The&
INTRODUCTION
The 5ogan 67uare neighborhood o' the City o' 1rotherly 5o)e occupies the north(est 7uadrant o'
Center City 8do(nto(n9 Philadelphia, e:tending 'rom 1road 6treet to the 6chuylkill Ri)er and 'rom *arket
6treet to 6pring ;arden 6treet& This locale consists o' the 5ogan 67uare ro(home neighborhood, the
Penn Center o''ice core, upscale residential high3rises to the north and south, and the east bank o' the
6chuylkill Ri)er& To the north is the Art *useum+4airmount district&
6licing through this entire 7uarter is the 1en2amin 4ranklin Park(ay& Named a'ter Philadelphia<s 'a)orite
son, the grand boule)ard disregards the city<s checkerboard street grid as it begins at Philadelphia City
=all and heads diagonally to(ards 5ogan Circle be'ore reaching the Philadelphia *useum o' Art& The
mile3long thorough'are, (ith its unmistakable 4rench in'luence, ser)es as the prime gate(ay to
Philadelphia<s glorious 4airmount Park and is the chie' corridor 'or the city<s most prominent cultural
institutions>Philadelphia<s ?*useum *ile,? as it (ere&
The notion that there should be a substantial street leading to 4airmount Park 'irst emerged in the $-/#s
as the park (as assembled& 6uch a road (ould link the harsh congested city (ith the airy recreational
park, and (ould 'acilitate access to the park 'or all Philadelphians, especially laborers in the city<s
'lourishing industrial districts&
6e)eral proposals sur'aced throughout the second hal' o' the nineteenth century& In $-!$, an unsigned
pamphlet entitled ?1road 6treet, Penn 67uare and the Park? suggested t(o approaches, one to @ast
4airmount Park and one to Aest 4airmount Park, in anticipation o' the Centennial International @:position
o' $-!.& Indeed, the di''iculty o' getting )isitors to 4airmount Park during the Centennial celebration
underscored the need 'or direct access to the park& 1ut nothing happened&
In the mid3$--#s, a real estate de)eloper named Charles 5andis issued a prospecti)e map ad)ocating
his proposal 'or a $/# 'oot (ide diagonal thorough'are 'rom Philadelphia City =all to the reser)oirs o' the
'amed 4airmount Aater Aorks& 8The construction o' city hall had 2ust started then and the (ater(orks<
basins (ere on the hill o' 4aire *ount, (here the Philadelphia *useum o' Art is today&9 5andis
e:uberantly declaredB ?A con)enient approach to the park is a necessity& Ahy not make it something
(orthy o' the magni'icent city o' PhiladelphiaC? 6till, nothing happened&
And in $-,$, a group o' eminent citiDens presented the city go)ernment (ith a petition to create ?a
suitable and handsome a)enue? to connect the center o' Philadelphia to the park& Although city o''icials
responded positi)ely, this scheme, like the prior ones, gained little traction& A city ordinance placed the
route on the city plan in $-,0, but it (as repealed t(o years later&
In $,##, an alliance o' artists and designers called the Art 4ederation o' Philadelphia re)i)ed discussion
about the ?4airmount Park Park(ay&? This ne('ound interest had much to do (ith the Progressi)e @ra<s
?City 1eauti'ul *o)ement,? (hich (as moti)ated by the Columbian @:position o' $-,0 in Chicago& The
City 1eauti'ul approach to architecture and urban planning promoted classical beauti'ication and
monumental splendor&
The Art 4ederation helped organiDe a pool o' businessmen called the Park(ay Association 'or the
purpose o' generating publicity& That group distributed The Proposed Parkway for Philadelphia: A Direct
Thoroughfare from the Public Buildings to the Green treet !ntrance of Fairmount Park 8$,#"9, a
descripti)ely3titled )olume that laid out a logical case 'or the concourse& The Art 4ederation (as also
2oined by the City Parks Association and the 4airmount Park Art Association in lobbying 'or the Park(ay&
All this must ha)e helped, 'or the municipal go)ernment authoriDed the placing <<on the city plan o' an
a)enue or park(ay bet(een City =all and 4airmount Park? on *arch "-, $,#0& This (as 'ollo(ed by a
loan ordinance that committed the 'irst public money appropriated 'or the 4airmount Park(ay& 1onds
(ere issued and 'rom these, one million dollars (as allocated 'or ac7uiring property& The sum (as huge
'or a city construction pro2ect o' that period and (ould be 'ollo(ed in subse7uent years by re7uests 'or
more 'unding&
The boule)ard<s routing (as con'irmed shortly a'ter this& Eet its planned a:is tracked Pennsyl)ania
A)enue, about a block 'urther north than (here the Park(ay (ould e)entually come to be so as to a)oid
disturbing a number o' 'actories too costly to procure& This misalignment caused much trouble in the
undertaking<s early stages, since some buildings (ound up being purchased and remo)ed unnecessarily&
In any case, ground (as 'inally broken on 4ebruary "", $,#!, (hen the 'irst brick (as ceremoniously
knocked o'' a house chimney at %"" North ""nd 6treet& Philadelphia mayor ohn @& Reyburn, taking
o''ice that April, ensured that the Park(ay (ould be brought to 'ruition& =e (holeheartedly supported the
road(ay and also made sure that its ske(ed bearing (as corrected&
Architects =orace Trumbauer, Clarence C& FantDinger and Paul P& CrGt produced a 'ormal Park(ay
proposal 'or the 4airmount Park Art Association in December, $,#!& Their )ision (as 'or a (ide diagonal
lane 'ronted by monumental edi'ices as it proceeded en route to 4airmount Park& This pleasure dri)e>
America<s )ersion o' Paris<s ?A)enue des Champs3HlysGes?>included an open )ista 'rom (hich to
admire Philadelphia City =all 8ne)er be'ore )ie(able in its entirety9 and an imperial plaDa that (ould 'ace
the pro2ected art museum atop 4airmount hill& Rendered by Paul CrGt, the dra(ings laid out a direct a:is
bet(een city hall and the 'uture museum, thus ignoring Pennsyl)ania A)enue and mirroring the Park(ay<s
'inal path&
The 'irst city planning e:hibition in America (as held at Philadelphia City =all on *ay $/3$!, $,$$,
during the Third National Con'erence on City Planning& Among other things, the e:hibition sought to
educate Philadelphians about the city<s plans 'or the 4airmount Park(ay& It 'eatured a thirty3'oot model o'
the dri)e that demonstrated (hat the spending o' so much municipal money (ould accomplish& A
con'erence speaker stated that ?the (hole impro)ement that the city proposes to make is not a street one
hundred and 'orty or t(o hundred and 'i'ty 'eet (ide, but a certain area o' open space surrounded by
buildings&?
*uch o' the north(est sector o' do(nto(n Philadelphia (as trans'ormed o)er the ne:t t(enty years&
The city ultimately condemned and demolished some t(o doDen city blocks>nearly ",### modest
ro(homes, shops and (arehouses in all& It resold properties alongside the corridor to pri)ate de)elopers
to help 'und the bold (ork& *ean(hile, stingy ci)ic re'ormers tried to derail the undertaking and a
multitude o' legal contro)ersies and construction changes hindered progress& ;ra't and corruption also
became entrenched in the pro2ect&
The 4airmount Park Commission, (hich (as in charge o' Park(ay construction by $,$!, later adopted a
re)ised scheme set 'orth by ac7ues ;rGber, a 4rench landscape architect and city planner& According to
Da)id 1& 1ro(nlee in his Building the "ity Beautiful: The Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Philadelphia
#useum of Art 8$,-,9, ;rGber de)ised a sparse boule)ard running through a (edge o' parkland lined on
either side (ith a 'e( cultural edi'ices, unlike the dense urban a)enue submitted by Trumbauer,
FantDinger and CrGt& Rather than bringing the packed metropolis out to 4airmount Park, he sought to
bring the tran7uil park into to(n&
ac7ues ;rGber dra'ted a set o' large3scale dra(ings and (atercolors 'or the 4airmount Park
Commission that re)ealed t(o linear segments o' the roadbed, (ith the narro(er section running 'rom
Philadelphia City =all to 5ogan 67uare and the (ider portion 8(ith median strips and outer dri)es 'lanked
by secondary road(ays9 proceeding 'rom the s7uare to the planned Philadelphia *useum o' Art&
Additionally, his design 'or an elegant tra''ic circle (ithin 5ogan 67uare (as appro)ed on une $", $,$-&
;rGber imagined that this element (ould be comparable to the Place de la Concorde, a ma2or public
space in Paris along the Champs3HlysGes&
The 4airmount Park Art Association soon published The Fairmount Parkway: A Pictorial $ecord of
De%elopment from &ts First &ncorporation in the "ity Plan in '()* to the "ompletion of the #ain Dri%e from
"ity +all to Fairmount Park in '('(& In this book, the organiDation<s president stated that the Park(ay
'urnished ?a direct, digni'ied and interesting approach 'rom the heart o' the business and administrati)e
7uarter o' the city, through the region o' educational acti)ities grouped about 5ogan 67uare, to the great
artistic center that is about to be de)eloped around the 4airmount PlaDa, at the entrance to Philadelphia<s
largest and most beauti'ul park&?
5ess indulgent obser)ers noted that the Park(ay (as the most e:pensi)e mile o' city street e)er built
any(here& Costs had mounted to about t(enty3t(o million dollars by $,"#& Ne)ertheless, the Park(ay<s
construction (as deemed>at least by Philadelphia boosters o' the $,"#s>as the greatest t(entieth
century accomplishment o' any city in the (orld&
*ore than a 'e( public 'ountains and (orks o' art (ere installed (ith the construction o' the Park(ay
and its constituent buildings& These monuments and statuary include master(orks by artists like Auguste
Rodin, R& Tait *cIenDie, Albert 5aessle, Augustus 6aint3;audens, & Otto 6ch(eiDer, Rudol' 6iemering,
Nathan Rapoport, Paul *anship, @mmanuel 4rGmiet, and three generations o' the Calder 'amily o'
sculptors& The esplanade there'ore became a )ast sculptural garden besides a mere transportation route,
as art (as integrated (ith architecture and landscape as City 1eauti'ul aspects o' the pro2ect&
4airmount Park(ay (as the 'irst o' a series o' radiating arteries proposed 'or Ailliam Penn<s city by the
Dela(are Ri)er& Contemplated as 'ar back as the $--#s, these broad diagonal thorough'ares (ere seen
as a (ay to contend (ith the sti'' orderliness o' Philadelphia<s gridiron layout& The a)enues (ere intended
to add @uropean sophistication and grandeur to the metropolis, and (ere considered the chie' municipal
components o' Philadelphia<s City 1eauti'ul e''orts& =o(e)er, thoughts o' these other slanted road(ays
(ere 'orgotten due to the ;reat Depression and Aorld Aar II, as (ell as an o)erall lack o' interest&
Ci)ic indi''erence and poor economic conditions similarly induced many cultural and public institutions to
abandon plans to mo)e to the Park(ay& Conse7uently, the street has ne)er been regarded as truly
'inished, e)en though it (as essentially complete by $,"# and many o' its anticipated attractions (ere
realiDed (ithin a decade and a hal'&
*odi'ications ha)e been made since the $,0#s, such as the adding o' @akins O)al 8a tra''ic loop9, the
subterranean slash o' the Jine 6treet @:press(ay, and the replacement o' original tra''ic 'i:tures, park
benches and aging paulo(nia trees along the (ay& @)en the 4airmount Park(ay<s name (as o''icially
changed in $,0! to honor the city<s most illustrious deniDen, 1en2amin 4ranklin& 6till, the boule)ard has
pro)en remarkably resilient to re)ision, and la(s protect its aesthetic )alues& 6etback re7uirements and
height limitations, 'or e:ample, apply to structures (ithin t(o hundred 'eet o' the concourse&
5ocal, national and international )isitors to the Park(ay can see some o' Philadelphia<s most acclaimed
institutions related to arts and science& The Philadelphia *useum o' Art, the Academy o' Natural
6ciences, and the 4ranklin Institute 6cience *useum are the primary attractions o' *useum *ile& Plus,
the 1arnes 4oundation, (ith its superb collection o' 4rench impressionist and post3impressionist
masterpieces, arri)ed in "#$"& Along (ith the 'lags o' countries 'rom around the globe that line the route,
the ne( 1arnes museum has increased the international standing o' Philadelphia<s Champs3HlysGes&
The Central 5ibrary o' the 4ree 5ibrary o' Philadelphia, and its near t(in, the 'ormer Philadelphia
County+4amily Court building sit close& These t(o 1eau:3Arts palaces are 2oined by the Rodin *useum
8another o' *useum *ile<s international gems9, the Cathedral 1asilica o' 6aints Peter and Paul 8the
oldest building on the Park(ay9, and the ne( *ormon Temple o' Philadelphia 8opening soon9& Nearby are
se)eral other religious and educational institutions, including Race 6treet 4riends *eetinghouse, 4riends
6elect 6chool, and the *oore College o' Art and Design& All o' these )enues help make the 1en2amin
4ranklin Park(ay one o' the most culturally3de)eloped pieces o' real estate in the (orld&
The string o' impressi)e o''ice buildings, hotels, condominiums and apartment comple:es lining the
Park(ay should not be o)erlooked either& *ore residential structures are being erected throughout the
5ogan 67uare district as in)estment opportunities arise and the local population increases& *ost recently,
a $%# million dollar combined apartment and supermarket comple: has been appro)ed 'or the Art
*useum+4airmount neighborhood& In addition, the Church o' esus Christ o' 5atter3day 6aints announced
plans to build a high3rise residential to(er in the area, and the old 4amily Court 1uilding is set to be
trans'ormed into an -/ million dollar Iimpton =otel& Ahen that happens, more people (ill be able to see
the courthouse<s collection o' murals painted under the Aorks Progress Administration&
@)en the (orld3'amous ?Rocky 6teps? and the inspiring $ocky statue make their home on this stretch o'
distinguished road& Curiously, Philadelphia<s most popular and (orld3reno(ned 'igures>Ailliam Penn,
1en2amin 4ranklin and Rocky 1alboa>are united along the Park(ay by the Park(ay itsel'&
The 1en 4ranklin Park(ay has been ser)ing 'or years as Philadelphia<s principal )enue 'or music
spectacles& The *ade in America 'esti)als are the latest siDable concerts to ha)e been held on the
esplanade, (hile the *illion Aoman *arch in $,,! and 5i)e - are singular national mega3e)ents that
ha)e been obser)ed there& An estimated ,##,### people 2ammed the Park(ay on uly ", "##/, 'or the
only 5i)e - bene'it concert held in the United 6tates&
Philadelphia<s Champs3HlysGes also hosts the city<s many ethnic celebrations and the oldest
Thanksgi)ing Day Parade in America& The annual Thanksgi)ing e)ent sees the thorough'are 'illed (ith
giant balloons and 'loats, along (ith per'ormers 'rom dance groups, marching bands, and choirs& Plus,
6anta Claus arri)es to usher Philadelphia into the holiday season&
Regrettably, the Park(ay<s gradual trans'ormation into a ma2or commuter artery has compromised the
regal ambiance and ci)ic pride that it (as initially meant to impart& 6ome 0#,### )ehicles Doom up and
do(n the street e)ery day, making it more a multilane speed(ay leading into and out o' to(n than a
stately dri)e heading leisurely to(ards 4airmount Park& Aorse yet is the )irtual absence o' pedestrian
acti)ity&
Jarious parties ha)e proposed strategies to mitigate the a)enue<s inhospitable tra''ic issues and its lack
o' amenities (est o' 5ogan Circle& Penn Pra:is, part o' the 6chool o' Design at the Uni)ersity o'
Pennsyl)ania, has recently put 'or(ard a series o' measures to enhance the Park(ay as a commons 'or
citiDens to use and en2oy& The plan goes by the cle)er and 'itting moniker, #ore Park, -ess .ay: An
Action Plan to &ncrease /rban 0ibrancy on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway 8"#$09&
6ome ./ acres o' open ground (ill soon be redesigned into usable green space pro)iding a )ariety o'
'ood kiosks, children<s play areas, and other recreational Dones 'or the !#,### Philadelphians (ho li)e
(ithin a ten3minute (alk& And the pedestrian e:perience o' tra)ersing the congested route (ill 'inally
recei)e attention, 'or the plan incorporates impro)ed cross(alks and tra''ic3calming 'eatures around
@akins O)al and other intersections& 1icycle lanes connecting 6pring ;arden 6treet to the multi3use trail
along the 6chuylkill Ri)er are en)isioned too&
A coalition o' institutions and businesses called the Park(ay Council 4oundation ad)ocates 'or
impro)ements like the ones outlined in #ore Park, -ess .ay& In "##0, the council created the Park(ay
*useum District to ensure that Philadelphia<s *useum *ile realiDes its role as a truly uni7ue local,
regional and national cultural destination& This (ork has become critical as a celebration dra(s near to
mark the Park(ay<s centennial in "#$!&
6ince "###, the Park(ay has already seen up(ards o' eighty million dollars (orth o' public and pri)ate
in)estment& The relocation o' the 1arnes and the reno)ation o' the Rodin *useum are the 'oremost
de)elopments, but the recent makeo)ers o' Dil(orth PlaDa, Three Park(ay PlaDa, A)iator Park, and
6ister Cities PlaDa>the latter t(o parks are (ithin 5ogan 67uare, (hich (as 'ully re3landscaped by "##.
>must also be mentioned& Add to this list the creation o' Paine<s 6katepark and the o)erhaul o' @akins
O)al, (hich has already brought a temporary ?pop3up? park to a rebranded space dubbed ?The O)al&?
5o)e Park<s re)amping, e:pansion o' the Central 5ibrary, and the capping o' parts o' the Jine 6treet
@:press(ay are still being planned&
Altogether, this is the li)ely and e)er3changing 1en2amin 4ranklin Park(ay o' the t(enty3'irst century&
The picture postcards and other images in this (ork sho( that the Park(ay has been an integral part o'
Philadelphia<s ci)ic and cultural li'e 'or nearly a hundred years& Taking decades to complete despite
corruption, depression and (ar, the tree3lined dri)e is a triumph in urban planning (elcomes both nati)es
and tourists& The splendid boule)ard>at 'irst so contentious, so e:pensi)e, and so 'oreign to the city and
its inhabitants>has become a treasured part o' the City o' 1rotherly 5o)e&