A Feasibility Study for the Tercentenary Commemoration of William Penn and the City of Philadelphia 1682-1982 on the Site of the former Slate Roof House
Venturi and Rauch and John Milner Associates. 1979. A Feasibility Study for the Tercentenary Commemoration of William Penn and the City of Philadelphia 1682-1982 on the Site of the former Slate Roof House
This report presents the City with a series of alternatives to ennoble the spirit and memory of William Penn in 1982, the Tercentenary of his arrival in Philadelphia. The location for the commemoration is the site of the former Slate Roof House on the southeast corner of Second and Sansom Streets. This is a very appropriate site, associated with Penn, accessible to tourists, and well located in relation to other tourist attractions. The study assesses four alternative approaches to commemorating Penn. Considerable interest has been expressed in reconstruction of the Slate Roof House where Penn frequently stayed on his second visit to Philadelphia 1699-1701. Since sufficient documentation exists for a reasonably accurate reconstruction, three alternatives feature the house as the centerpiece of commemoration. These alternatives range from full to partial reconstruction, and differ in the way in which Penn is presented in relation to the house. The fourth alternative proposes a commemorative park and outdoor exhibition on Penn. Each alternative presented is evaluated and compared with the others in light of the appropriateness of the gesture as an expression of William Penn and his contribution, its educational value, handling capacity, urbanistic role, its policy implications, its cost and general operational requirements. A final section contains the consultants' recommendations.