Posted on 10/10/2014 10:46:24 AM PDT by Phillyred
An array of politicians, benefactors, and nonprofit leaders gathered Thursday morning beneath a vast party tent beside a very deep hole along South Third Street to celebrate the symbolic groundbreaking of the Museum of the American Revolution.
When the deep hole is filled and the $119 million building opens in two years, it will be, officials believe, the nation's first museum to tell the whole story of the American Revolution - from the disgruntled grumbling over British taxes in the 1760s through the desperate days of the Continental Army in the 1770s and on to eventual independence in the 1780s.
"This is a very, very important asset for America that we're soon to build," said Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.). Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D., Pa.) called the museum "a monument to freedom [that] will also be a testament, I believe, to the American character."
The Washington author and pundit Cokie Roberts, who delivered brief keynote remarks, called it "a great day, a really exciting moment, and it all started with a tent."
That tent, not the one she was standing under but the much smaller field tent used by George Washington throughout the Revolutionary War, is the centerpiece of the museum's collection of artifacts.
Philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, the prime advocate and benefactor for the museum, called the groundbreaking "a milestone" and invited all to return in two years for the opening.
Lenfest, the owner and publisher of The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, has advocated for the museum for more than a decade. He was instrumental, with former Gov. Ed Rendell - also present Thursday - in engineering an agreement with Independence National Historical Park that allowed the museum to acquire park property at Third and Chestnut Street.
Museum president and chief ...
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
Osawatomie Brown 41 minutes ago I am very happy and proud that Philadelphia is once again establishing itself as the place to go if you want to experience Colonial American history. I am proud of this city and am cannot wait until the museum is open. However, the above article is misleading in one respect. It talks about "disgruntled rumblings" over taxes in the American Revolution. That is not true. The grumbling came over being taxed by Parliament while not having Colonial representatives in Parliament to give the colonies a say in what, who, and how the taxes would work. The Colonial legislatures had been taxing its residents for over a hundred years and no American at that time had a problem with that, or questioned the taxes passed by the representatives they elected in the Colonial Legislatures. Only when the Colonies had no representation did taxes become a problem. Please remember that when Tea Party, Conservative type people tell you that the Revolution was about taxes. It was much more complex than that."
The taxes...it was all about taxes....
New York State had 94 new taxes in 2012. I don't remember being asked for my opinion.
Ping to article of interest.
Read the Declaration of Independence. It's all there.
Yeah, but they were for the children.
I love Philly.
South Street: Both the Steak Sandwich places are great. Downey’s Irish Pub is awesome and an excellent pick up joint.
Everything on Ben Franklin Pkwy.
Rittenhouse square.
City Hall
Liberty Bell
Independence Hall.
The Fed.
Independence Mall
Synagogue
Amtrack. Just beautiful inside.
The Armory
Old Philly. You have to walk this!
There is just so much more but, Philly is beautiful
And yeah, I make fun it occasionally
Timothy Remmick, Phinny’s 8th Maine. Longest serving soldier in the Continental Army. Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grand pappy. While stations in Cambridge MA, suggested that captured cannons at Fort Ticonderoga be moved to Boston.
My Hubby and I are running down there soon for a couple of nights. I think it’s a wonderful place with tons of stuff to see and do - we are going to revisit Eastern State Penn for “Terror Behind The Walls”, which should be a fun way to see it.
My concern though is now that they’ve broken ground on this new museum I may have to change reservations. We are booked about 2 blocks from that. Crap. Noise and construction traffic are not conducive to a fun get-a-way.
Have you ever tried that City Tavern? I know such places are tourist traps, but we had lunch there a year or so back and the food was terrific.
Hubby always goes for one of those steak sandwiches - but he’s doing that Atkins thing now, so he may have to pass this time. That or modify it before he eats it. A cheese-steak sandwich with no bun. :) He’s tried both Geno’s and Pat’s, and likes them equally.
I’m making him go to that Mutters Museum without me - he loves that stuff, but it gives me the fidgets.
Watch for this to be a revisionist’s wet dream.
yeah, City is more local than tourist.
Have fun!
Leaves are turning this time of year. Beautiful.
Also, look in the older homes windows. Friendship candles at night.
Be sure to go to Lancaster if you get a chance. Beautiful drive and Amish always have something and it’s neat to see them as well.
Meanwhile, the Sons of the American Revolution open their museum in Louisville, that epicenter of the American Revolution ... oh, wait ...
Leaves! I am upstate in NY, next to NH we have the best peaks anywhere!
We were actually in Lancaster a few weeks ago. We love to do little overnights in easy driving distance (2-5 hours) and we had been to Lancaster once to test drive a car I was considering, and decided to go there again.
We stayed downtown at the Marriott, which was OK. We walked around the historic area, saw lots of freaks (homeless types), LOL and had a nice time. Next day we went to the Landis Valley Museum. I love those type of places. We went to the Cloisters too - and I found that pretty intriguing. I would recommend that to all who do not have toddlers in tow.
Just changed our reservations. It’s a bit pricier, but at least I can reserve a specific room type, and I won’t have to worry about the construction. That would have really pissed me off. Glad I saw that here.
I think we will do the City Tavern for a late lunch before we leave for home. That turkey pot pie they offer is lovely. As are the breads they serve. I enjoyed the ambiance there too. I thought it would be pretentious, but it wasn’t at all.
I have always wanted to drive from Rhode Island to the Canadian border and be awe struck with the beauty of the changing seasons.
I’m jealous.
that turkey pot pie is heavenly!
This is what the building will look like:
Nice to read that it's completely funded.
The building itself is underwhelming--it seems that the Board of Directors could have held out for something more revolutionary.
Wow. And all my life, I have heard from the hard left that the American Revolution was nothing but rich people like Washington, Jefferson and Adams complaining about taxes. Now, Osawatomie Brown, informs me that it has been The Tea Party all this time saying that. < /s >
Ping
Thank you.
Well...yeah. Either in the colonial or Federalist style would have been fine, but do something more interesting and unique if you decide on modern.
When we went down to Lancaster I noted where the “color” stopped. There is a point a couple of hours from here, traveling southerly, where in spring suddenly we drive into freshly sprouted lush green landscapes, and in the fall where we suddenly leave behind the colorful changing leaves.
On the way home it’s funny - like in that scene in the Wizard of Oz where it suddenly goes from black and white to techni-color.
We aren’t getting a very even peak this year. A bit early and rather patchy, but it’s always lovely. At the height of peak on a great year some trees glow even at night. That sounds weird, but you probably know what I mean, LOL.
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