At the end of the day, it was geographic factors that led to Harrisburg becoming capital of Pennsylvania. I n the minds of politicians and policymakers, it made sense for the capital to be located as close to the center of the state as possible, allowing the easiest access from all areas.
There were no planes or cars in those days, so transportation to and from a capital always needed to be a consideration. Philadelphia may be the largest population center in the state, but it is located in the far southeastern corner, roughly miles from Erie, PA, up in the northwestern corner. It would take close to two weeks to make the journey in the era of the horse-drawn carriage.
Harrisburg, on the other hand, is a full miles west of Philadelphia toward the center of the state, and its location directly on the Susquehanna River made it easily accessible by ship. This meant most were able to reach it in a day or two if necessary. Despite thirty years of mismanagement and corruption under Mayor Stephen Reed , which led to the city filing for bankruptcy in , Forbes named Harrisburg the 2 nd best place in America to raise a family in Because, while the city itself struggles with debt to this day, its high concentration of state and federal government offices has made it somewhat recession-proof from an employment perspective.
Think you know a thing or two about the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania? Test your skills in the quiz below! Where is the Mississippi River? What states border the Mississippi River? The Mississippi […]. They are the first and second largest cities in the state, […].
Definitely recommend coming here and taking a tour, they are free but very detailed. The capitol building is absolutely beautiful! I took my five-year-old son and he also enjoyed it. We walked around a bit on our own, but also went on the short 30 mins guided tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable.
My son was a big fan of the Welcome Center downstairs in the East Wing. I look forward to going back. A great place to visit when in Harrisburg. History, art, architecture and learning how government works combine to make a memorable and worthwhile experience, 4 years ago. Beautiful building, free tour, friendly staff.
Welcome to PACapitol. Your source for information on the Pennsylvania State Capitol. Discover the beauty and architecture. Plan a Visit. Visit our New Interactive Welcome Center.
Fun for the entire family! Learn More. Download Our Free Mobile App! Tour the PA Capitol. Watch Session Live. House Session Senate Session. The Legislature, which was in session at the time, was forced to evacuate and reconvene in the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. It was uncertain whether Harrisburg would remain the capital because measures were taken to try to move the seat of government back to Philadelphia. These were later postponed when the Legislature voted to tear down the remaining brick structure of the burned-out Hills Capitol and replace it with a larger and more modern structure, appropriate for a state that was then an industrial giant.
Cobb's well-intended ideas and design for the new, grand building looked good on paper. However, part way through the project, the Legislature realized there were not enough funds to complete the building according to the plans they had approved.
They instructed Cobb to provide only the shell of the building and make it functional. Although never completed to the full scale that the architect intended, the Cobb Capitol served an important purpose in Pennsylvania history by allowing the seat of government to remain in Harrisburg. Dissatisfied with the end result, in , the Legislature again issued a design competition to complete the existing Cobb Capitol with funds that were now accruing through recovered debts owed to the State.
A young aspiring Philadelphia architect named Joseph M. Huston won the competition. From the beginning, Huston was determined to make his building one of the most brilliant architectural and artistic public governmental seats in America.
0コメント