future and more enlarged practice, as Wilson, Sergeant, Lewis, Edward Biddle, George Ross, Reed, Chew, Galloway, &c. This last had much practice, became celebrated in the war for his union to Sir William Howe when in Philadelphia, suffered the confiscation of his estate, and, when in England, wrote publicly to disparage the inefficient measures of his friend the general, in subduing "the unnatural rebellion" of his countryThese men have long since left their renown, and "gone to their reward," leaving only, as a connecting link with the bar of the present day, such men as Judge Peters and William Rawle, Esq. to give us passing recollections of what they may have seen most conspicuous and interesting in their manners or characters as public pleaders. men. Finally, "the busy stir of man," and the rapid growth of the "busy mart," has long since made it a necessary remove of business from the old court house. Surrounding commerce has "choked up the loaded street with foreign plenty." But, while we discard the venerable pile from its former ennobling services, let us strive to cherish a lively remembrance of its departed glory, and with it associate the best affections due to our pilgrim ancestors, though disused, not forgotten. The following facts will serve still further to enlarge and illustrate the leading history of the building, to wit: High street, since called Market street, was never intended for a market place by Penn. Both it and the court house, and all public buildings, as we are told by Oldmixon, were intended to have been placed at the Centre Square. When the court house was actually placed at Second and High streets, they were complained of by some as an infraction of the city scheme, and as marring its beauty. Proud calls it and the market buildings "a shameful and inconvenient obstruction." STATE HOUSE AND YARD. THIS distinguished building was begun in the year 1729, and finished in the year 1734. The amplitude of such an edifice in so early a day, and the expensive interior decorations, are creditable evidences of the liberality and public spirit of the times. Before the location of the State house, the ground towards Chesnut street was more elevated than now. The grandmother of S. R. Wood remembered it when it was covered with whortleberry bushes. On the line of Walnut street the ground was lower, and was built upon with a few small houses, which were afterwards purchased and torn down, to enlarge and beautify the State house square. The present aged Thomas Bradford, Esq., who has described it as it was in his youth, says the yard at that time was but about half its present depth from Chesnut street, was very irregular on its surface, and no attention paid to its appearance. On the Sixth street side, about fifteen to twenty feet from the then brick wall, the ground was sloping one to two feet below the general surface-over that space rested upon the wall a long shed, which afforded and was used as the common shelter for the parties of Indians occasionally visiting the city on business.* Among such a party, he saw the celebrated old King Hendrick, about the year 1756, not long before he joined Sir William Johnson at Lake George, and was killed. In the year 1760, the other half square, fronting on Walnut street, was purchased. After pulling down the houses there, among which were old Mr. Townsend's, who lamented over it as a patrimonial gift forced out of his possession by a jury valuation, the whole space was walled in with a high brick wall, and at the centre of the Walnut street wall was a ponderous high gate, and massive brick structure over the top of it, placed there by Joseph Fox. It was ornamental but heavy; vis a vis to this gate, the south side of Walnut street, was a considerable space of vacant ground. About the year 1784, the father of the present John Vaughan, Esq., coming to Philadelphia from England to reside among us, set his heart upon improving and adorning the yard, as an embellishment to the city. He succeeded to accomplish this in a very tasteful and agreeable manner. The trees and shrubbery which he had planted were very numerous and in great variety. When thus improved, it became a place of general resort, as a delightful promenade. Windsor settees and garden chairs were placed in appropriate places, and all, for a while, operated as a charm. It was something * This shed afterwards became an artillery range, having its front gate of entrance upon Chesnut street. 15* |