William Penn (Calder) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Penn
Year	1894
Type	Bronze
Dimensions	(447 1/2 in)
Location	Philadelphia
Coordinates	39°57′10″N 75°09′49″W / 39.95281°N 75.16352°W / 39.95281; -75.16352
Owner	City of Philadelphia

The William Penn statue is a huge bronze sculpture of William Penn. It was created by Alexander Milne Calder. You can find it on top of the Philadelphia City Hall building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was put there in 1894.

This amazing statue was made in 14 different parts. It took almost two years to finish putting all the pieces together! William Penn himself was the person who started and named the state of Pennsylvania.

The Statue's Special Rule

For nearly 90 years, there was an unwritten rule in Philadelphia. It was like a "gentlemen's agreement," meaning people just agreed to it without writing it down. This rule said that no building in the city could be taller than the hat on the William Penn statue.

Why the Rule Changed

This special rule ended in 1985. That's when a new building project called Liberty Place was approved. This project included two very tall buildings, or skyscrapers. They are called One Liberty Place and Two Liberty Place. These new buildings rose much higher than Penn's hat.

Images for kids

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  1894 - The statue, ready for liftup

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  A worker at Tacony Iron Works with the head of the William Penn statue.

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  Left side view of the William Penn statue