Alexander Milne Calder’s colossal statue of William Penn stands atop City Hall, which covers four and a half acres in the heart of Center City. An artwork in itself with over 250 sculptures primarily attributed to Milne Calder, City Hall is surrounded by notable sculptures such as Claes Oldenburg’s “Clothespin.”
Around City Hall
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William Penn
(1890, cast 1892)by Alexander Milne Calder (1846 - 1923)
City Hall Tower, Broad and Market StreetsOver thirty-six feet tall and weighing more than 53,000 pounds, Alexander Milne Calder’s William Penn atop City Hall is one of Philadelphia’s most prominent landmarks.
City Hall
(1871-1901)by Alexander Milne Calder (1846 - 1923)
City Hall, Penn Square at Broad and Market StreetsThe exterior and interior of City Hall contain over 250 works of sculpture, many of which relate to Philadelphia’s government and history, principally attributed to one man, Alexander Milne Calder.
A Quest for Parity: The Octavius V. Catto Memorial
(2017)by Branly Cadet (b. 1966)
Southwest corner of Philadelphia City HallOctavius V. Catto was one of the most influential African American leaders in Philadelphia during the 19th century.
William McKinley
(1908)by Charles Albert Lopez (1869 - 1906), Isidore Konti (1862 - 1938)
City Hall, South Plaza (Broad and Market Streets)A memorial to President William McKinley depicted in a characteristic pose in the midst of delivering a speech. Below him sits a symbolic figure representing wisdom instructing a youth.
John Wanamaker
(1923)by John Massey Rhind (1860 - 1936)
City Hall, East Plaza (Broad and Market Streets)A pioneer in modern marketing and advertising, John Wanamaker founded the nearby emporium (now Macy’s) that bore his name for more than a century.
John Christian Bullitt
(1907)by John J. Boyle (1851 - 1917)
City Hall, North Plaza (Broad and Market Streets)An attorney and civic leader, John Christian Bullitt drafted the “Bullitt Bill” which would later become Philadelphia’s City Charter.
Major General John Fulton Reynolds
(1883)by John Rogers (1829 - 1904)
City Hall, North Plaza (John F. Kennedy Boulevard and N Broad Street)A Philadelphia philanthropist offered $25,000 toward a memorial to the fallen Pennsylvanian, Major General John Fulton Reynolds, who was killed by a sharpshooter in Gettysburg in 1863.
General George McClellan
(1891)by Henry Jackson Ellicott (1847 - 1901)
City Hall, North Plaza (John F. Kennedy Boulevard and N Broad Street)Though trained as an engineer, McClellan was best known for his military activities during the Civil War. He had the reputation of being a brilliant but sometimes overly cautious general.
Matthias William Baldwin
(1905)by Herbert Adams (1858 - 1945)
City Hall, North Plaza (Broad and Market Streets)A former jewelry maker, Matthias Baldwin designed the first U.S.-made steam locomotive in 1831. His company became one of the largest makers of locomotives in the world.
Government of the People
(1976)by Jacques Lipchitz (1891 - 1973)
Municipal Services Building Plaza, Broad Street and John F. Kennedy BoulevardAt first glance, the sculpture appears to be an inverted pyramid of human arms, legs, and torsos, but upon further study, the figures begin to emerge more clearly.
For the bicentennial celebration in 1976, artist Robert Indiana lent the city a large aluminum sculpture of his “love” image. Indiana first produced this design as a painting in 1964.
Facing City Hall tower with its sculpture of William Penn, Clothespin has the jolting and humorous effect of a familiar object seen out of context.
Massive bronze curves interlock to form Robert Engman’s “Triune.”