History & local legend
Independence Hall's Assembly Room was the setting for both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutional Convention. During the 1787 convention, Benjamin Franklin studied the sun carved on George Washington's chair and wondered whether it represented sunrise or sunset. At the signing, he declared it a rising sun.
In stories told by Philly Ghosts, Franklin still returns to the room as a hazy figure. The tour's account also places Benedict Arnold elsewhere in the building, sometimes explaining his presence as a search for forgiveness.
Sources
- Philly Ghosts, Independence Hall tour traditions
- National Park Service, Assembly Room of Independence Hall and Franklin’s account of Washington’s chair
- VisitPA, archived HauntedPA script, Independence Hall tower tradition
- National Park Service, tower and steeple history
- OpenStreetMap, Independence Hall historic building
