- Historic Sites Constructed between 1732 and 1756 as the State
House of the Province of Pennsylvania, it is considered a fine
example of Georgian architecture. From 1775 to 1783 (except for
the winter of 1777 - 1778 when Philadelphia was occupied by the
British Army) this was the meeting place for the Second
Continental Congress. It was in the Assembly Room of this
building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief
of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of
Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. In the same room the
design of the American flag was agreed upon in 1777, the
Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and the U. S.
Constitution was drafted in 1787. The building, inside and out,
has been restored whenever possible to its original late-18th
century appearance. Most of the furnishing are period pieces.
The "rising sun" chair used by George Washington as he presided
over the Constitutional Convention is original.