What was Independence Hall in Philadelphia originally called when it housed Pennsylvania’s colonial government?

Independence Hall in Philadelphia was originally called the Pennsylvania State House.

The Georgian-style building was constructed between 1732 and 1753 for Pennsylvania’s colonial legislature. It also contained rooms used by the colony’s executive and judicial branches, making it the center of Pennsylvania’s government before independence.

The Second Continental Congress met there during the American Revolution. Congress approved the Declaration of Independence in the building in 1776, and delegates later debated and signed the United States Constitution there in 1787. These events gave the structure national importance.

The name Independence Hall became common after the American Revolution, reflecting its association with independence. The Liberty Bell was originally hung in the State House steeple, although the bell and building are now separate attractions within Independence National Historical Park. The building’s historical significance comes from multiple founding-era events, not only the Declaration.