What was Independence Hall in Philadelphia originally called?

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

The building was completed in 1753 for the colonial legislature of Pennsylvania. It served as the province’s seat of government before becoming the setting for two foundational events in United States history: the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

The building’s modern name reflects its association with independence, but “Independence Hall” was not its original eighteenth-century name. The Pennsylvania State House also hosted the Second Continental Congress and later the Congress of the Confederation. Its central Assembly Room remains the best-known interior connected with the founding era.

The hall is part of Independence National Historical Park and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The Liberty Bell was originally hung in the state house’s steeple, although it is now displayed across the street in the Liberty Bell Center.