The Pennsylvania State House was later renamed Independence Hall, where Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
The building stands in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park. In 1776 it was the Pennsylvania State House, and the Second Continental Congress met there when it approved the Declaration of Independence. The Constitutional Convention also met in the building in 1787.
The name Independence Hall became established during the nineteenth century, reflecting the building’s association with the Declaration and the creation of the United States. The Liberty Bell was originally housed in the State House’s steeple, linking the building to another major symbol of American independence.
Independence Hall is not the same building as Federal Hall in New York City, where George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president in 1789. Nor should it be confused with Congress Hall, another Philadelphia building that served as the meeting place of Congress from 1790 to 1800.