Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/36

16 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [July, THE PENN TREATY-GROUND AND A MONUMENT TO WILLIAM PENN. THE PURPOSE. SHACKAMAXON, the place of the eels, or Sakamaxon, the place of the chiefs — either, or both, included in the old actual district, and present courtesy one, of Kensington, Philadelphia — pos- sesses a hallowed spot, long since de- voted, in the popular "wish, to the site Of A PUBLIC SQUARE AND FREE LANDING, to be graced, at the earliest practicable moment, with a lofty monumental pillar, consecrated to the pure memory of the Founder of the Commonwealth of Penn- sylvania, WILLIAM PENN. The matter was brought before the County Board by Thomas S. Fernon, Esq., in 1848, though ineffectually. A sum of money was appropriated ; but the scheme failed. Not long afterwards, the same gentleman, then an Assem- blyman, originated a clause in a bill, which passed the Legislature early in 1852, quoted as follows, in the Phila- delphia Ledger, April 15, 1852: THE TREATY-GROUND. " In order to dedicate to public use "and embellishment the site of William "Penn's Treaty held with the Indian "nations in the year 1682, under the " Elm Tree, in Shackamaxon, now Ken- " sington ; Beach street, in the district " of Kensington, county of Philadel- " phia, shall be widened from its present "southernmost line one hundred and " fifty feet, beginning on the line of " Hanover street, and thence extending " eastwarclly, parallel with the line of " said Beech street, at least one hundred "and fifty feet, so that the area to be " dedicated to public use shall be two " hundred feet between the lines of Beach " street, and two hundred feet eastwardly "from the western line of Hanover street ; "said street to be opened, as soon as " practicable, to the width herein pre- " scribed, as streets and roads are opened " under existing laws, in the city and " county of Philadelphia ; and the Com- " missioners of the district of Kensing- " ton shall have the power to enclose a "plot in the centre of said area, not " exceeding one hundred feet square, and " shall place, or authorize to be placed " therein, a monument, or other memo- " rial, to commemorate an event iden- " tified with the settlement and history of "the Commonwealth." This would make a plot of 100 feet square, with streets 50 feet wide, entirely surrounding it. The most casual glance at the map herewith presented will show that this provision does not even include the site of the Great Elm, which it leaves almost in the midst of the eastern con- templated street ; and the monument representing it, if placed in the middle of the plot, no nearer the actual site of the Elm Tree, although in a rather dif- ferent direction, than the present one. What the writer proposes, is a public square and a free landing forever, to comprise all the space between Rich- mond, Palmer, and Marlborough streets and the Delaware river, with three main winding paths representing the old River road, Hanover street, and Allen street, that pedestrians may not have to travel out of their way — with Delaware avenue open through it, but with the pier alwa3 r s open to the river, and well pro- vided in landing-slips, and posts, with elegant water-gates, a tasteful summer- house on the site of Fairman's Mansion, and a towering monument to William Penn, centred in the very centre of the GREAT ELM TREE, as specially marked on the plan. This should be so designed as to have ample room for the display and preservation of a marble statue to Penn and full commemorative