Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/826

 668 The Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal. [April-, eiy, throbbing with the fiscal life of this great city ; and Broad street, extending from League Island to Hunting- Park, a distance of twelve miles, one of the finest avenues in the world, destined to be im- proved with splendid buildings, and to control our social life. These squares are nearer the centre of business, as it will be ten years hence, than can readily be imagined. To the observing mind, it is a well- demonstrated fact, that all business is moving westward, as our city increases. Year by year, new stores are demanded, and the}' must, of necessity, be provided west of Broad street. Chestnut street improvements have crept gradually westward, until, during this year, one of the most extensive dry goods firms in this city has erected a splendid mar- ble store west of Broad street. Col- lonade Row has given way. Its old frowning front has broken and fallen back from the irresistible charge of mod- ern improvement. The newspapers are moving west : in one stride, they have stepped from Third street to Seventh street. The buildings on Independence Square will be needed for some other city pm - - poses. Let us revere the time-honored square, hallowed by the events that clustered round the birth of liberty in America, and made sacred by the men whose memories are immortal. Let us commit no sacrilege ; but preserve its precincts with jealous care, and hand it down to posterity, with all its traditional and historical glories undimmed. Gen- erations to come will condemn any act of vandalism committed by us, upon a country's treasure. It is not ours to desecrate. But it should be preserved inviolate, as 3 national estate. Practi- cally, the ground is not large enough for our wants. The streets are too con- tracted. We want room. We must have expanse. We are too large now to contract. Let us scatter to the winds all selfish issues ; and, for the good of future generations, unite our wisdom. When the Continental Hotel was built, many judicious people thought it too far west. If it had been built on Broad street, the projectors would have shown their wisdom. Bailey & Company's jewelry store, at Twelfth street, in twenty years from now, will be thought too far east ; and they will sell out to some printing house, and move their colony west. West Philadelphia is des- tined to become a large and populous part of the city. Its rapid advancement at the present time, indicates surely its destiny in twenty years. Penn Square is centrally located. It was a great geographical centre, as laid out by William Penn, and called Centre Square. It is now the greatest com- mercial and railroad centre in the city The streets upon which it is situated are the finest in the city, giving ample room, light, and ventilation. I can conceive of no serious objection, that can be urged in opposition to it. Indeed, none but very short-sighted, or directly -inter- ested people, can declaim against it It is said by some that it would ruin property-holders, in the vicinity of Inde- pendence Square, to remove the public buildings from Sixth and Chestnut streets. I do not see the force of this reasoning. The eastern part of the city, now occupied by lawj-ers' offices, would be in great demand for coal, in- surance, and other offices. The build- ings would not be finished for ten years. During that time these things will find their level; and men, whose business compels them to be in close proximity to the public buildings, can gradualby change. It cannot possibly affect the newspaper offices. They alwaj-s were east of the city buildings. It is only lately they left Third street for Sixth and Seventh streets. They must have scented the carrion from afar ; as now the}' will be east of the Penn Square buildings, as they always have been of the old buildings, until very lately — and near enough for business. The tavern-keepers, etc., like camp-followers,