Philadelphia Firsts

Philadelphia is a city rich in history and full of “firsts.”

• First city to guarantee religious freedom, beginning in 1682.
• First botanical garden in the U.S. – Bartram’s Garden, opened 1728.
• First library in the U.S. – The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731. Its current location, 1314 Locust Street, is open to the public.
• First and oldest hospital in the U.S. – Pennsylvania Hospital, opened 1751.
• First July 4th event in the U.S. in 1776. Still a big celebration every year with the multi-day Wawa Welcome America festival.
• First university in the U.S. – University of Pennsylvania assumed university status in 1779.
• First convention in the U.S. – the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the Constitution of the United States was written and adopted by representatives of the 13 original colonies.
• First stock exchange in the U.S. – Philadelphia Stock Exchange, 1790.
• First mint in the U.S. – U.S. Mint established in 1792 on Seventh Street, near Arch Street, it was the first property acquired by the federal government.
• First African-American church in the U.S. – Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, established 1794.
• First art school and art museum in the U.S.– Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, founded 1805.
• First zoo in the U.S. – Philadelphia Zoo, chartered in 1859 and opened in 1874.
• First World’s Fair in the U.S. – the Centennial International Exhibition, 1876. Memorial Hall, built especially for the World’s Fair, houses the Please Touch Museum.
• First Thanksgiving Day Parade in the U.S. in 1919.
• First international-style skyscraper in the U.S. – Loews Philadelphia Hotel (12th & Market Streets), formerly the PSFS (bank) Building, 1932. This was also the first totally air-conditioned building in America.
• First orchestra to appear in a motion picture (1937), on television (1948) and to tour China (1973) – Philadelphia Orchestra.
• Oldest continuously occupied street in the U.S. – Elfreth’s Alley, since 1713.
• Oldest theater in continuous use in the English-speaking world – Walnut Street Theater, founded in 1808.