Old City Philadelphia: Cradle of American Democracy

Old City Philadelphia is the heart of the City of Brotherly Love, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution written. From the Delaware Indians and early Swedish settlers to the artisans and craftspeople who lived along Elfreth’s Alley-the oldest residential street in the United States-this town represented the backbone of the new nation until the city’s priorities shifted. As change buffeted the city and the nation, Old City Philadelphia resisted passing into oblivion and recreated itself as a place committed to tradition, craftsmanship, and history that is a resident’s, and visitor’s, delight.