I went inside City Hall's hidden room 😲

Philadelphia City Hall is a monumental 19th-century engineering feat—built with 88 million bricks and foundation walls up to 22 feet thick. This unreinforced masonry giant was intended as the pinnacle of modern design but was soon rendered obsolete by the rise of steel-frame skyscrapers. This episode explores how that construction blunder became a permanent fixture. Topics include the "Gentleman's Agreement" about Philadelphia’s skyline, the engineering required to protect subway lines beneath the tower, and hidden architectural features like the Whispering Arches and the "Curse of Billy Penn." #phillyhistory #architecture #hiddenhistory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices