Philadelphia Public Art @philart.net

Franklin Town Tour

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The Franklin Town tour runs roughly Northwest from 15th and Arch to Spring Garden, along Franklin Town Boulevard, including Franklin Town Park Connections and Big Ben at Franklin Town. From 15th and Arch we go




Navy Ships
1928 (completion of building)
* small ships, anchor, eagle
* The building was originally the Navy Central YMCA Annex. Around the entrance are subtle relief carvings of Navy ships including the Hornet, the Constitution, the Enterprise, the Bon Homme Richard, the Kearsarge, and the Olympia.
* Entrance. East side of 15th, North of Arch.
* 39.955150,-75.164675 [map]
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's entry for the building

Mary Dyer
Sylvia Shaw Judson, 1960
* Statue of Mary Dyer
* seated person wearing a bonnet, bench
* inscription: Quaker witness for religious freedom. Hanged on Boston Common 1660.
 * Just inside the gate of the Friends Center. Northwest corner, 15th and Cherry.
* 39.955650,-75.164900 [map]
* Exhibits: Religious
* See also:
+Martyrdom of Mary Dyer
+lawbuzz.com's Mary Dyer page



St. Elizabeth Catholic Church Crucifixion
1993 (installed? year St. Elizabeth was closed)
* statue of Jesus
* small group of people standing and crucified, kneeling, with headgear
* I have no information about the relationship between the statues and St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, or who the three women are
* inscription: St. Elizabeth Catholic Church founded 1872
 * Archdiocese. Parking lot, Northwest corner, 17th and Race.
* 39.956950,-75.167700 [map]
* Exhibits: New, Religious, Unidentified
* See also:
+phillychurchproject.com blog entry with picture of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church
+phillychurchproject.com page for St. Veronica that mentions the destruction of St. Elizabeth
+Archdiocese listing for St. Elizabeth
+ushistory.org mention of the laying of the cornerstone of St. Elizabeth


Mary
* statue of Mary
* standing person, kneeling person, head covering, rosary
* Archdiocese. Parking lot, Southwest corner, 17th and Vine.
* 39.958125,-75.167450 [map]
* Exhibits: New, Religious



Saint John Chrysostom
1931
* standing angel, heads
* inscription: Gloria In Excelcis Deo
 * Whole building. Saint John Chrysostom. East side of 17th, South of Vine.
* 39.957850,-75.167300 [map]
* Exhibits: Religious, Gargoyles
* See also:
+Gargoyle Hunter page for the building

Bird
Joseph J. Greenberg, Jr., 1980 (date of building)
* big bird
* Entrance. Sheraton Center City. Between 16th and 17th on the North side of the hotel, which is on the Northeast corner of 17th and Race.
* 39.957700,-75.166900 [map]



Freedom
Zenos Frudakis, 2000
* small people standing, parts of people, tools
* Wall. South side of Vine, West of 16th.
* 39.957975,-75.166000 [map]
* See also:
+zenosfrudakis.com



Big Ben at Franklin Town
Alexander L. Generalis, Tom Miles, 1992
* Bust of Benjamin Franklin
* big head, lightning bolts, arch, kite, implied keys
* The eight seat-sized posts each have a letter inscribed on top, spelling out FRANKLIN.
* Bridge over I-676. 17th and Vine.
* 39.958450,-75.167100 [map]
* See also:
+Miles and Generalis, Inc.
+The Electric Franklin

Medallions
Victoria Davila, 1986
* abstract plant forms
* Wall. North side of Wood, East of 17th (just North of Vine).
* 39.959450,-75.166750 [map]
* See also:
+victoriadavila.com


Video Arbor
Nam June Paik, 1990
* real plants, abstract video and images
* Entrance. East side of Franklin Town Blvd. between Wood and Callowhill (one block North of 17th and Vine).
* 39.959925,-75.167640 [map]
* See also:
+paikstudios.com
+wikipedia.org's Nam June Paik page

Franklin Town Park Connections
Athena Tacha, 1992
* big abstract rocks
* Franklin Town Park. Between 18th and 19th, South of Spring Garden.
* 39.961600,-75.168900 [map]
* See also:
+artist's aerial picture of this piece
+artist's closeup pictures of this piece
+Athena Tacha's home page

The Freedom Ring
Houston Conwill, Joseph De Pace, Estella Conwill Majozo, 1994
* map, quotes about freedom
* Features a map which shows some of Philadelphia's historic houses of worship, hospitals, and government sites, plus expressions of freedom in 36 languages, and a spiral of phrases including "We shall overcome", and "Go down Moses"
* Plaza. Community College. Between 17th and 18th, South of Spring Garden. Can be reached from the walkway on the West side of 18th.
* 39.961850,-75.167375 [map]
* Exhibits: Religious, African American
* See also:
+leftmatrix.com Houston Conwill page

Synergy
Albert Paley, 1987
* big abstract implied arch
* West side of 18th, South of Spring Garden.
* 39.962500,-75.168100 [map]
* See also:
+albertpaley.com

Demeter and Poseidon
* bas reliefs of Demeter and Poseidon
* big standing people, horses, baskets, fish, food, plants, weapon (trident), crown
* Wall. North side of Spring Garden, West of 18th.
* 39.963540,-75.168850 [map]
* Exhibits: Religious
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Demeter page
+wikipedia.org's Poseidon page

How to Retain Site Memory While Developing the Landscape
Winifred Lutz, 1990
* big idea, column from the Preston Retreat, abstract
* inscription: The Preston Retreat was here once but now it is a circle for arrivals and departures.
 * Courtyard Traffic Circle. CityView Condominiums. West side of 20th between Hamilton and Spring Garden.
* 39.962800,-75.171900 [map]
* See also:
+Penn Nursing Preston Retreat page
+Winifred Lutz article from Sculpture magazine

Neons for Buttonwood
Stephen Anotonakos, 1990
* big abstract
* The picture was taken from the South side of Logan Square.
* Roof. South side of CityView Condominiums. North side of Hamilton between 20th and 21st. Visible from the Parkway from 18th to 22nd..
* 39.962550,-75.171750 [map]
* See also:
+stephenantonakos.com

Possible trip extension: Kelly Drive (6 blocks West on Hamilton and Pennsylvania)

See Also

+Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
+Community College of Philadelphia
+Quaker Information Center at Friends Center
+Sheraton Center City (emporis.com entry)