Campus Architecture & History Tour for Int'l Day of Monuments and Sites

Did you know Philadelphia is home to 67 of the country's 2,618 National Historic Landmarks? On Tuesday, April 18, many of Philadelphia's landmarks will offer special events as part of an annual celebration of the International Day of Monuments and Sites (IDMS) organized by the Global Philadelphia Association.

We will be celebrating IDMS with a guided walking tour behind the famous 10-foot wall of Girard College with Director of Historical Resources Kathy Haas. This year marks the 175th anniversary of the historic school, and as we stroll around this 43-acre oasis in the middle of the city, we’ll examine the campus as it exists today, along with archival drawings and photographs that document its design, history, and growth.

We'll look at the monumental architecture of Founder’s Hall, a National Historic Landmark, as well as other sites on our campus, all of which is on the National Register. We will also touch on Stephen Girard, the 19th-century multi-millionaire who left his fortune to create a school for financially-disadvantaged children; the generations of students who have lived and learned here (and still do); and the powerful civil rights activism that led to the school’s desegregation.

The tour will begin at the front gate of Girard College (corner of S. College and Corinthian Avenues) at 2:30.

After our tour, we encourage visitors to visit the Wagner Free Institute of Science, our neighboring National Historic Landmark, for their 4 PM IDMS tour. Founded by Stephen Girard’s former employee, William Wagner, the museum is less than a mile from Girard College. Their tour, led by Museum Educator Cris Juarez and Executive Director Susan Glassman, will begin with a talk in the Wagner's historic Lecture Hall followed by a guided walk through the museum, highlighting its architecture and stories about a few of the most intriguing specimens.