Philadelphia City Hall - Definition and Overview

Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of government for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At 167 m (548 ft), including statue, it is the world's tallest masonry building: the weight of the building is borne by stone walls 11 ft thick, rather than steel.

The building was designed by Philadelphia architect John McArthur, and was constructed from 1871 until 1901 for a cost of $24 million. Originally designed to be the world's tallest building, by the time it was completed it was already surpassed by the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower.

The building is topped by a 11 m (37 ft) bronze statue of William Penn, which weighs 27 tons.

For much of its history, City Hall was the tallest building in Philadelphia, thanks to a "gentlemen's agreement". In 1987, it lost that distinction when One Liberty Place was completed.

City Hall is a National Historic Landmark.