Franklin Court
فيلادلفيا
Franklin Court is the courtyard where Benjamin Franklin's house once stood. It is part of the large national historical park in the city center.
A house behind Market Street
For many years Benjamin Franklin and his wife lived in other people's houses. Then they decided to build a home of their own, behind their buildings on Market Street. It was designed by the master carpenter Robert Smith, in the middle of a quiet courtyard. Meanwhile Benjamin left for London and followed the work by letter.
A shop for the family
Franklin came back to live here in 1785. In the following years he built a print shop for Benjamin Franklin Bache, his daughter's son. There was also a workshop for binding books and one for casting type. He added a large dining room and a library.
A house of many uses
The house had many different uses. A minister from Portugal lived there, then it became a boarding house, a school and a café. In 1812 the land was worth so much that the family tore it down.
A house drawn in the air
In the 1950s and 1960s, archaeologists from the National Park Service dug here. There was little information to rebuild the house. So the architects Venturi and Rauch drew only its outline, with metal beams. The courtyard opened in 1976, for the 200th birthday of the United States.
