Foto Friday

Kids in the Invitational Cross-Country meet were so busy puffing up the steep hill, they didn’t notice the remarkable views, including Belmont Mansion (seen above, now home to the Underground Railroad Museum) and vistas that included a gleaming Memorial Hall (a remnant of the 1876 Centennial Exposition beautifully restored by the Please Touch Museum) and the towers of the Smith Civil War Memorial, erected between 1897-1912 (no relation).

Philadelphia is so chockablock with history and remarkable buildings that tell fascinating stories that I guess they just don’t notice after awhile.  So one of the challenges that we, as preservationists, face is working to make these marvels “pop” into awareness from time to time.