"church, after church, after church"

the cathedral basilica of saints peter and paul (1846-64) and the mormon temple 2014-16) were across the circle from the hotel --- we went in the former but the latter was closed up tight as a drum ---  

the mormons just finished their temple last year

the arch street presbyterian congregation is almost gone, but a magnificent building (1855) remains

first methodist church in america

the know nothings burned down the catholic churches in 1844 --- this is st augustine's (1848) 

christ church (1727-44), first episcopal church, with an interior dating to the 1770s --- the baptismal font dates to the fourteenth century or some such

the cemeteries were a little disappointing since most of the markers were sandstone, now eroded to illegibility

the best of the churches was gloria dei, the old swedes church, completed in 1700 --- wonderfully intact building

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we just glimpsed the south end of fairmount park, but went inside lemon hill (1800-01), which was a purty cool site in spite of the fact that the colonial dames sold off all the furnishings a few years back, and now the remaining outbuilding is falling into ruin  --- robert was underwhelmed by the waterworks, which i thought were really wonderful, and we didn't take the time to see the museum, saving it for next time --- thus was the second day, more or less, minus the cocktails on the roof of the hotel

devils race course, west palisades

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eastern state penitentiary, which opened in 1829,  is almost overwhelming in its gothic hugeness and in the magnificent ruin of its interior --- roofs have been replaced, most corridors cleared of debris, and even a little restoration, but mostly its being left as it is --- proposals after its abandonment in 1971 included renovation as a shopping mall and condominiums ---   

only a couple of cells have been restored

al capone's cell, recreated from his incarceration in 1929-1930

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the logan (ca 1987, remodeled 2015) turned out to be a most excellent place to stay --- overlooking logan square and the magnificent swann fountain --- franklin institute, museum of fine art, free library, basilica, and mormon temple were all within the viewshed --- fine roof-top bar

such a fine city with fine architecture and public art all over the place

a memorial to mary dyer, "a quaker witness to religious freedom hung on boston common in 1660," at the race street meeting house