LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE HOLY COMMUNION. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. dome rises to a total height of 210 feet, while the main streeture is 101 feet 6 inches. The interior is cruciform; the nave 50 feet by 182, the transepts 50 by 128, and the vaulted ceiling 80 feet high. The exterior is imposing and the 12terior impressive, the design being of the richest Roma Corinthian, and the decorations in each and every particu superb. We come now to speak of one of the most importa classes of public buildings, namely, the Hospitals, and these Philadelphia has a large number of the most com pletely and best equipped, from the venerable Philadelphia Hospital, commenced in 1732, to the most recently openc that of the University. The first hospital opened in America was the Philadelphu Hospital; but as this grew out of, and has always been : branch of, the Philadelphia Almshouse, we shall speak of s more explicitly in that connection. The second hospital established in the Colonies was the Pennsylvania Hospital, which fronts on Pine street and occupies the entire block bounded by Pine, Eighth, Spruce and Ninth streets. At the time the site was chosen it was in the country, with but few buildings of any sort near it; the block bounded by Pine, Third, Spruce and Fourth streets, was occupied by the Almshouse and Philadelphia Hospital; but with this exception and a stray dwelling dotted here and there over the expanse, open fields and leafy groves stretched out in all directions to the south and west for miles. Dr. Thomas Bond, a native of Maryland, settled in Philadelphia in 1734, and commenced the practice of medicine and surgery; he was a physician of excellent repute, a scholar of extensive and varied 'attainments, a public-spirited citizen, and a large- and kind-hearted philanthropist ; he was intimately connected with Thomas Cadwalader, Thomas Hopkinson, John Bartram, Thomas Godfrey, and the other literary and scientific few who clustered around Franklin in the days when he was projecting the Library and the "Academy." True to medical and surgical instincts and his kindly heart, the Doctor, while heartily sympathizing with those noble projects for the public weal, devised an equally praiseworthy scheme-the founding of an extensive hospital. The little coterie of literati and scientists earnestly seconded Dr. Bond in his benevolent views, and ways and means were devised for carrying them to a successful issue. The obtaining of the needful money by subscriptions proving somewhat tardy, Dr. Franklin suggested the FIFTH BAPTIST CHURCH. securing of a contribution from the Provincial Assembly, conditional upon the collection of at least an equal amount by private contribution. The plan worked perfectly-the Assembly granted a charter with an appropriation of £2000, to be available as soon as the same sum should be collected from private sources; this was speed ily more than realized, and in February, 1752, the Pennsylvania Hospital entered upon its grand career of philanthropy and prosperity. A house on Market (then High) street between Fifth and Sixth streets was temporarily occupied; but two years later the eligible site still occupied was purchased by the trustees. On the 28th of May, 1755, the corner-stone of the east wing of the hospital-building was laid. This corner-stone bears the following inscription, supplied by Dr. Franklin: The "God of Mercies" has blessed "the undertaking." This wing was completed and occupied December 27th, 1756. The western wing was not built until 1794-96; and the cen tral or main edifice was completed and occupied early in the year 1805. Since that time several structures have been erected within the grounds, to meet the growing require VANINGEN SNYDER For ments of the institution, but no changes have been made in the original build ings. A high brick wall formerly.com pletely enclosed the hospital grond. and still does, except that a partice along Pine street has been remove! and an iron railing substituted, thes affording the passer-by a view of the plain but handsome front with its wei kept grass-plots and shrubbery, mit leaden statue of William Pean A writer has well said of this charity: "The hospital has been from its foun dation a blessing to the sick and n erable." The character of the wiri and the way it is done may be jedet from the fact that nearly one h thousand patients have herein bees treated and nursed, and of these ce siderably more than one-half have been poor persons cared for wathest charge or earthly compensation; er, to state it in other words, in the entire and a quarter since its inception the Pennsylvania Hospital has, at its ow cost, provided nurses and physicians, and food and medicines, for more ha fifty thousand sick or accidentally jured persons who were too pour so buy such attentions, and a large num ber of these would unquestionably bare perished but for this noble charity. There are some facts worth not sg in connection with the establishment of this venerable hospital. Having secured a charter and from the Provincial Assembly, on a dition of the raising of a like sum fr private contributors, it is worthy of remark that in a town of not excerang thirty thousand inhabitants so large : sum as more than £2000 was so rent and promptly given; the Hon. William Allen, Chief-Justice, gave £250, bet the sum was largely made up of s gifts of from one to ten poems to liberal-minded persons of comparatively small means. But when the hosp was thus commenced, with its charter and a total capital of somewhat above £4000, it occurred to the managers the the Proprietaries could not well refuse to donate the requisite land whereonto erect suitable buildings; and they ac cordingly applied to Richard and Tho mas Penn, the Proprietaries, designil ing a tract of land which they desnel especially suitable for the purpose. The gentlemen declined to give the tract indicated, but issued a wordy document to their Lieutenant-Governor, authorizing him to grant a charter, under certain stringent stipulations, and to give a certain other tract of land to the petitioners and others who might contribute each £10 or more to the proposed hospital. The managers, however, had a charter from the Assembly, and wished none from the Penns or their Lieutenant-Governor. The lot offered was a part of what is now known as Franklin Square, which had been given by William Penn to the citizens for a public park or garden, and hence did not belong to Richard and Thomas to give for any purpose-besides, it was low and somewhat marshy, and, as the managers told the Proprietaries, better suited for a burial-ground than a hospital; indeed, a portion of it had already been used for burial purposes. Hence, the managers courteously but emphatically refused the charter and the ground tendered by the Penns. The ground selected by them subsequently and purchased included that now occupied by them, except a strip of one hundred and seven feet deep, along the Spruce street front, which belonged to the Proprietaries; and some eight or ten years later these gentlemen donated that strip, with an annuity of £40. For the portion pur chased the managers paid £500--rather less than $1500an interesting fact when we take into account the other fact that the same ground to-day would be worth, perhaps, a million dollars. Once fairly started, the hospital, besides other liberal contributions, received no inconsiderable sum in the form of legacies, and its prosperity exceeded the anticipations of its PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE (KIRKBRIDE'S). FAIRMOUNT BRIDGE. founders. The managers, as ther available cash increased, bought the square east, half the square west, the square south, and a lot southwest, f the hospital square; subsequently, the Proprietaries gave them a strip cathe west, adjoining their half-square, de completing their square on the west In April, 1776, the minutes ed the Board of Managers show that they cwned, exclusive of the bepal square and building, real estate to the value of more than $565,000, 231 their annual income from investment was about $3500. These figures, must be borne in mind, represented a vastly larger value cre hardd yours ago than they would now. The charter of the Pennsylvani Hospital distinctly declares its purpose to be "the reception and reled of lunaticks, and other distempered and sick poor." And the reputation of this institution for skill in the care and treatment of "lunaticks became s great that its capacity was severely taxed by the number of patients of this class placed in its charge. To so great an extent did this pressure grow that the management in time found it difficult to do what they wished for "other distempered and sick poce Pesides, the advancement of Decal science had not been so great in any other respect as in the treatment of those whose reason was detronet, and the cld hospital could not be made to afford scope for the most enlight ened treatment of these poor sufferers. Hence, it was determined to procate a suitable site and erect a hospital ta pressly for lunaticks." To pride the necessary means, the managers sold the beautiful and desirable, but unproductive ground to the east, west and southwest of the hospital square; secured an admirable farm of upwar of one hundred acres, and built the now world-famed establishment pept larly styled "Kirkbride's," from th head physician, but more accurately entitled the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane." The corner stone was laid on the 22d day of June, 1836 and the building opened for the recep tion of patients on New Year's Dr. 1841. The site cannot be excel for the purpose, and the buildings are not only handsome and commodis, but every way adapted to its good |