National Guard's Hall, 518-20 Race Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Significance: The National Guard's Hall (also called the Armory of the National Guards) was one of the focal points in Philadelphia during the Civil War. Occupied for a time as a United States army hospital, it was also the destination point of military parades, the scene of much patriotic speechmaking, and the welcome and dismissal point for troops either on furlough or at the end of enlistment. The "grand saloon" on the second floor served not only for military gatherings, but was occasionally the scene of lectures, fairs, concerts, balls, and various meetings. According to its dedication orator, Colonel John W. Farney, this hall was "one of the finest military edifices in our Union, and the only one ever erected by a single volunteer company...a temple of the citizen soldrer..."
Survey number: HABS PA-1015