October 5, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Magical transformation should delight area children
by JIMMY J. PACK JR.

The interior of Memorial Hall is well preserved but needs repair. The Please Touch Museum will make sure every original detail is brought back to life.

A few months ago I wrote a piece about Philadelphia’s Memorial Hall, a rotting piece of history abused by the city that had introduced it to the United States of America for the 1876 World’s Fair — the Centennial Exhibition celebrating the first 100 years of the U.S.A.

My worry was that one of the (if not the) most architecturally stunning and significant buildings in the city of Philadelphia would be left to rot to the point that only a demolition crew could save it. Or, worse, that it would become the victim of a sociopathic teen with arson on his mind. (The latter being probably the most likely, only because so many other buildings of past World Fairs had been burned down by drunks and reckless juveniles.)

But Memorial Hall is going to be rehabbed by another Philadelphia landmark, The Please Touch Museum, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on October 6. And because the Please Touch is rehabilitating Centennial Hall, the building won’t just be cleaned and fixed up like a personal Home Depot project, it will be restored and returned to its original intended use — a museum.

I was invited to tour the building with a group of people working on the project, including Mt. Airy resident Willard Whitson, vice president of exhibits for the Please Touch Museum. With hardhats donned and the heat boiling the mercury up a few more noticeable notches, we took a walk-through the guts of Memorial Hall. The Beaux Arts building was completed in 1876 and is the only surviving major structure from the Centennial Exhibition.

“There used to be a basketball court and a pool in here,” said Whitson. “Take a look over there.”

One whole side of the floor of Memorial Hall is caved in, crumbled into the floor below. This is where the pool used to be. The marble floor is cracked in some places, completely missing in others, and it’s all covered with dust and dirt. Paint is peeling off the walls revealing the original color of the place, but I can’t see what that color is because the air is heavy, humid and thick with dust.

In the basement, encased in a plywood safe, is the original scale model of the 1876 World’s Fair, which had been shipped and moved from civic building to civic building for a few decades. With all the construction it’s hard to envision how this place will look.

But after seeing the plans for the new museum, I can honestly say I am the most excited kid in Philadelphia right now. Perhaps even the world.

The Please Touch Museum is not just moving and turning the national historic landmark into a shill for an apathetic corporation. They are breathing life back into the place and it won’t just be for kids anymore. As you enter the building, you’ll be witness to a replica of the Statue of Liberty’s arm and torch, which was originally displayed at the fair. The replica will be made completely of toys. There’s also going to be a mini-city, and yes, the SEPTA bus and the grocery store will be a part of it. For adults, there will be an exhibit focusing on the Centennial Exposition; this is where visitors will once again be able to see the giant scale replica model of the 1876 World’s Fair.

Another highlight of the rehabilitation will be the addition of a carousel that once stood 10 blocks away from Memorial Hall at Woodside Park. The carousel has been stored in Massachusetts but will be moving to Ohio where the 1924 carousel will be completely restored. The Dentzel Carousel Factory in Germantown originally manufactured the carousel.

With four times the gallery space and over 300 parking spaces on site, the Please Touch Museum at Memorial Hall will bring new life to the Fairmount Park area and help Philadelphia maintain an important part of its past. For more information on the project, visit www.pleasetouchmuseum.org.