An Upsurge of Patriotism

The approach of war, however, renewed local interest in protecting Independence Hall and the adjacent historic buildings. Fear of possible damage from fire-bombing, coupled with an upsurge of patriotism, inspired an outburst of activity in late 1941 and 1942. Despite Struthers Burt's misgivings, Philadelphians from several walks of life began to garner support for a national park. One of these early activists was Isidor Ostroff, who represented the Fifth Ward, which included Independence Square and Society Hill, in the Pennsylvania legislature. Ostroff, a Democrat in a city long dominated by a Republican machine, had been elected on President Roosevelt's coattails in the landslide of 1936. Ostroff, who practiced law in Philadelphia, was frankly emotional in his patriotism. As the son of an immigrant, he was proud to represent what he considered the most sacred district in all the United States because it included Independence Hall. However, Ostroff was dismayed by the severely dilapidated housing stock in the Fifth Ward, parts of which had become a virtual skid row. As he read the various proposals for a park around Independence Hall, he began to view a federal takeover as the key to revitalization of the neighborhood. In the fall of 1941 he persuaded the Democratic committeemen in the Fifth Ward to circulate a petition to Congress. The petition, addressed to Rep. Leon Sacks, asked that Congress pass appropriate legislation to create a national historical park in an area bounded by Second, Sixth, Sansom, and Chestnut Streets. The Fifth Ward was then sparsely populated; Ostroff had won the 1936 election with about 2,500 votes. He managed to garner about 1,200 signatures on the petition. Sacks duly introduced a bill, H.R. 6925, on January 21, 1942, asking Congress to create a commission to study such a park. In a country reeling from the shock of Pearl Harbor, the bill went nowhere.

The onset of the war appeared to put a stop to the National Park Service's attempts to expand its toehold in Philadelphia. On March 28, 1942, President Roosevelt signed a letter designating Gloria Dei (Old Swedes' Church) as a national historic site, the prerequisite for entering into a cooperative agreement for the building's preservation. At the same time he put a virtual stop to the designation process for the duration of the war. The secretary of the interior entered into a cooperative agreement with the Corporation of Gloria Dei Church on May 1, 1942. Under its terms, the corporation agreed to preserve the church and other buildings and the burying ground, to seek National Park Service approval before making repairs or alterations to the buildings, to "advise with" the park service about decorations and furnishings, and to allow public access.