St. Joseph's and St. Mary's

The report called for a park consisting of five areas, each designated by a letter of the alphabet. Although the letters are now virtually forgotten, they were used for handy reference to the park's various sectors for almost two decades. Project A was, of course, foremost. This was the core area east of Independence Square, with an estimated acquisition cost of $3,560,000. Language undoubtedly calculated to conciliate the City Planning Commission of Philadelphia proposed postponing the removal of existing business structures on the north side of Walnut Street until, in the judgment of the secretary of the interior, they should "become reasonably obsolete." Project B, with an estimated cost of $300,000, was described as a "small mall" from Walnut to Pine in the middle of the block between Fourth and Fifth Streets. It linked St. Joseph's and St. Mary's Roman Catholic Churches with the Pine Street Presbyterian Church, along with such other sites as the Contributionship Garden behind the offices of one of the oldest of the city's venerable fire insurance companies, and the Cadwalader and Shippen-Wistar Houses.

The three remaining acquisitions were more modest in scope. Project C, with a price tag of $175,000, was Franklin Court, a narrow lot with frontage on Market Street, and an extension on Orianna Street, connecting it to Chestnut Street in the vicinity of Carpenters' Hall. More remote from the core area was Project D at the corner of Seventh and Market Streets, the site of the house where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It was also more expensive. Acquisition was expected to cost $250,000. Finally, Project E, lands and buildings to provide a firebreak around Christ Church, would cost $110,000. The total expenditure required came to $4,485,000. The commission recommended an appropriation of $5 to $5.5 million, which would allow the National Park Service to construct a building housing offices, an auditorium, and restrooms. Although Independence Hall was the first building discussed and illustrated in the historical section, there was no mention of its future ownership or management in the recommendations.

The report included expressions of support from the mayor and the director of the City Planning Commission. By this time Philadelphia's government saw the federal park as the linchpin in its plans for rehabilitating the area to its south and east as a prime residential district.