Philadelphia City Hall and the 'Curse of Billy Penn'

The William Penn statue atop Philadelphia City Hall was central to the so-called 'Curse of Billy Penn,' a local superstition that suggested no major Philadelphia sports team would win a championship after skyscrapers exceeded the statue's height. The story gained renewed attention when a small William Penn figurine was placed on the Comcast Center in 2007 and the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series in 2008, though the curse is a debated superstition. The City Hall tower and statue are frequent subjects of cityscape photography and widely shared images.