William Penn statue atop Philadelphia City Hall

A large bronze statue of William Penn by sculptor Alexander Milne Calder crowns Philadelphia City Hall, placed atop the building when the tower was completed in 1894. For much of the 20th century an unwritten 'gentlemen's agreement' kept new skyscrapers from exceeding the height of Penn's hat; that practice ended with the construction of One Liberty Place in 1987. The statue and City Hall are prominent visual and civic landmarks at the center of Center City Philadelphia. City Hall continues to function as the municipal government's primary building.