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Declaration (Graff) House
At the home of Jacob Graff, Jr., Thomas Jefferson wrote the all-important words that created a new nation in 1776.
Today, the three-story house where Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence is a historic site that is open to the public.
Visitors to the Declaration (Graff) House can view first-floor exhibitions and a short film regarding Jefferson’s endeavors at the home where he rented two second-floor rooms from Graff, a well-known bricklayer.
The recreated Georgian structure on the second floor features the parlor that Jefferson worked in, as well as his bedroom.
Period furnishings, some recreated, can also be seen.
Jefferson completed the job in about three weeks.
Originally built in 1775, the red-brick house known as the Declaration (Graff) House at Seventh and Market streets was reconstructed in 1975.
In June 1776, Jefferson traveled from Virginia to Philadelphia to attend the second Continental Congress and joined in the call for the colonies to breakaway from Great Britain.
He was chosen to write the Declaration’s timeless words, a job he completed in about three weeks.
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.