Declaration House, part of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia
SITE OVERVIEW
The Declaration House—a name given to the house in modern times—was where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson rented the second floor from owner Jacob Graff. The original house was torn down in 1883. The current house was built for Independence National Historical Park by the National Park Service in 1975 based on historical photographs.
LOCATION
The Declaration House is located on the corner of Market and 7th streets.
WHAT TO DO
The Declaration House was closed during my visit to Independence National Historical Park, so all I can do is report what the National Park Service has to say about the house on its website.
On the first floor is information about the Declaration of Independence and a short film. On the second floor are two rooms furnished as they might have been during Jefferson’s stay. This means that nobody knows for sure what the rooms looked like, and while the furniture is not original, the pieces are antiques from the time period.
Bedroom of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration House (photo by National Park Service)
Jefferson’s writing room in the Declaration House (photo by National Park Service)
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
Most of the historical homes at Independence National Historical Park take about a half hour to visit. Given the small size of the Declaration House and the fact that there is no guided-tour of the house, a half hour is a good estimate.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on March 22, 2025
