Logan Square on Benjamin Franklin Parkway

(photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

As I make my trek along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway this morning, I find myself at its mid-way point called Logan Square. Formerly Northwest Square, it was first used as burial ground, then for pastureland and later for public executions. It was renamed in honor of James Logan in 1825. Logan was the secretary of William Penn (the founder of Pennsylvania).

The square as it is seen today began in the 1920s with the construction of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway which turned it into a traffic circle and therefore it is also known as Logan Circle. The centerpiece of the square is the Swann Memorial Fountain which was designed in 1924 and features three statues meant to represent Philadelphia's three main waterways (Delaware River, Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek).

Benjamin Franklin Parkway (pictured below) is one of the most scenic boulevards in the nation and serves as the cultural center of Philadelphia. Numerous sculptures; several museums all with striking architecture; and flags from countries from around the world line the parkway.

The parkway north of Logan Circle is generously lined with trees which provides a good amount of shade and gives this major thoroughfare a park-like feel.