One South Broad

PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES · 1932

One South Broad

A 28-story art deco tower built for Wanamaker’s department store, later a banking landmark, now offices and retail in Center City.

At a glance

One South Broad, also known as the Lincoln-Liberty Building or PNB Building, is a 28-story, 472-foot (144 m) office tower in Center City, Philadelphia. John Torrey Windrim designed the art deco building as an annex for Wanamaker’s department store. It was completed in 1932.

History

Wanamaker’s Men’s Store opened in the first seven floors, one block from the main store. The store was meant to rival European department stores in size and selection. In 1952, the Philadelphia National Bank bought the building and converted it into offices and banking space. The former banking space at street level became retail and restaurant space in 2000.

What you see

The tower contains 465,000 square feet (43,000 m²) of space. A three-story gallery lobby connects to the Widener Building to the south. The 24th and 25th floors were originally a penthouse for Rodman Wanamaker and his wife. It was converted to office use in 2000 by advertising agency Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners. Wells Fargo is the main tenant, occupying almost half the building.

Cultural significance

The tower houses the 17-ton Founder’s Bell, one of the largest in the world. Rodman Wanamaker commissioned it as a memorial to his father John. The Philadelphia Historical Commission has listed the bell on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. It rings hourly, except on Sundays.

Key facts

Country: United States
City: Philadelphia
Coordinates: 39.95138889, -75.16361111

Practical information & getting there

One South Broad is located at South Broad Street in Center City, Philadelphia. Until 2014, the building’s bell tower displayed the initials “PNB” in stainless steel, 16 feet (4.9 m) tall, on all four sides.

Sources & resources

Find it on the map

See this place and what’s around it →

➤ Take me there Opens Google Maps navigation from where you are — on foot, by bike, by transit or by car

Google Maps See the location on a full map → Street View Walk around the place virtually → OpenStreetMap Free community cartography →

Travel tips from CHO

The Smithsonian never charges

Every Smithsonian museum is free to enter, all year, with no ticket to buy. A few of the busiest in Washington ask you to reserve a free timed pass in advance, which is worth doing the week before rather than the morning of.

The Smithsonian museums →

Pick a fee-free day in the parks

Most National Park Service sites are free to visit at any time; the ones that do charge an entrance fee drop it on a handful of days each year, usually around the national holidays. The dates are set annually, so look them up before fixing your week.

This year’s fee-free days →

Arrive already connected

Maps, opening hours and tickets all need data, and roaming outside your own network still costs more than the ticket. A travel eSIM for the United States installs on your phone before you leave home and works the moment you land — no queue at the airport, no physical card to swap.

Data plans for the United States →Affiliate link — what this means

📷 Become a Cultural Heritage Online photographer

Share your photos of places: they stay published under your name as the author. The more they're seen, the more you get noticed — and soon a contest will reward the most appreciated photos.

Is this page about you?

This page is read by travellers and heritage enthusiasts who find it on Google. Tell us how you are connected to this place and we will take it from there.