His Story, Not Ours? | Pt 4

His Story, Not Ours? | Pt 4

Introduction

In this episode, the speaker talks about the Odd Fellows Temple in Philadelphia and its history. The speaker also discusses the architect and builder of the temple.

Odd Fellows Temple

  • The Odd Fellows Temple was built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one block north of the Masonic temple.
  • The building held an auditorium seating 2,000 people and over 100 offices.
  • The building was fireproof, which was unusual for buildings constructed in 1892.
  • In 1973, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places but was later taken off and destroyed to expand a convention center.

Philadelphia Masonic Temple

  • The Philadelphia Masonic Temple is another impressive building located near the Odd Fellows Temple.
  • It was constructed between 1868 to 1873 in only five years by James H. Windrim who won a design competition at age 27.

James H. Windrim

  • James H. Windrim designed and built both the Philadelphia Masonic Temple and Odd Fellows Temple at age 27.
  • He won a design competition for the Philadelphia Masonic Temple and was trusted to build it by placing plans and tools in his hands.

James Windrim and the Philadelphia City Hall

In this section, the speaker discusses the involvement of architect James Windrim in the construction of the Philadelphia City Hall, as well as his simultaneous work on another building. The speaker also mentions other architects who were able to design and construct impressive buildings in a short amount of time.

James Windrim's Multitasking Abilities

  • James Windrim was responsible for designing and constructing both the Philadelphia City Hall and the Academy of Natural Sciences at the same time.
  • Other architects during that time period were also able to design and construct impressive buildings quickly.

Doubts About John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Walter's Involvement

  • John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Walter are credited as being both architects and builders of the Philadelphia City Hall, but there is no mention of their construction process or how many people worked for them.
  • The speaker believes that these two individuals had zero involvement in constructing this building based on their research.
  • There is no news article from 1860 to 1875 stating that John MacArthur Jr. and Thomas Walter were constructing or even in charge of designing this building.

Proof That John McArthur Jr. Was Not Involved

  • John McArthur Jr. was not present during the construction of Philadelphia City Hall since he was located in Chicago in 1872 when construction began.
  • In 1871, when construction began on Philadelphia City Hall, John MacArthur was located in Texas building two little stores.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes that the Philadelphia City Hall is an Old World building and that the story about John McArthur Jr. and his involvement in its construction is a lie.

Final Thoughts

  • The speaker believes that John McArthur Jr. was not involved in constructing the Philadelphia City Hall based on their research.
  • The construction of Philadelphia City Hall began in 1871, but John MacArthur was located in Texas at that time.
  • The speaker encourages viewers to check out their new t-shirts and follow them on Twitter and Rumble.