This month marks a century since the official opening of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, writes Patrick Glennon for Hidden City Philadelphia.

Over the years, the Parkway has been the site of many public events. This includes Pope Francis’s visit, the 2016 Women’s March, and recent Eagles parade, which drew a crowd of around 700,000 people, one of the largest in the city’s history.

The Parkway was conceived in the 1870s and 1880s and was formally integrated onto official city maps in 1892. But the initial planning and construction was delayed by economic turmoil. However, this ultimately benefited the Parkway’s final design thanks to the City Beautiful Movement. In the 1890s, the movement sparked renewed interest in urban beautification.

Construction finally began in 1907. Among the architects who worked on the project, Paul Cret and Jacques Greber stand out. The two French nationals were inspired by the Champs-Elysées in Paris to shape the Parkway into a grand boulevard capable of accommodating impressive cultural and civic structures.

The Parkway officially opened in 1918, but its full impact wouldn’t be realized until years later.

Read more about the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at Hidden City Philadelphia by clicking here.