The Independence Hall Association ( IHA ) is a Philadelphia --based historical organization. Founded in 1942, it was the driving force behind the creation of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , which houses Independence Hall , the Liberty Bell , and other buildings and historical items associated with the American Revolution .
6-774: The Independence Hall Association was organized by Edwin O. Lewis, a former Common Pleas Court of Pennsylvania judge who at the time was president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution . The organization was founded to advocate and coordinate preservation of Independence Hall , the Liberty Bell , Carpenters' Hall , Christ Church , and related colonial-era buildings in Center City Philadelphia . Lewis
12-636: Is to educate the public about the American Revolution , American Revolutionary War , the colonial era in American history, and the important role Philadelphia played historically in the nation's founding. Common Pleas Court of Pennsylvania In Pennsylvania , the courts of common pleas are the trial courts of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (the state court system). The courts of common pleas are
18-682: The minor courts (which include the magisterial district courts in all counties but Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Municipal Court and Pittsburgh Municipal Court). They also hear appeals from certain state and most local government agencies. The courts are established by Article V, Section 5 of the Pennsylvania Constitution : There shall be one court of common pleas for each judicial district (a) having such divisions and consisting of such number of judges as shall be provided by law, one of whom shall be
24-414: The president judge; and (b) having unlimited original jurisdiction in all cases except as may otherwise be provided by law. The courts of common pleas are organized into 60 judicial districts, 53 comprising one of Pennsylvania's 67 counties , and seven comprising two counties. Each district has from one to 101 judges. Judges of the common pleas courts are elected to ten-year terms. A president judge and
30-412: The trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state . The name derives from the medieval English court of Common Pleas . Pennsylvania established them in 1722. They hear civil cases with a significant amount in controversy and trials for serious crimes . They have original jurisdiction over all cases not exclusively assigned to another court and appellate jurisdiction over judgments from
36-409: Was especially motivated by concerns following the attack on Pearl Harbor that Independence Hall historic district was at risk of attack by foreign hostile powers or terrorism. In 1995, Independence Hall Association founded UShistory.org, a major historical website with over three million views as of 2014. Independence Hall Association is a nonprofit and independent organization. Its mission today
#603396