October 25, 2016
Jon Tuleya/PhillyVoice
The eternal flame within the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary Soldier remained unlit Tuesday afternoon.
Taken a stroll through Washington Square Park recently? Notice something, well, off?
Contrary to its name, the eternal flame that lives within the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary Soldier went unlit Tuesday afternoon.
How long has it been that way? How long will it remain extinguished? We're not sure. What we do know is that it was shut off (No PGW jokes) for maintenance work and will be turned back on "shortly," according to Adam Duncan, a spokesperson with the Independence National Historical Park.
Duncan did not immediately respond to comment when the work began or exactly what the maintenance entailed.
The memorial itself, dedicated in 1957, honors the thousands of soldiers who died in the Revolutionary War, many of whom were buried in the park. Formerly known as Southeast Square, burials began in the early 1706 and continued until the late 1700s, according to the Independence Hall Association.
The eternal flame was added in 1976 by Continental Bank, according to a plaque near the memorial.
Above a statue of George Washington reads, "Freedom is a Light for which Many Men have Died in Darkness."
