The first hotel on the site was the Continental Hotel, built from 1857-1860.
The 700-room, six-story hotel was designed in the Italianate style by architect John McArthur Jr., who also designed the Philadelphia City Hall.
The luxurious hotel boasted one of the first elevators in the country, and a grand stairway made from polished Italian marble.
Its main entrance was redesigned by noted Philadelphia architect Frank Furness in 1876.

Among its famous guests were Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Charles Dickens, King Edward VII, and Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro.
However, its most notable guest was president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who gave a speech from the hotel's balcony just before his inauguration on February 21, 1861.

The aging hotel was demolished in 1924 for construction of a massive new replacement.
The lamp from the balcony Lincoln spoke from was retained for the new structure and still hangs today on a balcony known as the "Lincoln Balcony," at the same spot as the one from which Lincoln spoke.
The first hotel on the site was the Continental Hotel, built from 1857-1860. The 700-room, six-story hotel was designed in the Italianate style by architect John McArthur Jr., who also designed the Philadelphia City Hall. The luxurious hotel boasted one of the first elevators in the country, and a grand stairway made from polished Italian marble. Its main entrance was redesigned by noted Philadelphia architect Frank Furness in 1876.
Among its famous guests were Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Charles Dickens, King Edward VII, and Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro. However, its most notable guest was president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who gave a speech from the hotel's balcony just before his inauguration on February 21, 1861. 
The aging hotel was demolished in 1924 for construction of a massive new replacement. The lamp from the balcony Lincoln spoke from was retained for the new structure and still hangs today on a balcony known as the "Lincoln Balcony," at the same spot as the one from which Lincoln spoke.
The Franklin Residences