Independence Hall Key and Lock

BillB

I just got back from a trip to Philadelphia. Here’s a photo of the key and lock to Independence Hall. I was told that the key could open the door with a double turn from inside and outside. However, when we tried from the outside, the key could not be fully inserted, being blocked by the stop ring which aligned it when opening from the inside. The folks could not explain how it worked. I’m guessing that the stop ring could be adjusted (rotated?), possibly with fingers or a metal instrument. Anyone familiar with how this system might work? Anyone have measurements of the door, lock, and key?

The key is approximately 7.5 inches long, as is Mount Vernon’s Bastille Key. The shoulder is 2 and ⅜ inches from the end of the pin and is 3/16 inches wide. Based upon my marked pen gently stuck into the hole, from the inside of the door, the stop is approximately 3 and ¼ inches in from the lock surface; from the outside of the door, the stop is approximately 1 and ⅝ inches in from the escutcheon. Unfortunately, I was in a rush and didn’t bring my list of measurements to be made and the appropriate tools with me. I am also attaching a view of the entrance area which was undergoing some repair. As well, I’d like to estimate the thickness of the door and the size of the lock. Thanks for comments!

Huw Eastwood

Bill, the part blocking the keyhole is more than likely the ward bushing which has detached from the bridge inside the lock and slipped around, all that about ‘rotating stop rings’ sounds like everyone’s imaginations running wild to me. The lock needs to come off the door for repair.

If that’s the correct key you’ve shown its actually very basic and about as simple as a warded rim key can be, suggesting the lock is going to be equally so- it certainly doesn’t look to be anything special.

If you’re ever stuck again with nothing to measure with, a good one is to make a quick paper template on site.
Hold an A4 sheet firmly against the lock and simply rub a forefinger around the perimeter edges and over any features you want like keyhole, fixing points etc, making sure you don’t move the paper. The dirtier your hands are the better as the darker it shows up the edge lines and details. It’s surprising how accurate you can get them once you’ve done it a few times.

fdew

There’s your problem right there in the first photo. It says Exit only so you can’t use the key on the outside. Try removing the sign. (Joke)

Tom Gordon

fdew wrote
There’s your problem right there in the first photo. It says Exit only so you can’t use the key on the outside. Try removing the sign. (Joke)

Although you joke there and although I have never seen it on this type and age of lock, it is possible that they deliberately made the lock to only have the key insertable on one side, perhaps to overcome the lack of security of this type of key mechanism.

[unknown]

BillB

I just received word that the rim lock on the Independence Hall door is 2 and 15/16 inches thick. The door is 2 3/16 inches thick. This coincides somewhat with an earlier estimate of the Bastille door that I made in my book “George Washington’s Liberty Key: Mount Vernon’s Bastille Key” ( LibertyKey.US ), with the Bastille Key and Independence Hall key being virtually the same size: 7.5 inches. As I didn’t have a ruler with me at the time I was there in Philadelphia, my estimation of the distances to the blocking ring may be off. Given feedback from the folks at Independence Hall, I am also suspecting that the rim lock may be a replacement to the original lock, that the blocking ring doesn’t rotate and is not an indication of a broken ward, merely a way to align the key from the inside and block access from the outside. On another forum, it was suggested that at some time ago the original key lay within distant view and that it looked like it was made of brass. However, a photograph of a water-color of the key made in the early 1800s suggests that the original was iron, not brass. In 1987, duplicates in silver (by Stieff) and pewter were also made of the Independence Hall Key.

BillB

More detail: However, a photograph of an 1836 water-color of the key made by Kennedy suggests that the original was iron, not brass. In 1951 the National Park Service took over Independence Hall, and there has not been a brass version in their inventory.