It's Spring Cleaning In Philadelphia, Including City Hall's Billy Penn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Scaffolding is up around the top of Philadelphia City Hall, blocking its most famous feature, and it's a temporary eye-sore to improve the view for a decade.
Any 125-year-old is bound to need a little tender love and care every now and then, and Philadelphia's Billy Penn is no exception, even though he's cast in bronze.
Every ten years, he gets a thorough cleaning and waxing, to make him the beacon he was meant to be when he was put atop what is surely the country's most elaborate municipal building.
But for the six weeks that it takes to do the job, not only is the statue not visible, the observation deck is closed.
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Heather Murphy runs the City Hall visitors center, which is still attracting tour-takers, as there's still plenty to see.
"People have been fairly understanding so it hasn't been that terrible of an inconvenience," she said.
Alexander Milne Calder has designed 250 sculptures for the building, in addition to the tower-topper.
Murphy just wants to make very clear-- it is Billy Penn up there.
"A lot of Philadelphians believe it's Ben Franklin, which has become a pet peeve," she said.
