Headhouse/Shambles, Philadelphia

In 1745, sheds served the purpose of providing merchants with a place to gather and sell their merchandise consisting of food and wares. Fire engine houses or headhouses were located at the end of these sheds. This one happens to be one of America's most venerable, built in the early 1800s. Each headhouse featured alarm bells and a second-floor fireman's social club. The shed between Lombard and Pine Streets, called the Shambles, was restored in the early 1960s. In the spring and summer seasons, artisans sell handcrafts in an open market.