Philadelphia's Broad Street: South and North - Hardcoverby Robert Morris Skaler (Author) In the 1860s, Broad Street formed the western edge of downtown Philadelphia and was little more than railroad tracks and train depots. However, with the building of Philadelphia City Hall in the 1870s, Broad Street rapidly developed into one of the city's premier streets. Rows of mansions sprung up south of Spruce Street, and the area north of Spruce became known as "hotel row." Four story brownstones lined both sides