Bladen's Court (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

 landmark, place with historical importance, alley, historic landmark

For those who especially wish to find colonial Philadelphia, just step away from the heavy pedestrian traffic of Elfreth's Alley into Bladen's Court, a tiny offshoot virtually untouched since its construction. As the name implies this is merely another residential section belonging to the same period as the Alley, but without its veneer, and therefore seemingly more genuine. The houses here are encased in brick, the windows are austere if not cheerless, and the railings look like they've weathered the centuries. All in all the place is well kept and easy to visit, requiring but minutes of your time. There are only three houses that actually open on Bladen's Court, but two others have rear or side doors onto it. The last house has a spinning balcony, a tiny porch on the second story the width of the house itself, where, in earlier times, on pleasant days, the lady of the house set her spinning wheel. Bladen's Court, a quirky alley-within-an-alley that leads to a pretty courtyard.