Carpenters' Hall
centrally located in the block between Walnut & Chestnut, and 3rd & 4th Streets
included within Independence National Historic Park
Philadelphia
(215) 925-0167

This building served as the meeting place of the First Continental Congress in 1774. While it is included within the National Park, it is still owned and operated by the Carpenters' Company.

To understand the significance of Carpenters' Hall, a little history is sometimes helpful:

By the summer of 1774, the American colonies had a long list of grievances against Britain. The Boston Massacre, in which five colonists had been killed by British soldiers, had already occurred, as had the Boston Tea Party, which led to the closing of the Boston Harbor by British troops. The colonies decided to take action as a united group and so the First Continental Congress was assembled from September 5 to October 26, 1774. It consisted of 56 delegates from 12 colonies (Georgia didn't send a representative).

Philadelphia was chosen for the meeting because of its central location in a time when travel was often hazardous, and because it was the most prominent city in the colonies. Carpenters' Hall was preferred to the State House (now called Independence Hall) because it was considered a neutral place in a time when the power of individual colonial governments, especially Pennsylvania whose leaders were known to be conservative, was a concern. (Understanding these concerns is the key to Patrick Henry's assertion during the Congress that "the distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, New Englanders are no more. I'm not a Virginian but an American.")

Inspired by Sam Adams (who also led the Boston Tea Party) and the fiery words of Patrick Henry, the Continental Congress appealed to King George III and the English people to repeal unjust laws and taxes. They also vowed to boycott English goods and to meet again the following spring unless their problems with British rule had been resolved.

There was, of course, no repeal of the policies the colonists found so offensive and by the time the Second Continental Congress assembled at Independence Hall in May 1775, blood had already been shed at Lexington and Concord. At this point, they moved from protest to resistance. George Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of "all continental forces, raised, or to be raised, for the defense of American liberty." The American Revolution had begun!

What You Will See
Today Carpenters' Hall houses chairs, candle sconces, carpenter's tools and other artifacts from 18th century life. The exhibits inside will teach you a bit about the guild called the Carpenters' Company, which set standards and prices for its members and provided aid to their families. Members of the Carpenters' Company built such notable buildings as Independence Hall, Old City Hall, Pennsylvania Hospital, Ben Franklin's mansion, and of course, their own Hall.

Getting There
For detailed driving directions and other logistical information, please see the write-up of Independence National Historic Park.

The Philadelphia Insider Directory: