Carpenters' Hall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Set humbly back from Chestnut Street, Carpenters' Hall is one of the great treasures of historic Philadelphia. The Hall has been owned and operated by the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia since 1770. This organization, embodying the legacy of the European medieval guild system, was founded in 1724 and remains the oldest extant trade guild in the United States.

Fraught with history since its construction, Carpenters' Hall is a building of numerous superlatives. It is at Carpenters' Hall that the First Congress of the United Colonies of North America—the First Continental Congress—met from September through October of 1774, since the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) was being used by the Tory Provincial Assembly of Pennsylvania. The handsome Georgian building also has a long history as an assembly place and has been the home to numerous tenants in the arts, sciences and commerce. Many famous institutions met in Carpenters' Hall: Franklin's Library Company of Philadelphia, The American Philosophical Society, the First and Second Banks of the United States—just to name a few.

Today, Carpenters' Hall is kept open free to the public. Over 150,000 visitors from around the world come each year to see this beautiful and historic building. And unlike many historic buildings that have been preserved, the structure still serves the same purpose for which it was built—as a meeting place for the Carpenters' Company.

Neighborhoods of the Center City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
	Avenue of the Arts - Callowhill - Chinatown - Elfreth's Alley - Fitler Square - Franklintown - Logan Square - Market East - Old City - Museum District - Penn Center - Penn's Landing - Rittenhouse Square - Society Hill - South Street - Washington Square West
Philadelphia neighbohoods Center City - North Philadelphia - Northwest Philadelphia - The Northeast - South Philadelphia - Southwest Philadelphia - West Philadelphia