The Carpenters' Company Information

The oldest extant trade guild in the U.S., The Carpenters’ Company is comprised of some 180 prominent architects, contractors and engineers who have been building in Philadelphia prior to the framing of the Constitution; they set precedence with early colonial monuments such as Independence Hall and Christ Church. Their innovations have continued over the past 290 years in civic structures from City Hall to the Comcast Center, one of the tallest LEED-certified buildings in the country. Over 900 members have been elected to The Carpenters’ Company since its founding in 1724; recent members have constructed many of the major cultural institutions, academic halls and healthcare facilities throughout the region. They have revitalized blighted areas and thoughtfully restored historic landmarks, with continual efforts to advance Philadelphia’s built environment in the spirit of their founders. The Company built, owns and maintains historic Carpenters' Hall, site of the First Continental Congress in 1774 and prior home to Franklin's Library Company, The First and Second Banks of the U.S., The American Philosophical Society, The Customs House, and many other institutions. As a primary part of their mission, they share with the public the Hall’s unique history. For more on that narrative, visit the website: www.ushistory.org/carpentershall