Ok. The title is actually a misnomer. Although the Carpenter’s Hall is one of the main sites in the park, it is not actually owned by the park service. Built in 1774, it is still independently owned by the Carpenter’s Company, the oldest existing craft guild in the US. 

My favorite building in the park, its exterior still looks as it did when it hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774. Here, delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies voted to officially boycott British goods and resolved to meet again the following year if their grievances were not satisfactorily addressed. It was during those debates that Patrick Henry proclaimed “I am not a Virginian, but an American,” capturing the sentiment that America was no longer separate colonies, but one united nation. 

The First Continental Congress and subsequent groups that met here were not directly associated with the Carpenters, instead they rented space from the Company, who leased out parts of the building to bring in revenue to fund its building costs. At various times, the building hosted the Pennsylvania Provincial Council (who established the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania here in 1776), Hamilton’s First Bank of the US, The Franklin Institute, and a variety of other organizations. This lego model shows the interior of the building in 1774 when the lower floor was divided into separate rooms:

The interior was extensively remodeled during the 19th century, so much of the current look dates to that time. However, there are still these beautiful original fan lights

and also 2 chairs from the revolutionary period, including one which was used by Peyton Randolph, president of the First Continental Congress. 

Today, the downstairs contains information about the company, the Continental Congress, and the impact of members on Colonial Philadelphia.

The downstairs is free and open Tuesday-Sunday (no Tues. in Jan/Feb), however the upstairs is only open during special tours. Originally rented by Ben Franklin’s Library Company (The Library Company: Another Historical Treasure and American First), the area now contains the Carpenter’s Victorian library with this amazing hidden bathroom. 

Across the hall is the room where in 1775 Ben Franklin and John Jay conducted secret meetings establishing the French-American alliance that ultimately helped win the war. 

The exterior still displays its fire marks, including one for the Philadelphia Contributership that’s been in place since the beginning. Carpenter’s Hall is the (still existing!) company’s second oldest insuree – only Pennsylvania Hospital has been insured longer.

Fun Fact: America’s first bank robbery took place here in 1798 when it was the home of the Bank of Pennsylvania. A Carpenter’s Company member, Isaac Davis was convicted of stealing $162,821.61.