Carpenters' Hall of Philadelphia
Carpenters' Hall is a treasure in historic Philadelphia. It hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774 and was home to Franklin's Library Company, The American Philosophical Society, and the First and Second Banks of the United States.
new temporary exhibit: “History in Your Mailbox: Depictions of Carpenters’ Hall Through Postcards”
Did you know that the first commercially printed postcard in the United States was printed right here, in Philadelphia? In 1861 John P. Charlton, a Philadelphia resident, patented a private postal card and later sold the rights to Hyman Lipan. Lipan sold “Lipman’s Postal Cards,” which were primarily used as advertisements.
Postcards became a wildly popular form of communication in the early 20th century, and picture postcards, as opposed to lithographs and prints of drawings, became a popular way to document places of historic significance, such as Carpenters’ Hall, important events, and even mundane travels. Between 1901 and 1907 the publishing of printed postcards doubled roughly every 6 months, and most postcards sold in the United States came from German printers. By 1907 the world entered what is now referred to as “The Golden Age of Postcards” (1907-1915).
Come learn with us and view postcards of Carpenters’ Hall, many from “The Golden Age of Postcards.” You can visit this new exhibit for free during our regular operating hours!
A special thank you to The Library Company of Philadelphia for loaning us a piece of their postcard collection.
COMING SOON: THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the start of the Second Continental Congress in 1774, the Carpenters’ Company, the nonprofit organization founded in 1724 that owns and operates Carpenters’ Hall, will collaborate with national partners National History Day and Generation Citizen and a network of history and civic organizations in Philadelphia to convene the Young People’s Continental Congress(YPCC).
YPCC is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for participants and an ideal springboard for the celebration of the Semiquincentennial of American independence in 2026.
For more details and to meet this year’s delegates, click here.
On February 15th, Carpenters’ Hall hosted a press event to announce the delegates of our Young People’s Continental Congress and other anniversary year activities. Check out images from that event by visiting CBS News.
Follow the journey to this momentous event by following up on our Young People’s Continental Congress social media:
Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok: @ypccphiladelphia
Celebrating Robert smith’s birthday and kicking off our anniversary year: January 18th, 2024
On Thursday, January 18th, 2024, we gathered in Carpenters’ Hall to celebrate the birthday of the architect and master builder of Carpenters’ Hall and Carpenters’ Company member, Robert Smith, and kick-off the start of our grand Anniversary year.
Born on January 14, 1722, in Dalkeith, Scotland, Robert Smith was Colonial America's leading architect and builder. His extant work in Philadelphia includes Carpenters' Hall, the Powel House, St. Peter's Church and the steeple of Christ Church. He also built Nassau Hall in Princeton and the Public Hospital in Williamsburg, among many others. He was also a devout patriot who designed Delaware River defenses to thwart British warships.
The night featured performances of Scottish dances by The Campbell School of Highland Dance and a fiddler performance by musician Sean Heely.
The Carpenters’ Company would like to extend a special thank you to our lead partners and sponsors, the St. Andrew’s Society of Philadelphia (of which Robert Smith was also a member) and the Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution. We would also like to thank ImpEx Beverages Inc. for providing scotch and all our wonderful performers.
Please enjoy some wonderful photographs from the event:
THE Carpenters' CoMPANY
Set humbly back from Chestnut Street, the Hall has been continuously owned and operated by The Carpenters' Company
of the City and County of Philadelphia, the oldest craft guild in America, since 1770.
RENT THE HALL
Carpenters' Hall can accommodate events for up to 125 guests. The Hall is open to the public from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday and cannot be rented during those hours.
NOTE: Rental of Carpenters’ Hall will resume September 2023.
OPEN to THE PUBLIC
Today, Carpenters' Hall is free to the public and welcomes over 150,000 world-wide visitors to this wonderful Georgian building. Admission has been complimentary since 1857, when it became the first privately owned American building to be opened as a historic monument.
