Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia

History

The Carpenters’ Company traces its roots to the earliest days of Philadelphia, with members arriving alongside William Penn in 1682 and helping construct the first homes and public spaces in what are now Old City and Society Hill. These master builders, many starting as carpenters and later becoming skilled in construction and architectural design, formed a guild modeled after the Worshipful Company of Carpenters of London. Early members were often Quakers, whose beliefs shaped the Company’s mission of fair business dealings, educational opportunities, and mutual support.

According to Roger W. Moss in Building Early America, the early 18th-century Carpenters were community leaders of wealth and position who associated daily with city and provincial leaders. Their connections enabled them to design and build important colonial structures such as Christ Church, Independence Hall, City Tavern, and Old Swedes' Church. Nearly all members actively supported the American Revolution, with many serving in the American army.

In 1770 the Company voted to build a meeting space, which became Carpenters' Hall, designed by member Robert Smith, now recognized as a prominent colonial architect. The Hall hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774, as well as Benjamin Franklin’s negotiations with French spy Julien Alexandre Achard de Bonvouloir and Franklin’s Library Company.

Today

The Carpenters' Company remains active after over 300 years, operating as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. It preserves and maintains Carpenters' Hall and serves as a forum for cooperation among Philadelphia architects, structural engineers, and builders. The Company offers a scholarship program for students in architecture, structural engineering, or construction management, and candidates for membership must be nominated and elected by current members.

Did You Know?

• The Carpenters' Company sponsored a 19th-century school of architecture and assembled an impressive collection of architectural pattern books.
• The Company's library survives intact and is one of the finest pre-Civil War architectural libraries in the United States.
• The library is not open to the public except by special permission due to the fragility of rare items.