06/10/2026
Congratulations to our Preservation Carpentry Academy graduates! Last Friday, we celebrated the hard work and achievements of our PTC crew in the heart of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.
During their six weeks here, crew members completed OSHA certifications, built and installed 8 skylight covers, attended lectures, and took several field trips to learn about historic preservation throughout the city. Most recently, they learned about wood window restoration with Fairmount Park Conservancy.
Through classroom instruction and hands-on training, they learned how to assess, restore, repair, and weatherproof both historic and traditional wood windows—delving into skills like preservation techniques, safe paint removal, glazing, sash repair, hardware restoration, and finishing methods.
PTC provides paid, hands-on training at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, preparing crew members for construction careers while connecting underrepresented Philadelphia communities—including returning citizens, women, and people of color—to long-term skilled trades jobs.
The work of the Preservation Trades Center would not be possible without the tremendous support of our partners. Special thanks to Fairmount Park Conservancy, PowerCorps PHL, City College for Municipal Employment, City of Philadelphia Government, Fulton Bank, and the William Penn Foundation.
