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Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Carpenters' Hall

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Carpenters' Hall

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Owned and operated by The Carpenters' Company, Carpenters' Hall hosted the First Continental Congress Interior steel supports modern structures.

On New Year's Day, 1770, Carpenters' Company members voted to proceed with their Hall. More than a meeting place, the Hall would showcase their considerable technical skills and also be available for rent. For many years the Hall was the largest rental space in the city. This fact alone assured Carpenters' Hall a key role in the events of the War for Independence. Robert Smith, a Scottish-trained architect and builder, headed a 12-man construction committee. Smith, then 48, had a well-established reputation not only in Philadelphia but throughout the colonies. It is a tribute to Smith that his colleagues in the Company charged him with the design. Unfortunately Carpenters' Hall was among his last achievements. In the winter of 1777, he died while helping construct fortifications, which prevented the British fleet from capturing the city. Smith's plan was simplicity itself: a two-story, 50-foot square building with 10-foot cutouts at each corner. The result is a gem of Georgian-style architecture, which is both a fitting memorial to Smith and a tribute to the builders. The square-ness and accuracy of its construction is equal to that of contemporary structures. Not so in the 18th century. The weight of Carpenters' Hall is principally borne by the exterior brick walls, which are 13 inches thick. The black-colored bricks, called "headers," are turned on end and tie together several courses of bricks which otherwise might separate at the mortar joints. The foundation is equally sturdy, consisting of random-sized pieces of stone mortared together in what is known as a "rubble foundation."

10/10/2026

Save the date! Join us on Saturday, October 17th from noon to 12:30pm for a free public reading of the Pennsylvania Bill of Rights in front of historic Carpenters' Hall!
Delegates from Philadelphia and from Pennsylvania’s 10 colonial counties met in Carpenters’ Hall in June 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain and authorize the writing of the new state’s first constitution. Adopted that September, the 1776 Pennsylvania constitution was radically democratic for its day. It included a Bill of Rights 15 years before similar rights were acknowledged in the U.S. Constitution.

Stop by Carpenters’ Hall for a free public reading of the 1776 Pennsylvania Bill of Rights, read by three Pennsylvania judges: Hon. Wendi D. Barish, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; Hon. Paula Patrick, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; and Hon. Jordan Yeager, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Temple University legal historian Julie Randolph will set the stage.

Presented in partnership with the "Revolutionary Philadelphia: 1776” program of the Museum of the American Revolution.

The event is free, but let us know you're coming by RSVPing on our events page at carpentershall.org/events.

10/08/2026

Calling all ghouls and goblins! 👻

On Sunday, October 18, bring the family to Philly’s Historic District for a day of trick-or treating fun!

Pick up your map and treat bag from and explore historic
locations, including us, offering candy, special programs, and more from 11 AM to 3 PM. 🍬

🔗Learn more at phlvisitorcenter.com

10/07/2026

We are pleased to announce that this year's Robert Smith Memorial Scholarship, created in partnership with the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, is now accepting applications!

This scholarship, established in 2024, provides an annual $10,000 scholarship for students and/or nascent professionals enrolled in trades education or entering the traditional trades in the Greater Philadelphia area. The goal of this scholarship is to encourage the growth of the traditional trades and to foster the next generation of trades professionals. The scholarship is named after architect of Carpenters' Hall and master builder Robert Smith (1722-1777) and hopes to increase appreciation for this history.

You can learn more and apply on our website by clicking here: https://lnkd.in/eU_u9JGy. Deadline to apply is October 20th, 2026.

10/05/2026

Happy World Teachers' Day! We are honored and excited to have had the opportunity this past summer, for the third year in a row, to work with teachers and their students from around the country during our Young People's Continental Congress (YPCC)!

Beginning this week, we are equally thrilled to begin working with our second cohort of our Young Philadelphians' Continental Congress. We will host fourteen teachers and sixteen students from the Philadelphia School District for two months of in-person civics and history lectures and discussions, as well as site visits to museums neighboring Carpenters' Hall.

None of these programs would be possible without the participation of enthusiastic teachers! Teachers: thank you for all you do!

Pictured here is our first cohort (Spring 2026) of our Young Philadelphians' Continental Congress.

10/03/2026

The second edition of the Young Philadelphians’ Continental Congress is underway! Thank you, !

09/30/2026

Join us at Carpenters' Hall on Thursday, October 22nd from 5:30-7pm for “In Full Swing:" The Historical Roots of Pennsylvania Politics, a presentation by award-winning author, historian and researcher Colin Woodard.

In 1776 Carpenters’ Hall stood at the crossroads of the geographic and demographic tensions driving Pennsylvania politics, and today Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s most important electoral “swing” states. As we approach another consequential midterm election, join us to explore the historical roots of Pennsylvania’s divided politics, how they still resonate today, and how and where we can find common ground.

Award-winning author Colin Woodard, director of the Nationhood Lab at Salve Regina University in Providence, Rhode Island, dissects the origins of our regional divides and discusses his groundbreaking research into the values Americans still share.

General Admission is $5. You can purchase tickets on our website carpentershall.org/events.

09/28/2026

Our Young Philadelphians' Continental Congress will be hosted in Carpenters' Hall on select Saturday's from October to December. Due to this event, Carpenters' Hall will be closed to the public on the following Saturday's:
- Saturday, October 3rd
- Saturday, October 24th
- Saturday, November 7th
- Saturday, November 21st
- Saturday, December 5th

Thank you and we apologize for any inconvenience!

09/24/2026

Join us on Monday, October 5th, from 6:30 to 8pm at Carpenters' Hall. Lydia Darragh (1729-1789) was a Irish immigrant and Quaker who passed on information to the Continental Army that she gleaned from British officer meetings that took place in her home in Philadelphia. Darragh overheard General Howe's plan to attack Continental troops at Whitemarsh and was able to warn Washington's troops, allowing them time to prepare for the assault.

The evening will begin with a performance of Philadelphia actor-director Megan Bellwoar's new play about Lydia Darragh. Bellwoar and Darragh biographer Robert Fanelli will then discuss Darragh's life and impact, followed by audience Q&A. Copies of Mr. Fanelli's book, Lydia's Tale: The Mystery of Lydia Darragh, Irish Quaker, Patriot Spy (2025), will be avaiable for purchase.

This event is graciously sponsored by the Government of Ireland. and our community partner is Arch Street Meeting House.

General Admission tickets are $5 and can be purchased on our website at carpentershall.org/events.

09/22/2026

Save the date! Join us on Saturday, October 17th from noon to 12:30pm for a free public reading of the Pennsylvania Bill of Rights in front of historic Carpenters' Hall!

Delegates from Philadelphia and from Pennsylvania’s 10 colonial counties met in Carpenters’ Hall in June 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain and authorize the writing of the new state’s first constitution. Adopted that September, the 1776 Pennsylvania constitution was radically democratic for its day. It included a Bill of Rights 15 years before similar rights were acknowledged in the U.S. Constitution.

Stop by Carpenters’ Hall for a free public reading of the 1776 Pennsylvania Bill of Rights, read by three Pennsylvania judges: Hon. Wendi D. Barish, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; Hon. Paula Patrick, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; and Hon. Jordan Yeager, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Temple University legal historian Julie Randolph will set the stage.

Presented in partnership with the "Revolutionary Philadelphia: 1776” program of the Museum of the American Revolution.

The event is free, but let us know you're coming by RSVPing on our events page at carpentershall.org/events.

09/18/2026

Join Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, the , and Carpenters' Hall as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the ratification of the 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution.

This discussion takes place on Monday, September 28th from 5:30 to 7pm at the Parkway Central Library.

Discover how the Pennsylvania Constitution and the United States Constitution have worked together to shape our rights, our government, and our civic life. Presenters and panelists include nationally reknowned state-constitution expert Robert Williams, Duquesne University constitutional-law professor Lauren Gailey, and Public Interest Law Center executive director Brent Landau.

This event is free to the public. RSVP on our website or at this link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/a-constitutional-celebration-how-the-us-and-pa-constitutions-shape-us

We hope to see you there!

Address

320 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
19106

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12159250167

Website

http://www.carpentershall.org/, https://carpentershall.square.site/

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