Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia
| Founded | 1724 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters |
Carpenters' Hall, 320 Chestnut Street Philadelphia |
|
Membership
|
Approximately 200 |
| Website | Official website |
The Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia is the oldest extant craft guild in the United States. Founded in 1724, the Company consists of nearly 200 prominent Philadelphia area architects, building contractors and structural engineers and has had nearly 900 members in its almost three centuries of existence. The Company built, owns and continues to operate Carpenters' Hall located in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park. In 1774 the Hall served as the site of the First Continental Congress.
Although it was founded in 1724, The Carpenters’ Company traces its roots back to the very beginning of Philadelphia. Its earliest members arrived with William Penn in 1682 and took part in constructing the first homes and public spaces in what are now the Old City and Society Hill neighborhoods of Center City, Philadelphia. These Master Builders, many of whom began their careers in carpentry before also becoming skilled in both construction and architectural design, banded together to create a guild to support their industry.
The guild (then referred to as a “Company”) was modeled after the Worshipful Company of Carpenters of London. Many early members were Quakers, whose beliefs influenced the Company’s mission to promote fair business dealings, expand educational opportunities and support members in times of need.
In Building Early America, author Roger W. Moss writes “the generation of Carpenters that emerged in the early eighteenth century were leaders of the community, men of some wealth and position who, if not of the first rank, were in daily social and political association with city and provincial leaders.” With strong connections to major civic leaders, early members were able to play instrumental roles in the design and construction of such important colonial era Philadelphia buildings as Christ Church, Independence Hall, City Tavern and Old Swedes' Church (Gloria Dei). This involvement in civic life extended to politics as well, as later on virtually the entire Company membership actively supported the American Revolution and most of the members volunteered to serve in the American army.
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