The Company’s mission is to preserve historic Carpenters’ Hall and promote the professional practices of building design and construction while contributing to the cultural and civic life of Philadelphia. Carpenters’ Hall was the site of the First Continental Congress, which met there from September 5 to October 26, 1774. This Congress was a pivotal event in American history, as it brought together delegates from Twelve of the original Colonies to address colonial grievances against British rule and to coordinate a unified response, laying the groundwork for the American Revolution.

The Company was the birthplace of architecture and construction in Philadelphia and continues to embody the spirit of the original “Master Builders” that have shaped the City’s built environment since the early 18th century. The Company’s current membership is comprised of a collaboration of the area’s prominent leaders in architecture, engineering and construction, all of whom remain passionately devoted to the organization’s 300-year-old mission. 

Photograph of the south-side of Carpenters’ Hall, 1886. Image by Marriott Canby Morris. It is currently in the Library Company of Philadelphia’s collection.