Carpenter's Hall

Constructed in 1771 and home to the oldest craft guild in the United States, Carpenter's Hall is best-known as the meeting place of the First Continental Congress. In response to the passage of the Coercive Acts by the British government, 56 Representatives from twelve of the thirteen North American colonies that would later form the United States met in this building between September 5th and October 26, 1774. The delegates issued a protest against the British government but stopped far short of declaring independence, requesting instead that the colonists be able to enjoy a measure of local autonomy within the British Empire. The colonists acknowledged London's authority over matters of trade and diplomacy but insisted that they, like all other English subjects, could only be taxed by their elected representatives. Britain ignored the delegates, pushing the colonists further towards independence.

This historic building was completed in 1771 and is still home to the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia. Many of the leading organizations in the city have used this building for meetings, including the American Philosophical Society.