Free previewStop 4 of Philadelphia Walking Tour: Independence Hall to Elfreth's Alley
The Builders Who Finally Built Their Own
You're standing on Chestnut Street, looking at a two-story brick building set back from the street. That's Carpenters' Hall. Look up to the very top and find the weathervane. Then bring your eyes back down to the front door. Fifty-six men walked through it in the autumn of 1774 to start a revolution, and they were guests.
The hosts were carpenters. In 1724, Philadelphia's master builders formed the Carpenters' Company, a guild to share their knowledge and protect their trade. These were the men who built the city's houses and churches. And for almost fifty years, they had no building of their own. They met in rented rooms in taverns, like a club with no clubhouse.
In 1768 they finally bought this lot, a few hundred feet from Benjamin Franklin's home. One of their own, a Scottish-born builder named Robert Smith, drew the plans.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 4 of Philadelphia Walking Tour: Independence Hall to Elfreth's Alley (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
