Carpenters’ Hall celebrates First Continental Congress’ 250th anniversary

Michael Norris is trying to make the most of the First Continental Congress’ 250th anniversary, marking the gathering which was originally held at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 12, 1774. 

The executive director of the historic building told Billy Penn that the anniversary has been an opportunity to increase visibility — to both visitors and Philadelphians, “who often think the building isn’t welcoming or even open because it’s perceived as sort of a clubhouse.” 

Norris also hopes to increase people’s understanding of the importance of the Hall and First Continental Congress.

“We’ve always lived in the shadow of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, which is kind of weird because we were the First Continental Congress,” said Norris.

The resulting yearlong celebration means history fans have more events and educational opportunities to look forward to.

Among the events the hall has presented this past year are historical reenactments of the First Continental Congress (which ended Sunday, October 27). This past summer, the hall played tribute to its 1774 history with A Young People’s Continental Congress, a weeklong event in Philadelphia with high school students and teachers from the original 13 colonies. 

“It was an immersion in history and civics,” said Norris, who described the school event as asking, “How do you value the reasons and the founding values of our country and turn that into what’s happening now?”

Plans are being made to host another young people’s congress next year, with more students and teachers from more states.

Plans for 2026

Their educational outreach will extend beyond 2025, too. Carpenters’ Hall is set to participate in the Philadelphia region’s celebration of the nation’s 250^th anniversary on July 4, 2026. 

Many historic institutions in the area are working collaboratively to prepare for what is known as the semiquincentennial.

“The Visitor’s Center runs a consortium of organizations and we’re all working together as much as we can, with 2026 barreling down on us,” said Norris.   

Located at 320 Chestnut Street, the hall was designated a historic landmark in 1970. A stately three-story (including an attic), Georgian-style brick building, the first floor is one large room that once had a divider. Delegates met there and in second-floor rooms while discussing the Revolution and debating independence.

The hall is celebrating yet another anniversary this year, as well — the founding of the Carpenters’ Company, 300 years ago in 1724. The group was made up of master builders, although no members were carpenters “in the way we think of them today,” said Norris. 

There are several stories about how the mistaken name started, but the name has stuck for three centuries. The company is still active, says Norris, and now includes architects and engineers, in addition to building contractors. 

“Members in their day jobs, they’re out there designing and building stuff, which our members did 300 years ago, so that continuity is really unique,” said Norris. “There’s nothing like that anywhere else in this country.”

Anthony F. Naccarato, a structural engineer in Philadelphia, is the current president of the company. A member since 2011, he says, “It is something I am quite proud of, to be associated with the organization of Master Builders who were responsible for building our country’s earliest edifices.”

The Carpenters’ Company owns the building and the land it sits on, and is responsible for its maintenance as a nonprofit. Unlike Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall is not run by the National Park Service. In the past 250 years, renovations included replacing a wooden floor with tiles and adding steel beams to support the structure. 

Who met at Carpenters’ Hall?

Fifty-six delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies (except Georgia) met at Carpenters’ Hall to discuss the response of the colonies towards what they considered oppressive measures by England, such as the Coercive or Intolerable Acts. Among the attendees were George Washington, Patrick Henry, John and Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Dickinson. Fifty-one of those delegates attended the Second Continental Congress two years later.

Admission to the hall is free — a conscious choice, Norris said, so that visitors of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell have a seamless, no hassle experience should they stop by Carpenters’ Hall.

On the east side of the hall is the Museum of the American Revolution. Is there friendly competition between it and Carpenters’ Hall?

“I wouldn’t say competition,” said Norris. “In fact, we feel the museum (brings) a whole lot more foot traffic coming past our door because people are going from Independence Hall to the museum or vice versa, so that helps us.” 

Carpenters’ Hall was also the venue for the gathering of Pennsylvania delegates who authorized Pennsylvania’s first state constitution in 1776. “So 2026 for us will be the 250^th anniversary of that,” said Norris. 

“We’re already in a little bit of a planning phase, and again, because our take is always the history and that’s great, but what does it mean now? We’re always trying to bring in some relevance, or why should anyone care, so we’re going to certainly tell the story of that gathering, which was called the Pennsylvania Provincial Conference.”

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