The History of the

Carpenters Company
and the Built
Environment of
Philadelphia

(including Frankford)

Alex Palma,
Assistant Director @ Carpenters’ Hall
First thing’s first!

Talk on Carpenters’ Hall given at

HSoF in 1944 by A. Raymond Raff
Why Does Carpenters’ Hall Exist?
Constructed by the Carpenters’ Company

Organization originally formed for mutual

aid / regulatory purposes.

Eventually, the institutional functions of

The Company necessitated a building.
The (Well Known) Contributions of The
Carpenters’ Company
The First Continental Congress
September 5 - October 22, 1774

Why did they meet at Carpenters’ Hall?

Who met?

What did they accomplish?

Print of the Continental Association, printed by William and

Thomas Bradford, 1774
The Bonvouloir Affair and Bank Robbery
Bonvouloir:

December 18- December 27, 1775

Robbery of Bank of Pennsylvania:

August 31, 1798

The History of the Trades and Carpenters’ Hall
Connections to:

Bricklayers Union

GBCA

AIA

…and many more.

Interpretation in a time of COVID19
Initially, lots of online programs.

Temporary loss of docent cohort

Mask mandates, capacity limits

Event Cancellations

Anti-mask/anti-vax
The Carpenters’ Company and Frankford
What connections do we know of?

How do these connections fit into the history of

Frankford itself?

Bound up in relationship between Frankford and

Philadelphia
The Jolly Post
Jolly Post Artifacts in Collections of HSoF
More artifacts from the Jolly Post
Joseph Thornhill
The Frankford Advice
“(Before the First Continental Congress) We were met at Frankfort by Dr Rush, Mr
Mifflin, Mr Bayard and several others of the most active Sons of Liberty, in
Philadelphia, who desired a conference with us. We invited them to take Tea with us
in a private apartment. They asked leave to give us some information and advice,
which we thankfully granted.”

-John Adams to Timothy Pickering,

August 6, 1822
Frankford Advice cont’d
“You enquire why so young a man as Jefferson was placed at the head of the
Committee for preparing a declaration of Independence? I answer, it was the
Frankfort advice, to place Virginia at the head of everything.”
-John Adams to Timothy Pickering, cont’d
August 6, 1822

Where did the Frankford Advice take place?

We’re not sure…
Strongest Contender?
The Jolly Post??

Other possibilities?
Port Royal, estate of Edward Stiles
Gunning Bedford
Thomas Nevell
Mt. Pleasant, Thomas Nevell’s star project
Port Royal and Winterthur
Henry Francis Dupont

Port Royal parlor at Winterthur

There’s plenty to learn, still!
Future research prospects
Upcoming Events at Carpenters’ Hall!