{"nrhp_refnum":"70000552","name":"Carpenters' Hall","other_names":["See Also:Independence National Historical Park"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"310 Chestnut St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.94806458200003,"lon":-75.14724331299993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1970-04-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1970-05-15","areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick meeting hall at 320 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, built 1770-73 by the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia. It is owned by the Carpenters' Company and sits within Independence National Historic Park.","why_significant":"The nomination describes it as one of the finest examples of late Georgian public building architecture in the United States, with a Greek cross plan and octagonal cupola. It served as a meeting place for the First Continental Congress in 1774, as a hospital for British and American troops, and as a temporary office for the First and Second Banks of the United States. It is also presented as a rare surviving unit of Colonial public buildings.","narrative":"Built between 1770 and 1773 by the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia, a guild of master carpenters founded in 1724, this two-story brick hall was designed and constructed by Robert Smith. Its Greek cross plan, with pedimented pavilions projecting north and south, a central octagonal cupola and Flemish bond brickwork, is regarded as one of the finest examples of late Georgian public building architecture in the United States. The Library Company, founded by Benjamin Franklin, occupied the upper floor from 1773. The First Continental Congress met here in 1774. During the Revolutionary War the building served as a hospital for British and American troops. Later it housed the First Bank of the United States, the Customs House from 1801 to 1817, and the Second Bank of the United States. The Company regained the building in 1857 and restored it to preserve its original appearance. It is listed for its architecture and its role in the early history of the nation.","period_of_significance":"1770","architect_builder":"Robert Smith (builder)","architectural_style":"Late Georgian","criteria":[],"status_note":"The hall is open to the public and maintained by the Carpenters' Company; the first floor contains a small museum and souvenir area.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.223597-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/70000552_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000552/0c487da3d1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000552/0c487da3d1-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Davidt8","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CarpentersHall00.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Davidt8</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CarpentersHall00.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994271","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenters%27_Hall","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1093592"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/carpenters-hall-70000552/"}