CARPENTERS' HALL

LOCATION
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

STRUCTURE
Carpenters’ Hall, located at 320 Chestnut Street in historic Philadelphia, is a two-story fifty foot square building with ten foot cutouts at each corner. The masonry building is a fine example of Georgian-style architecture, representative of Robert Smith, a Scottish trained architect and builder. The Hall has been continuously owned and operated by The Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, the oldest trade guild in America, since 1770. It hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774 and was home to Franklin's Library Company, The American Philosophical Society and the First and Second Banks of the United States. Today it is also part of Independence National Historical Park.

CHALLENGE
We were retained by the Carpenters’ Hall to provide a written assessment of the exterior envelope as it related to water infiltration, masonry deterioration, and fenestration.

SCOPE OF SERVICE
  • Conducted an on-site investigation of the exterior facade.
  • Provided a written summary of issues and concerns regarding the exterior envelope.
SOLUTION
  • We identified and provided general recommendations on how to improve the building for water tightness and deterioration.
  • The recommendations were meant to assist the Carpenters’ Company in maintaining this building through the 21st Century.
HISTORIC STATUS
Carpenters’ Hall was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.