[Rarebooks] FS: Reminiscences of Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia 1857

[Ezra Tishman]

Ezra from Aardvark offers this important union history and significant annal of the American Revolution. 



Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia. REMINISCENCES OF CARPENTERS' HALL, IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, AND EXTRACTS FROM THE ANCIENT MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CARPENTERS' COMPANY OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA (Bound together with THE BY-LAWS AND RULES AND REGULATIONS (Published T. Ellwood Chapman, Philadelphie, 1857). Philadelphia, PA: Published by Direction of the Company. Printed by Crissy & Markley, 1858. First Edition. Large 8vo., measuring 9 1/2" x 6") Brown cloth, with Masonic symbol, in gilt to front board (otherwise debossed in blind), and in blind to rear board. Small chip to mid-spine, and larger (1/2") chip to top of spine. Two frontispieces, the first an engraving of the exterior of building. and the second, a diagram of the building's floor plan. Both of these are restrikes from plates of the original engraved plan and elevation of Carpenters' Hall" , A 3" x 5" chip from this second frontispiece has been torn out, however, leaving most of the diagram is intact. At the bottom of this same page is, in neat script, a note and signature of William Duane.: "I was for several years Solicitor of the . Company -- (SIGNED) W. G. (?) Duane. William Duane (1808-1882) was a prolific author who edited the Diary of Revolutionary figure Christopher Marshall, Benjamin Franklin's Letters, and a number of other works. One might reasonably assume that Mr. Duane was the former owner of this book. It appears that only one copy of this book came to auction in eighty years (between 1912 and 2000). 41+21+57 pp. Very Good Minus. Hardcover. (#76825) $300.00

The first section offers a brief history, followed by "Extracts from Ancient Minutes, from 1763-1799). Then the history of the Brief of Title to the lot upon which the hall is built, the chain of occupants of the hall, and the Officers of the Company for each year. Section II, which features its own title page (published by T. Ellwood Chapman of Philadelphia in 1857) lays out the "Act to Incorporate the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia; together with The By-Laws and Rules and Regulations". The section concludes with an historical list of members. The final section, is the "Catalogue of Books in the Library..." of the Company, with many titles concerning the building trade, architecture, mechanics, as well as classics of poetry, drama and literature. The Carpenters' Company was founded around 1724 to obtain instruction in the Science of Architecture and to assist their members...and...widows and minor children of such members." Also, "the fixing of a uniform scale of prices upon their work, so that the workman should receive a fair compensation for his labor, and the employer obtain a fair value for his money." (from subsequent acts of incorporation). This body evolved several times and in 1763 began moving towards construction of a hall, the building of which commenced in 1770. The building came to play a major role in the formation of the United States. "...Carpenters' Hall.is the official birthplace of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a key meeting place in the early history of the United States...The First Continental Congress met here in 1774 and it was the location of the Pennsylvania Provincial Conference in June 1776. Their proceedings officially declared the Province of Pennsylvania's independence from the British Empire and established the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, mobilized the Pennsylvania militia for the American Revolutionary War, set up the machinery for the Pennsylvania Provincial Convention (July 15–September 28, 1776) which framed the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, and enabled the United States Declaration of Independence to proceed...It is located in Independence National Historical Park of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania…” (Wiki.)


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