The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-06-25

There was undoubtedly some fur
tive brushing up on the data of our
historical landmarks when the name
of Carpenters hall reappeared In the
dispatches short time ago, from the
depths of a long Philadelphia OBJ
livion, as the scene of a solemn cere-
monial enacted on the occasion Of the
one hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of the first Continental congress and
the two hundredth anniversary of the
founding of the company that built
the hall, more than century and
half ago. Familiar to every school
boy are the names Of Faneuil hall In
Boston, the "Cradle of American Lib
erty," and independence hall In Phil
adelphfa, where the great Declaration
was adopted. But Carpenters hall,
for some reason or another, has been
allowed to slip back into the suburbs
of patriotic memories, although it is
entitled to an equal place In the trim
ity of historic halls most sacred to the
beginnings of American freedom and
the capitalization of its doctrines. 1t
was In Faneuil hall that the first key
notes of liberty found expression. 1t
was at Independence hall that the Dec
laration of Independence was pro-
claimed to the world But it was at
Carpenters hall that the initial move
ment toward a union Of the colonies
was staged In the first Continental
congress, in 1774, and it was there, too,
ID years later, that the representa-
lives of the new republic met to fash
ion the greatest document of modern
times-the Constitution of the United
States Of America.
Carpenters hall was the guildhall of
the Worthy and Honorable Associa-
ton of Carpenters and Architects Of
pre-Revolutionary days. This associa-
ton, known as the Carpenters COM
nany, was founded In Philadelphia 30
years before the voices of protest
against the misrule of the motherland
began to find expression in the Amer
lean colonies. 1t is still in existence.
And the old hall, which had been COM
pleted a few years before the meet
ing Of the first congress of the col
onies, still stands monument to the
honest labor and the esthetic tastes
Of the artisans who constructed It.
Thousands pass 1t daily. without a
thought, perhaps, of the significance Of
Carpenters hall In American history.
1t is hidden away among more pre-
tentious modern structures at the end
of court that leads into Chestnut
street, between Third and Fourth
streets. Its main entrance was once
on Walnut street, but the buildings of
q later date have blocked the way, SO
that today one approaches the ven
cradle old building by way Of the
Chestnut street court, which really
leads up to the back door,
The building is said to be, for its
time, an architectural gem. 1t is built
of brick, in the form Of Greek cross,
and all four sides present perfect
symmetry of design. Windows of the
colonial period are topped by beautiful
white marble keystones and the doors,
surmounted by similar ellishments,
are said to be of rare architectural
beauty. Little patches Of lawn abut-
ting on the street preserve de Quaker
like simplicity Of the exterior. With
In the hall are preserved some Of the
chairs in which sat the delegates to-
that fateful first convention of the
representatives of the embryonic re-
public and on Its walls Is the inscrip-
tion: within these walls Henry,
Hancock and Adams inspired the del
egates OF the colonies with nerve and
sinew for the tolls OF war, resulting
In national independence" Fine CO.
lonial stalrways lead to the upper
story, and although the building has
undergone some internal changes. the