Philadelphia's Carpenters' Hall reopens to public after December 2022 fire
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A historic Philadelphia landmark reopened Monday just in time for the Fourth of July.
Carpenters' Hall hosted the first Continental Congress. It closed last April for renovations, but then someone set a fire there in December.
It's been more than a year in the making. The doors flung open Monday and people returned to Carpenters' Hall in Old City.
"The building was built to be a place where people meet, right? That's literally what its function is, so when we're not doing that, it feels like we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing," Michael Norris, the executive director of Carpenters' Hall, said.
The hall originally closed in April for renovations and upgrades. But tragedy struck last Christmas Eve when officials say a fire was deliberately set in the basement, causing significant damage to the building. The search continues for the alleged arsonist.
"We had specialized folks look at documents that had been burned, and to assess whether they could be salvaged or not," Norris said.
But just in time for the Fourth of July, the site welcomed crowds once again. Among the first in the building – the Stringfellow family from Atlanta, Georgia.
"My husband and I are both history teachers, and so this is what we do. We call it educational vacations," Susan Stringfellow said.
Stringfellow says it's their first time to Carpenters' Hall and was excited to take this experience back to her Georgia classroom.
"It's fun to stand where someone was 250 years ago who was trying to decide what to do about our country," Stringfellow said.
Often overshadowed by nearby Independence Hall where the declaration was signed, Carpenters' Hall played a significant role in the founding of the nation. It's the birthplace of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and hosted the first Continental Congress in 1774.
Officials say this 4th of July they hope people can understand a little bit more about this site's role in our independence.
"You can't tell the full Fourth of July story without beginning it at Carpenters' Hall," Congressman Brendan Boyle said.
You can visit the hall Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free.
