Carpenter Rule Book Collection

HPEF has assembled the following collection of Carpenter Rule and Price Books from a variety of sources. Many of the files below are scans of photostats and photocopies from the files of Lee Nelson and Orville Carroll compiled over several decades from archives and libraries throughout the United States. HPEF hopes that the materials, made available here for the first time in digital form, will be a valuable resource for those interested in 18th and 19th century building trades and construction. File sizes are listed when above 5MB.

Carpenter Rule Books Available for Download

1774 - Carpenters Rules of Work in the Town of Boston

1786 - Articles of the Carpenters Company of Philadelphia

1795 - Carpenters Rules of Work in the Town of Boston

1796 - Prices of Carpenters Work in the Town of Boston

1796 - Rules for House-Carpenters Work in the Town of Providence - 17 MB

1800 - Rules of Work of the Carpenters in the Town of Boston

1804 - Rules of Work of the Housewrights in the Town of Salem - 12MB

1805 - Rules of Work for Housewrights in Newburyport

1809 - Rules of Work of the Masons in the Town of Boston - 12MB

1820 - Richmond and Alexandria Builders Price Book - 11MB

1832 - Bill of Prices of the ... Master Carpenters of the City of Lexington - 19MB

1836 - Rules and Prices of Carpenters Work - Boston

1851 - Builders Guide ... Lists of Prices and Rules of Measurement - Washington - 25MB