Friends meeting houses in Pennsylvania
Friends meeting houses are places of worship for the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. A "meeting" is the equivalent of a church congregation, and a "meeting house" is the equivalent of a church building.
Several Friends meetings were founded in Pennsylvania in the early 1680s. The Merion Friends Meeting House is the only surviving meeting house constructed before 1700. Thirty-two surviving Pennsylvania meeting houses were constructed before 1800, and are listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places or as contributing properties in historic districts. More than one hundred meeting houses constructed before 1900 were documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey, and published in Silent Witness: Quaker Meeting Houses in the Delaware Valley, 1695 to the Present.
One of the key tenets of the Religious Society of Friends is pacifism, adherence to the Peace Testimony. The "Free Quakers" were supporters of the American Revolutionary War, separated from the Society, and built their own meeting house in Philadelphia, at 5th & Arch Streets.
In 1827, the Great Separation divided Pennsylvania Quakers into two branches, Orthodox and Hicksite. Many individual meetings also separated, but one branch generally kept possession of the meeting house. The two branches reunited in the 1950s.
Meeting houses
| Name | Photo | Founded | Constructed | Branch | Notes | Location | Reference |
| Abington Friends Meeting House | 1683 | 1786 | Hicksite | 520 Meeting House Rd., Jenkintown | FMHS | ||
| Arch Street Friends Meeting House | 1681 | 1804, 1811 | Orthodox | Philadelphia Yearly Meeting | 304 Arch St., Philadelphia | NHL | |
| Bart Friends Meeting | 1820 | 1825 | Hicksite | Quaker Church Rd., Christiana | |||
| Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse | 1726 | 1763 | Hicksite | Birmingham Rd. near Rt. 926, West Chester | NRHP | ||
| Birmingham Orthodox Friends Meeting House | About from Hicksite meeting house. Now a private home. | NRHP | |||||
| Bradford Friends Meetinghouse | 1716, 1726 | 1765 | Orthodox | 1364 West Strasburg Road, Marshallton | NRHP | ||
| Bristol Friends Meeting House | 1707, 1711 | 1713-19 | Hicksite | Market & Woods St., Bristol | FMHS NRHP HD | ||
| Buckingham Friends Meeting House | 1701, 1705 | 1768 | Hicksite | 5684 York Rd., Lahaska | NHL | ||
| Byberry Friends Meeting House | 1683, 1701 | 1808 | Hicksite | 3001 Byberry Rd., Philadelphia | |||
| Caln Meeting House | 1716 | 1782 | Shared | In 1907 the Orthodox Meeting moved to Coatesville | Rt. 340, Thorndale | FMHS | |
| Catawissa Friends Meetinghouse | 1775, 1793 | 1794 | South St., Catawissa | FMHS NRHP | |||
| Chester Friends Meetinghouse | 1675, 1698 | 1829, 1954 | 24th at Chestnut St. Chester | NRHP | |||
| Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting | 1924 | 1931, 2012-2013 | Shared | The 2013 building features a "Skyspace," a sky-lighted room for quiet contemplation. | 100 E. Mermaid Ln, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia | HABS | |
| Chichester Friends Meetinghouse | 1682, 1701 | 1769 | Hicksite | Meeting House Rd., Boothwyn | NRHP | ||
| Concord Friends Meetinghouse | 1684 | 1728. 1788 | Hicksite | Old Concord Rd, Concordville | NRHP, FMHS | ||
| Darby Friends Meeting | 1684 | 1805 | Hicksite | 1015 Main St., Darby | NRHP | ||
| Doe Run | 1808, 1811 | 1883 | 81 Greenlaw Rd, Cochraneville | ||||
| Downingtown Friends Meeting House | 1784, 1811 | 1806 | Uwchlan Monthly Meeting moved here in 1900 | 800 E. Lancaster Ave, Downingtown | FMHS | ||
| Exeter Friends Meeting House | 1715, 1725 | 1759 | Orthodox | Meeting House Rd., Stonersville | FMHS | ||
| Fair Hill Friends Meeting House | 1702, 1880 | 1883 | Cambria St. at Germantown Ave., Philadelphia | ||||
| Fallowfield Friends Meeting House | 1792, 1796 | 1801 | Hicksite | Rt. 82 at Buck Run Rd., Ercildoun | FMHS | ||
| 2nd Falls Friends Meeting House | 1683 | 1728 | NA | Replaced by the 1789 third meeting house Housed a Friends School Now divided into apartments | Tyburn Rd. at New Falls Rd., Fallsington | FMHS | |
| 3rd Falls Friends Meeting House | 1683 | 1789 | Orthodox | Houses the William Penn Center | 9300 New Falls Rd., Fallsington | FMHS | |
| 4th Falls Friends Meeting House | 1683 | 1841 | Hicksite | Interior: | 9300 New Falls Rd., Fallsington | ||
| Frankford Friends Meeting House | 1684 | 1775-76 | Hicksite | Orthodox counterpart on Orthodox St. | Unity and Waln Sts., Philadelphia | FMHS | |
| Free Quaker Meetinghouse | 1780 | 1783-84 | Free Quaker | Closed 1836 Home of the Apprentices' Library, 1841-1897 In an 1884 engraving: | 5th and Arch, Philadelphia | NRHP | |
| Germantown Friends Meeting House | 1690 | 1868-69 | Samuel Sloan & Addison Hutton, architects | 47 W. Coulter, Philadelphia | |||
| Goshen Friends Meeting House | 1709 | 1855 | 814 Chester Rd, Goshenville | ||||
| Gwynedd Friends Meeting House | 1689, 1698 | 1823 | Hicksite | Spring House & Pennllyn Turnpike, Lower Gwyynedd | |||
| Old Haverford Friends Meetinghouse | 1682, 1684 | 1701 | Hicksite | 235 E. Eagles Road, Havertown | FMHS | ||
| Homeville Friends Meeting House | 1839 | 1839 | Newark Rd. Rt 896, Homeville | ||||
| Horsham Friends Meeting | 1714, 1717 | 1803 | Hicksite | Rte. 611 & Horsham Rd., Horsham Township | FMHS | ||
| Horsham Orthodox Friends Meeting House | 1890 | 1890 | Orthodox | Extant? | Saw Mill Lane & Dreshertown Rd., Horsham Township | ||
| Old Kennett Meetinghouse | 1707, 1711 | 1731 c. | Hicksite | US 1, Kennett Square | FMHS | ||
| Lampeter Friends Meeting House | 1728, 1732 | 1889 | Rt. 340, Bird-in-Hand | ||||
| Little Elk Friends Meeting House | 1826 | Media Rd, Hickory Hill | |||||
| London Grove Friends Meeting House | 1724, 1775 | 1818 | Rt. 926 at Newark Rd, West Marlborough Township | ||||
| Longwood Progressive Friends Meeting House | 1854 | 1854 | Rt. 1 at Longwood Gardens | ||||
| Maidencreek Friends Meeting House | 1732, 1735 | 1759 | Hicksite | West Shore Dr., Kindts Corner | FMHS | ||
| Makefield Friends Meeting House | 1750, 1790 | 1760, 1764 | Hicksite | 877 Dolington Rd, Lower Makefield | NRHP, FMHS | ||
| Marlboro Friends Meeting House | 1799, 1802 | 1801 | Part of Marlborough Village Historic District | 901 Marlborough Springs Rd., Marlborough Village | FMHS | ||
| Media Monthly Meeting House | 1878 | 1875 | Orthodox | known as Chester Monthly Meeting until 1950? | Third St., Media | ||
| Merion Friends Meeting House | 1683 | 1695-1714 | Hicksite | In an 1837 engraving: | 615 Montgomery Ave., Merion Station | NHL | |
| Middletown Friends Meeting House | 1680, 1683 | 1793 | Hicksite | 453 W. Maple Ave., Langhorne | FMHS | ||
| Middletown Friends Meetinghouse | 1686, 1701 | 1702, 1770s, 1888 | 435 Middletown Rd, Lima | ||||
| Millville Friends Meeting House | 1795 | 1846 | Hicksite | Main at Maple St., Millville | HABS | ||
| New Garden Friends Meeting House | 1712, 1715 | 1743 | Hicksite | Newark Rd., Toughkenamon | FMHS | ||
| Newtown Friends Meeting House | 1815, 1817 | 1817, 1868 | Hicksite | 219 Court St. Newtown | |||
| Newtown Square Friends Meeting House | 1696, 1706 | 1791 | Hicksite | 120 Newtown Rd., Newtown Square | FMHS | ||
| Norristown Friends Meeting House | 1890 | Swede & Pine Sts., Norristown | |||||
| Oxford Friends Meeting House | 1876 | 1879 | S. 3rd St., Oxford | ||||
| Parkersville Friends Meetinghouse | 1830 | 1830 | Hicksite | Parkersville Rd. s of Rt 926 Parkersville | NRHP | ||
| Plumsted Friends Meeting House | 1730 | 1752, 1876 | 4914 Point Pleasant Pike, Danboro | FMHS | |||
| Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse | 1703, 1710 | 1708, 1780 | Hicksite | Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting | NRHP | ||
| Providence Friends Meeting House | 1686 | 1700, 1727, 1753 | Hicksite | Providence Rd., Media | HABS | ||
| Providence Quaker Cemetery and Chapel | 1789 | 1793 | closed 1870 | Jct. of PA 4038 and PA 4036 W, Perryopolis , | NRHP | ||
| Race Street Friends Meeting House | 1855-57 | Interior: | 1515 Cherry St., Philadelphia | NRHP | |||
| Radnor Friends Meetinghouse | 1684, 1698 | 1717-18 | Hicksite | Sproul Rd., Ithan | |||
| Reading Friends Meeting House | 1750, 1756 | 1868 | Wilson Eyre | 108 N. 6th St., Reading | |||
| Richlands Friends Meeting House | 1710, 1723 | 1862 | Main St and Mill Rd, Quakertown | ||||
| Roaring Creek Friends Meeting | 1786, 1796 | 1795-96 | Hicksite | Interior: | Quaker Meeting Rd., Numidia | FMHS | |
| Sadsbury Friends Meeting House | 1723, 1725 | 1747 | Hicksite | Simmontown Rd, Gap | FMHS | ||
| Schuylkill Friends Meeting House | 1812 | 1807, 1816 | Hicksite | Charlestown Friends until 1826 | 37 N. Whitehorse Rd., Phoenixville | ||
| Solebury Friends Meeting House | 1806, 1811 | 1806 | 2680 Sugan Rd., New Hope | ||||
| Springfield Friends Meetinghouse | 1686 | 1703, 1783, 1850 | |||||
| Swarthmore Friends Meeting House | 1863, 1893 | 1881 | Hicksite | 12 Whittier Place, Swarthmore | |||
| Twelfth Street Meeting House | Circa-1892 photograph Disassembled, July 1972 | 1813-1814 relocated 1972 | Orthodox | Built by carpenter John D. Smith using elements of the Greater Meeting House, 1813-1814. Disassembled and relocated, Summer 1972. Rebuilt on campus of the George School, 1973-1974. Charles Hough, restoration architect Re-dedicated, September 24, 1974 | Original: 20 South 12th Street, Philadelphia Current: George School, Newtown, Bucks County | HABS | |
| Unionville Friends Meeting House | 1845 | 1845 | Now Grange Hall | Rt. 82, Unionville | FMHS | ||
| Upper Dublin Friends Meeting House | 1814 | 1814 | Hicksite | Ft. Washington & Limekiln Rd. Upper Dublin | |||
| Upper Providence Friends Meeting House | 1716, 1733 | 1828 | Hicksite | 8207 Black Rock Road, Oaks | HABS | ||
| Uwchlan Meetinghouse | 1712, 1714 | 1763 c. | Orthodox | Village Ave. North, Lionville | FMHS | ||
| Valley Friends Meeting House | 1698, 1810 | 1871 | 1121 Old Eagle School Rd., Wayne | ||||
| Warrington Friends Meeting House | 1769 | Carlisle Rd, Wellsville | |||||
| West Chester Meeting House | 1810, 1813 | 1810, 1868 | Hicksite | 425 N. High, West Chester | |||
| West Philadelphia Orthodox Friends Meeting House | 1878 | 1878 | Orthodox | Powelton & 42nd St., Philadelphia | |||
| Willistown Friends Meeting House | 1753, 1794 | 1798 | Hicksite | Part of Okehocking Historic District | 7069 Goshen Rd., Whitehorse | FMHS | |
| Wrightstown Friends Meeting Complex | 1686 | 1787 | Hicksite | Rt. 413, 4 miles north of Newtown | NRHP, FMHS | ||
| York Friends Meeting House | 1754, 1767 | 1766, 1783 | Hicksite | Philadelphia St., York | FMHS |