A Short List of Historical Quaker Sites in the US

If you would like to have us add your favorite Quaker historical site, please send us an e-mail with information about the site. 

CONNECTICUT

Quaker Farms Historic District

Quaker Farms Historic District is a historic district in the town of Oxford, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.  The structures are a reminder of the Quaker Farms Historic District's modest industrial history.  The properties are significant architecturally because they consist of Federal/Gothic Revival designs constructed from the mid-18th to mid-19th century.

Quaker Hill Historic District

Quaker Hill Historic District is in the town of Waterford, Connecticut and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The district "illustrates how successive forces of modernization turned an isolated dispersed farming community of religious dissidents into a nineteenth-century industrial village, which finally emerged as an early twentieth-century suburb.

In terms of architecture, few houses are individually significant.  However, together they represent an architectural continuum, one which reflects the history of the village. Generally well-preserved and maintained, the Quaker Hill Historic District streetscape displays an exceptional variety of style and form, even in the early twentieth century when the majority of the houses were constructed.

DELAWARE

Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation

The Foundation is an organization dedicated to preserving, restoring and promoting the history, social life and architecture of the Quaker Hill area. Quaker Hill was first settled in 1738 by William Shipley. In 1739, the Shipleys and other Quakers attracted to the area built the first Wilmington Friends Meeting House. By 1748, a new one had to be constructed to accommodate the increased population; the original meeting house became the first Friends School. A third meeting house was built in 1816 and remains today as a place of worship and an active community center.

Several prominent individuals are buried at the at Wilmington Friends Meeting including John Dickinson, signer of the Constitution, and Thomas Garrett, an abolitionist who worked with William Still and Harriet Tubman to conduct thousands of slaves to freedom.

INDIANA

Levi Coffin House

A part of the legendary Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves of pre-Civil War days, this registered National Historic Landmark is a Federal-style brick home built in 1839. Levi and Catharine Coffin were legendary in helping many former slaves escape to freedom in the North; they helped more than 2,000 slaves reach freedom. Levi is often referred to as the President of the Underground Railroad. The Coffin house was purchased in 1967 by the State of Indiana. The house was restored and then opened to the public in 1970. 

IOWA

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site Information

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site presents the two phases of Hoover's life -- his Quaker upbringing and his long public career -- in the setting of a late-nineteenth-century Iowa farm community.    When visiting the site, itis clear that Quakers played a large role in forming Hoover's values.  In fact, Hoover's mother, Hulda, was a Quaker minister.    On the grounds, is Second Street Friends Meetinghouse built in1857 and attended by Hoover.  The Historic Site includes a visitor's center, the birthplace cottage, blacksmith shop, the schoolhouse, and the Friends Meetinghouse.  

Henderson Lewelling Quaker Museum

The Lewelling Quaker Museum sits in the quiet farming community of Salem, Iowa.  It was the first Quaker community in Iowa, founded in 1835.   While the Society of Friends opposed slavery, Henderson Lewelling felt strongly about opposing and helping free slaves.  This caused a schism in the Salem Monthly Meeting and he established the Abolition Friends Monthly Meeting.  Salem, Iowa became known as a main ticket office of the underground railroad.  The underground railroad had as many as 5 homes in the Salem area for the safety of slaves escaping their “owners.”  The Lewelling Quaker House contains grim reminders of the anti-slavery movement.  

MAINE

Quaker Tavern B&B - Inn

Quaker Tavern is an unblemished country Federal structure built by Nicholas Hall, a Quakers, circa 1780.  It was converted to a tavern by Hall's son, Ozni in 1823.  Presently it is a Bed and Breakfast.  

MASSACHUSETTS

The East Hoosuck Quaker Meeting House

The city of Adams was settled in 1769 by a group of Quakers.  In 1782, they built the East Hoosuck Meeting House.  One of the builder's of the Meeting House was David Anthony, the great-grandfather of Susan B. Anthony.  The Meeting House stands today and its architecture reflects the simplicity of the Quakers.  Visitors should be aware that hours are very limited.  The museum is open 1 - 4pm, every Sunday, July 6 - Columbus Day. 

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum

The Museum is dedicated to preserving the birthplace of Susan B. Anthony.  Its mission is to raise awareness of Anthony's legacy as a social reformer.  As part of its mission, the Museum highlights the regional and familial influences on Anthony's early life.  There are textiles, furnishings, literature and other memorabilia on display.

NEW JERSEY

Historic Haddonfield, NJ

Borough of Haddonfield
242 King's Highway East
Haddonfield, NJ 08033-0969
Phone: 609.429.4700
http://haddonfieldhistory.org/
On October 23, 1682, when he took up a tract of 400 acres, Francis Collins became the first settler within the boundaries of what is today Haddonfield. An English Quaker and a bricklayer by trade, Collins soon built his house, "Mountwell". Other settlers would soon follow.
John Haddon was a wealthy businessman from London, a Quaker and friend of William Penn; in 1698 he purchased land in West New Jersey. Soon he acquired additional American lands, which required that he take possession within six months. Instead of coming himself, he sent his 20 year old daughter, Elizabeth, to lay claim to his new holdings. She arrived in June 1701.
Elizabeth Haddon named this land "Haddonfield" in honor of her father. A wilderness in 1701, she saw many changes in what would be her home until her death in 1762 at age 82. In 1702, Elizabeth married John Estaugh, a young Quaker missionary of reknown. In 1713 they built a beautiful brick mansion on what is now Wood Lane. This date of 1713 has been marked by several celebrations in this century as the "founding" date of Haddonfield.
Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh returned from a trip to England in 1721 with a deed of land from her father, a gift to the Quakers to erect a meetinghouse. The log structure and its brick successor in 1760 were the only places of worship in town for 97 years.

Alice Paul Institute

128 Hooton Rd
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone: 856-231-1885
www.alicepaul.org
The Alice Paul Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the life and work of New Jersey’s most famous suffragist, Alice Stokes Paul (1885-1977), author of the Equal Rights Amendment, founder of the National Woman’s Party, and a lifelong activist for women’s equality. API’s mission is to educate the public about her life, preserve historic Paulsdale, develop future leaders, and work towards achieving women’s equality. Paulsdale, Alice Paul’s birthplace and family home in Mount Laurel, New Jersey is a National Historic Landmark and serves as a center for celebrating women’s history and leadership. Born on January 11, 1885 to Quaker parents in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, Alice Paul dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women.
Few individuals have had as much impact on American history as has Alice Paul. Her life symbolizes the long struggle for justice in the United States and around the world. Her vision was the ordinary notion that women and men should be equal partners in society.

The Rotch-Jones-Duff (RJD) House

396 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 997-1401
Hours:
Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
AHA! Evenings: The Museum is open the second Thursday evening of each month (excluding January) free of charge.
Closed major holidays. Call (508) 997-1401 for further information.
Admission:
Adults $5.00
AAA Member $4.00
Seniors (over 62) $4.00
Students $4.00
Children (12 and under) $2.00
General Admission includes a 30-minute self-guided tour of the Museum and access to the exterior grounds and gardens.
http://www.rjdmuseum.org
In 1834, during the Golden Age of Whaling, William Rotch, Jr. built his fine mansion on County Street. The Greek Revival architecture embodied a style of design that reflected the changing taste and culture of a thriving young nation, while also respecting the restraint and simplicity of Mr. Rotch’s Quaker roots. William Rotch, Jr. was one of New Bedford’s most influential townsmen and entrepreneurs. He was a founding member of the New Bedford Institute for Savings, Friends Academy and the New Bedford Horticultural Society. As an elder in the Quaker meetinghouse, he was a guiding light in New England Quaker education.The Rotch-Jones-Duff (RJD) House occupies a full city block on County Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts (Bristol County), bordered by Madison, Cherry (now Joli Gonsalves), and Seventh Streets.

Shrewsbury Friends

Hwy 35 and Sycamore Ave
Shrewsbury NJ.  Settled in the 1660s.  Present meeting house built in 1816.   Cemetery. 
http://shrewsburyquakers.info

Stony Brook Meeting House and Cemetery

intersection of Princeton Pike/Mercer Road and Quaker Road
Princeton Township, New Jersey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stony_Brook_Meeting_House_and_Cemetery
Stony Brook Meeting House and Cemetery are historic Quaker sites located at the Stony Brook Settlement at the intersection of Princeton Pike/Mercer Road and Quaker Road in Princeton Township, New Jersey, United States. The first Europeans to settle in the Princeton area were six Quaker families who built their homes near the Stony Brook around 1696. In 1709 Benjamin Clark deeded nine and three-fifths acres in trust to Richard Stockton and others to establish a Friends meeting house and burial ground.

MANASQUAN QUAKER MEETING

2257 Meetinghouse Road, Manasquan NJ 08736.  Just off the Manasquan Traffic Circle in Wall Township, NJ.
Web Address: Manasquanquakers.org
Meeting originally started about 1703.  First Meeting House built 1730.  Present Meeting House built in 1884.  Cemetery. 

NEW YORK

David Barker Home

Quaker Road
Barker, NY
http://www.murphyorchards.com/ur.htm
http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/Gateway%20Slavery%20Guide%20PDF%20Files/1.%20Introduction/4.%20Introduction/5.%20UGRR%20WEB.pdf
Baker was a founder of the Quaker community in Barker, New York and is believed to have been a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. The Quakers, as a group, were very active supporters of the Underground Railroad network. The Barker Home is located on Quaker Road in Barker, New York.

Creek Meeting House Exhibit Center

Clinton Historical Society
2433 Salt Point Tnpk
Clinton Corners, Hudson Valley, NY, 12514
Phone: 845-266-3819
Hours: May – October, weekends
www.townofclinton.com
This former Quaker meeting house, built in 1777, hosts art exhibitions and railroad exhibits.

Farmington Meeting House

160 County Road 8
P. O. Box 25053
Farmington, New York 14425
http://farmingtonmeetinghouse.org/home.shtml
As the site of Genesee Yearly Meeting of Friends, the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse was a national crucible for major reform movements in the nineteenth century. It stood at the crossroads –symbolically as well as geographically--of activism for African American rights, women’s rights, and Native American rights.

Flushing Quaker Meeting House

137-16 Northern Boulevard
Flushing, New York 11354
Phone: 718-358-9636
http://www.nyym.org/flushing/hmh.html
Built in 1694 by John Bowne and other early Quakers, the Old Quaker Meeting House is, by all known accounts, the oldest house of worship in New York State and the second oldest Quaker meeting house in the nation. Visitors to the Meeting House have included George Washington, John Woolman and William Penn. The Meeting House is recognized as a rare example of ecclesiastical architecture and as a monument to an important event in the struggle for religious freedom in America, the Flushing Remonstrance, a document which is perhaps the earliest demand for religious freedom in America. The Meeting House also saw the beginnings of the abolitionist movement and the first school in Flushing. A National Historic Landmark and an Individual New York City Landmark, the Old Quaker Meeting House is also listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
In addition to meetings for worship every Sunday at 11:00 a.m., the Meeting House is open every Sunday from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. for tours. All are welcome. Group tours can be scheduled for other days by appointment.

Nine Partners Meeting House

junction of NY state highway 343 and Church Street
Millbrook, New York
Hours: by appointment.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nine-Partners-Meeting-House-and-Cemetery/1...
The meeting house, c.1780, was built by Quakers and could hold 1,000 people.

Village of Pleasant Valley, New York

Pleasant Valley, New York
Phone: 845-266-5494
http://pleasantvalley-ny.gov
Quakers and Presbyterians from New England and Long Island first settled here in the 1740s where the Wappinger Creek was easily forded. Late 18th c. maps refer to a “great bridge,” and open bridge near the fording site, south of the present structure. A covered bridge built over the creek was replaced in 1841 and 1911. This area is the site of former textile mills.

Susan B. Anthony House

17 Madison Street
Rochester, NY 14608
Phone: 585-235-6124
Hours:
Open Tuesdays through Sundays 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Closed Mondays and major holidays
Admission:
$10.00 per adult
$8.00 per senior citizen 62 & over
$5.00 per student
$5.00 per child (12 & under)
dhughes@susanbanthonyhouse.org
www.susanbanthonyhouse.org
The Susan B. Anthony House was the home of the great woman's suffrage leader from 1866 to 1906. It is now preserved by the Susan B. Anthony House, Inc., a museum and learning center. It is open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday, except major holidays.
This home was purchased by Lucy Anthony, Susan B. Anthony's mother, after she was widowed. She moved into the house with two of her daughters, Susan and Mary S. Anthony. Additional Anthony family members lived there from time to time. Mary eventually acquired the home from her mother, and Susan and Mary lived here until their deaths. The house next door, at 19 Madison Street, was owned by their sister, Hannah Mosher, and her family. That house is now the Visitor Center and museum shop. The House holds a collection of artifacts and furnishings, and there are many photos and memorabilia commemorating Miss Anthony and her lifetime work toward social reform and human rights for all.

OHIO

Martin Marmon House

County Road 153
Jefferson Township
Logan County, Ohio
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Martin-Marmon-House/107637662592382
Martin Marmon House is a historic house near the village of Zanesfield in Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio, United States. Built by pioneer settler Martin Marmon around the year 1820, it is one of the best remaining examples of Quaker architecture.
A Quaker from North Carolina, Martin Marmon moved to west-central Ohio from Kentucky in 1805 with his two brothers and their families; they were the first settlers in Jefferson Township after Isaac Zane, who had married into the Shawnee people then living in the area. This emigration was typical of southern Quakers, who moved north in large numbers to escape the slavery system of the South. Their new home was close to the territory of the Shawnee, being only a short distance south of the Greenville Treaty Line. Ten years after moving north, Martin bought the land on which he had settled from his brother Robert, who lived a short distance to the east. On this land he built the brick house in which he lived for the rest of his life.

Mt. Pleasant Meeting House and Historic District

298 Market Street
Mount Pleasant, OH 43939
Phone: 740.769.2893
Hours: April – October, by appointment only
Garden Tours: first Saturday & Sunday of August, 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Admission: $3 Adults, $1.50 Children 6-12
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/ne05/index.shtml
Founded in 1803, this early 19th century activist Quaker community is located just a short distance from Wheeling, West Virginia (formerly Virginia) where slave auctions were regularly held. The historic district, which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, is a remarkably intact example of a 19th century community. Its residents are still largely Quakers and are proud to share their abolitionist history with visitors.

Salem Historical Society and Museum and Freedom Hall

208 South Broadway Ave
Salem, OH 44460
Phone: 330-337-8514
Hours: The Museum buildings are open each Sunday afternoon, May through October. There is a small admission charge.
http://www.salemhistoricalsociety.org/
Salem, a historic Quaker community, was active in both the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements. A number of buildings in the community have been researched and documented as Underground Railroad sites. The community recently published a four-color self-guided tour brochure of Underground Railroad sites in Salem. After touring the sites, the public is invited to visit the Salem Historical Society and Museum and Freedom Hall which has interpretive displays about Salem’s Underground Railroad history.

OREGON

George Fox University – Two Historic Campus Buildings

414 N. Meridian Street
Newberg, Oregon 97132
Phone: 503-538-8383
http://www.georgefox.edu/about/history/historical_buildings.html
Jesse Edwards House: is the second-oldest residence in the city of Newberg, Ore., built in 1883 by the “Father of Newberg” and one of the founders of George Fox University, Jesse Edwards. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The only older local house – by two years – is the Hoover-Minthorn House, preserved as a national and local landmark because it served as a boyhood home for U.S. President Herbert Hoover. It also is on the National Register.
The two houses are interconnected. When Jesse and Mary Edwards built their two-story wood house, they sold their first home to Dr. Henry Minthorn, who came to Newberg to become the first superintendent of Friends Pacific Academy, which became George Fox University.
Minthorn Hall: is George Fox University's oldest building, a place where U.S. President Herbert Hoover lived and played as a boy in Newberg. Constructed in 1887, the building is older than the university itself. It was constructed for Friends Pacific Academy, the forerunner of the university, and was moved to its present site in 1892, one year after the university was founded. In being named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, the building was cited as "a classic illustration of adaptive use of one of the oldest private college buildings in Oregon." It is described as "the sole physical link tying together (the) entire academic history from infant Friends Pacific Academy to thriving George Fox University."

PENNSYLVANIA

Arch Street Meeting House

320 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-627-2667
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10am-4pm. Worship meetings are held twice weekly and visitors are always welcome. Donation requested.
http://www.ushistory.org/tour/arch-street-friends.htm
This is the oldest Friends Meeting House still in use in Philadelphia and the largest in the world. It was built in 1804 and enlarged in 1811. The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends living in Pennsylvania, the southern half of New Jersey, Delaware and parts of Maryland is held here every spring. Monthly business meetings are also conducted here — as they have since the 19th century.

William Brinton 1704 House and Historic Site

21 Oakland Road
West Chester, PA 19382
just west of U.S. Route 202, 1/4 mile south of Dilworthtown, Pennsylvania.
Phone: 610-399-0913
Hours: Tours are available to the public daily, May through October.
http://www.brintonfamily.org/1704main.html
The William Brinton 1704 House is a restored historic Quaker home which is owned, maintained, and operated as a museum by the Brinton Association of America. Located just off of U.S. Route 202, south of West Chester, Pennsylvania, this stone house was built and originally occupied in 1704, by William Brinton, Jr. (1670-1751), son of an English immigrant. The home is situated on part of a 450-acre land grant from William Penn and resembles medieval English architectural style. It is furnished authentically and boasts many interesting features, such as leaded casement windows, an indoor bake oven, and a colonial herb garden. The William Brinton 1704 House and Historic Site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968.

Buckingham Friends Meeting House

5684 York Road
(routes 202 and 263)
Lahaska, Pennsylvania
(just south of Peddler's Village)
Phone: 215-794-7299
http://www.buckinghamfriendsmeeting.org/
Buckingham Friends Meeting is a vibrant community of families and individuals, located in the heart of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We invite you to seek the Light of God with us every First Day (Sunday) for Meeting for Worship at 10:30 AM. Worship lasts approximately one hour, and is preceded by singing starting at 10:15. Even Quaker children may find it difficult to sit still for so long, so we offer First Day School after 15 minutes of worship. Worship is followed by fellowship and refreshments, and we often have guest speakers and other enrichment programs. Founded in 1702, Buckingham Friends Meeting has been worshipping in our present building since 1768, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It has served as a model for Friends meetinghouses throughout the region and the United States.

Eastern State Penitentiary

2027 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Phone: 215-236-3300
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm (last entry: 4 pm) Every day, twelve months a year
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Day
Admission:
Adults: $12
Seniors: $10
Students & Kids: $8
Not recommended for children under the age of seven.
www.easternstate.org
Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers.
Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world’s first true “penitentiary,” a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts.
Eastern State Penitentiary broke sharply with the prisons of its day, abandoning corporal punishment and ill treatment. This massive new structure, opened in 1829, became one of the most expensive American buildings of its day and soon the most famous prison in the world. The Penitentiary would not simply punish, but move the criminal toward spiritual reflection and change. The method was a Quaker-inspired system of isolation from other prisoners, with labor. The early system was strict. To prevent distraction, knowledge of the building, and even mild interaction with guards, inmates were hooded whenever they were outside their cells. But the proponents of the system believed strongly that the criminals, exposed, in silence, to thoughts of their behavior and the ugliness of their crimes, would become genuinely penitent. Thus the new word, penitentiary.

Free Quaker Meeting House

corner of 5th and Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA
The building is rarely open for visitors and used mostly for special events. It is, however, a significant landmark in U.S. history.
During the Revolutionary War, most Quakers maintained their pacifist beliefs. Some Quakers disagreed and felt that the cause of freedom was too important. Many of these Quakers were important contributors in the war for independence. They established their own meeting house knowing that by supporting the Revolution they would be expelled from the main community of Quakers.
It was here that these "Free" Quakers or "Fighting" Quakers met for the next 50 years until their numbers dwindled to just two members - Betsy Ross and John Price Wetherill. The meeting house was then closed.
Over the years the building has been used for numerous purposes. Today it serves as the headquarters for Once Upon a Nation. If you find the door ajar as you walk by, ask if you can take a look inside.

Friends Center

1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-241-7000
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm
http://www.friendscentercorp.org/about/history.php
Friends Center’s place in Philadelphia history began in 1856, when the Race Street Meeting House was built jointly by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and what is now known as Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. The still active meetinghouse has continued to serve its congregation and the larger community for over 150 years. Important figures in the life of this building have included prominent women’s right activists Lucretia Mott, Hannah Clothier Hull, and Alice Paul. In 1993 the Race Street Meetinghouse was designated a National Historic Landmark for its role in the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, and the civil rights movements.

Friends Hospital

4641 Roosevelt Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Phone: 215-831-4600
www.friendshospitalonline.org
Friends Hospital, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is recognized as one of the premier mental hospitals in the United States. Founded by Quakers in 1813 as "The Asylum for Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason," and later known as the "Frankford Asylum for the Insane," it was the first private psychiatric hospital in the U.S. Friends Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Friends Hospital is a National Historic Landmark.

Horsham Friends Meeting

500 Easton Road
Horsham, PA 19044
Phone: 215-672-1714
http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Montgomery_County/Horsham_Township/Horsha...
Horsham Friends Meeting is a Quaker meeting house located in Horsham, Pennsylvania, home to Horsham Monthly Meeting. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1991-06-21. In addition to serving as a place of worship, the Quaker School at Horsham is located on the meeting's grounds. A carriage house is located next to the meeting and an attached graveyard is across situated across Easton Road, the street that the Meeting sits on.

Johnson House Historic Site

6306 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Phone: 215-438-1768
Hours:
Thursdays, 10 am – 4 pm
Fridays, 10 am – 4 pm
Saturdays, 1 – 4 pm
Admission:
$8 Adults
$4 Students
$6 Seniors
Teachers with school group FREE
www.johnsonhouse.org
Built in 1768, the Johnson House was one of Germantown’s oldest existing year-round homes, and was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. John Johnson, son of Dutch immigrant Dirk Jansen, built the house as a wedding present for his son John, Jr. and his bride Rachel Livezey. John Johnson, Jr. was a tanner and farmer and operated the tannery business from his home. As Quakers, the Johnsons believed in non-violence. Consequently, while the Battle of Germantown raged outside the front door in October 1777, the family took refuge in the cellar. Their religious beliefs also kept them from defending their property when soldiers entered their home to steal food from their kitchen. Scars from the Battle of Germantown are still visible inside the house.
The Johnson family owned a substantial amount of land in Germantown and was one of the town’s wealthiest families. They were active supporters of the Concord School, Germantown’s first English-speaking school. The school, located across the street from the Johnson House, is still standing and open to the public for tours. John Johnson’s son Samuel was a member of both the first school board and the first town council in Germantown.

Laurel Hill Cemetery

3822 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19132
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday – Sunday, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Closed Major Holidays
Admission: Free
www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org
In late 1835, John Jay Smith, a Quaker and librarian, recorded in his diary: “The City of Philadelphia has been increasing so rapidly of late years that the living population has multiplied beyond the means of accommodation for the dead…on recently visiting Friends grave yard in Cherry Street I found it impossible to designate the resting place of a darling daughter, determined me to endeavor to procure for the citizens a suitable, neat and orderly location for a rural cemetery.”
Smith’s very personal experience ultimately had very public implications, as less than one year later, this grieving father founded Laurel Hill Cemetery with partners Nathan Dunn, Benjamin W. Richards and Frederick Brown. When Smith conceived of Laurel Hill, he envisioned something fundamentally different from the burial places that came before it, and the site has continued to hold an important place of distinction as one of the first cemeteries of its kind. Key concepts to Laurel Hill’s founding were that it had to be situated in a picturesque location well outside the city; that it had no religious affiliation; and that it provided a permanent burial space for the dead in a restful and tranquil setting.

Merion Friends Meeting

615 Montgomery Avenue
Merion Station, PA 19066
(intersection of Montgomery Ave. and Meetinghouse Ln.,
between Narberth and Bala Cynwyd)
Phone: 610-664-4210
The Meeting, as a group of Quakers, began in 1682 upon arrival of the first boatload of the First Company of Welsh families fleeing persecution for their non-conformist worship in Wales. Edward Jones, son-in-law of Dr. Thomas Wynne, Quaker physician and friend of William Penn led them. In 1695 the now thriving community in "Merion," named in honor of their Welsh Merionethshire, built a stone meeting house, later to be enlarged. It stood on a well-used path linking the Welsh farms to Philadelphia. Tradition says William Penn visited and preached here. In the loft above the meeting room, school was held for girls and boys, including Indian children. Merion Friends recently received a great honor when the meetinghouse was declared a National Landmark by the Dept. of Interior in Washington, D.C. Weekly meetings for worship, as well as occasional weddings and burials in the adjacent grounds, continue to the present day.

Newtown Monthly Meeting

219 Court St., PO Box 224
Newtown, Pennsylvania 18940
Phone: 215-968-1655
http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Bucks_County/Newtown_Borough/Newtown_Frie...
Edward Hicks (Hicksite branch of Friends) was a member of the Newtown Monthly Meeting (Monthly Meetings are the local Quaker congregations) and is buried in the graveyard there. His home in Newtown, Pennsylvania, is adjacent to the Meeting's property and is a national historic landmark.

Once Upon a Nation

6th and Race Strees (Locations vary for each attraction) Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 629-4026
Hours: May – October
http://historicphiladelphia.org/index.php
Once Upon A Nation is a unique Philadelphia attraction that truly brings history to life.
Your experience includes Adventure Tours (paid walking tours), evening performances such as the interactive movie-musical “1776,” storytelling by historical heroes, Harmony Lane (Colonial characters and children’s games) and free storytelling benches throughout the historic district.
With such a wide variety of programming, there are many reasons to visit Philadelphia’s most historic square mile. And below are several itineraries that allow every visitor to enjoy Once Upon A Nation to the fullest.
Evening Programs:

  • Independence After Hours
  • Tippler’s Tour
  • 1776: The Movie-Musical (will not be running this year due to construction)
  • An Evening with George Washington or Thomas Jefferson (beginning date TBD; visit Once Upon a Nation for updates)

Tours (begin Memorial Day Weekend):

  • Turmoil and Treason Tour
  • Colonial Kids’ Quest

The Caleb Pusey House and Landingford Plantation

Located at 15 Race Street in the colonial industrial town of Upland, Pennsylvania 19015-1183. Restored and maintained by The Friends of the Caleb Pusey House, Inc.

Built in 1683 and occupied by Quaker businessman and friend of William Penn, Caleb Pusey and his family, this is the only building still standing that can claim documented association with the Proprietor, William Penn, and which he is known to have visited on several occasions. This unique English vernacular house stands beside Race Street, the small road once paralleling the millrace that brought water from Chester Creek to power the mills. "Landingford" was the name Pusey gave to the 100 acre plantation adjoining the mill site deeded to him by Penn which he cultivated to raise food for his large family. Pusey came to Pennsylvania in 1682 to serve Penn and the "Society of Free Traders" as manager and agent for the first official proprietary saw and gristmill to be established by William Penn in his new colony.

The Friends of the Caleb Pusey House, Inc. (FCPH) was organized in 1960 to undertake the restoration of the home and property which by then had deteriorated to a point of eminent collapse. The group secured the support of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in the project and managed to obtain matching funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Today the organization continues to maintain the house, which is authentically furnished with pieces from the late 17th century and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. FCPH also offers frequent programs and activities of historic interest to our local and regional constituency, all of which are open to the public as are our museum and gift shop.

Race Street Meeting House

1515 Cherry Street
Phialdelphia, PA
www.friendscenter.org
The Race Street Friends Meetinghouse is a historic and still active Quaker meetinghouse located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The meetinghouse, at 1515 Cherry Street, served as the site of the Yearly Meeting of the Hicksite sect of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) from 1857 to 1955. Built in 1856 by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, it was at the forefront of women's involvement both in Quaker religion and in American political activism. Many leaders in the Women's Movement were associated with this meetinghouse; these included abolitionist and women's rights activist Lucretia Mott, peace activist Hannah Clothier Hull, and suffrage leader and Equal Rights Amendment author Alice Paul.
The meetinghouse was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993 for its role in the abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, and the civil rights movement.
The Meetinghouse is part of the Friends Center campus, which includes the National Office of the American Friends Service Committee, Friends World Committee for Consultation, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the United Nations Association. It is the site of a copy of Sylvia Shaw Judson's statue of Mary Dyer, the 17th century Quaker martyr.

Betsy Ross House

239 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Location: in the heart of Philadelphia's Most Historic Square Mile, just blocks from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
Phone: 215-686-1252
Hours

  • 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily: April through October
  • closed Mondays: November through March
  • closed Mondays & Tuesdays: January & February

Suggested Admission
Self-Guided Tours

  • Adults $4
  • Children/Students/Seniors/Military $3

Audio Tours

  • Adults $6
  • Children/Students/Seniors/Military $5

www.betsyrosshouse.org
While there is no doubt that the real Betsy Ross was worthy of interest in her own right, it is the legend of Betsy sewing the first stars and stripes that has made her an unforgettable historical figure. She was born into a Quaker family in 1752, and later in life became a member of the Society of Free Quakers.

York Meetinghouse

134 West Philadelphia Street
York, Pennsylvania
http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/York_County/York_City/York_Meetinghouse.html
The York Meetinghouse, originally constructed in 1766, is the oldest religious building in the City of York. The York Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, once one of the largest religious bodies in the city, still holds weekly worship services for its nine members.

Wright’s Ferry Mansion

38 South 2nd Street
Columbia, PA 17512-1402
Phone: 717-684-4325
Hours: Open May through October, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10AM to 3PM.
Admission charged.
http://www.padutchcountry.com/members/Wright_s_Ferry_Mansion.asp
Wright's Ferry Mansion stands as evidence of the strong rooting of the settlement made by a handful of English Quakers coming from Chester and Darby, Pennsylvania, to wild and virtually uninhabited country along the Susquehanna River. Pervaded by English Quaker elegance and simplicity, this house, built in 1738, reflects the sophisticated tastes and panoply of interests of its original owner, Susanna Wright. A dynamic force in establishing colonial self-sufficiency, she encouraged industry, especially the production of silk; imparted her knowledge of law and medicine by providing counseling and medical help; implanted her Quaker beliefs; and stimulated a literary current through her poetry and correspondence. The mansion houses a superlative collection of Philadelphia furniture, English ceramics, needlework, metals and glass, all made prior to 1750.

RHODE ISLAND

Saylesville Friends Meeting House

374 Great Road
Lincoln, Rhode Island 02865
Phone: 401-724-7249
http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/what-to-see/museums/476/saylesville-friends-meeting-house-quaker/
This Meetinghouse, built in 1704 and expanded in 1745, exhibits the plainness and simplicity which 18th-century Quakers mandated in their lives. This meeting was the center of Quaker life in northern Rhode Island for several decades and the home of the Providence Monthly Meeting after 1718. The beauty of this building is not in elaborate details but in how simply it suits its purpose and in the craft and fine workmanship in the handling of materials. A large cemetery, resting place of many of these early Friends, adjoins the meetinghouse. Oldest meeting house in New England in continuous use.. Sunday meetings, 10:30 a.m.

VIRGINIA

Green Springs National Historic Landmark District

US Route 15
Louisa County, Virginia
Location: to reach US 15 from I-95 in Richmond, proceed west on I-64 for approximately 50. Take exit 136 and go north towards Gordonsville.
http://www.nps.gov/grsp/index.htm
Farmers have long been drawn to Virginia’s fertile piedmont. In 1720, a group of Quakers settled in at Green Springs, a lush, 14,000-acre pasture surrounded by wooded hills. Over the next century, more families moved in and began tilling the rich soil, raising children, and erecting homes, barns, and outbuildings along the gently rolling land. More than 250 well-preserved examples of 18th- and 19th-century rural Virginia architecture still dot the farmland on either side of Route 15. The Green Springs National Historic Landmark District was created to protect representative structures, such as the 1888 St. John’s Chapel, a classic example of the Carpenter’s Gothic architectural style.
You’ll find many of the 200-year-old buildings are still in use. Prospect Hill, a plantation home built by the Overton family, now operates as a country inn. Boswell’s Tavern, a popular coach stop, is now a private residence.
All of the land in Green Springs National Historic Landmark District remains privately held, but many of the historic structures can be seen from the road. Start at Bracketts Farm, run by a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving sustainable uses of the land. They can give you information about important sites in the region that are accessible to the public.

South River Meeting House

5810 Fort Avenue
Lynchburg, Virginia 24502
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 2 pm
http://qmpc.org/downloads/South%20River%20Meeting%20House.pdf
INDIVIDUAL / GROUP TOURS: Free tours with costumed, historic site interpreters are available with three days advance notice.
SELF-GUIDED TOURS: A written self-guided tour of the South River Meeting House is available from the Church office of Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily Monday thru Friday except holidays.
To arrange a tour, call the Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church Office (434) 239-2548 between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Monday – Friday except holidays

A Virginia Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Quakers settled in this area. Sarah Clark Lynch in 1754, invited her neighbors to worship in her home. South River Meeting House was organized in 1757. Sarah Lynch gave two acres of land for the Quaker’s first log meeting house. The first meeting house burned in 1768, and a frame building was erected. Within 25 years the increased membership made necessary the building of a larger one. In 1791, John Lynch, Founder of Lynchburg, gave 10 acres of land “for the use ….of the People called Quakers….to hold, use and enjoy…..build and uphold and repair the premises for the purpose of Divine worship, regulation of church discipline. Burying Grounds and Education of the Youth….” Completed in 1798, the stone building remained the site of Quaker worship and activity until the 1840’s.

The Village of Waterford, Virginia

Waterford, Virginia
http://www.waterfordvillage.org/about.htm
A National Historic Landmark, Waterford, Virginia was founded about 1733 by Amos Janney, a Quaker from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Other Quakers followed him there. Mills were built along Catoctin Creek. The village grew until it was the second largest town in Loudoun County (this was before the Civil War). Many buildings still in use in the village were built before 1840.

Woodlawn Quaker Meetinghouse

8890 Woodlawn Road
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlawn_Quaker_Meetinghouse
The meetinghouse and its associated cemetery are significant for their role in the Quaker community in this area of Virginia in the mid to late 19th century. The meetinghouse itself is also significant for its Quaker Plain Style architecture. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009