Merion Friends Meeting House
Encyclopedia
Merion Friends Meeting House in Merion Station, Pennsylvania
is the second oldest Friends meeting house in the United states and remains the place of worship of the Merion Monthly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers). The meeting was founded by the first known group of Welsh settlers in the Americas (who arrived in 1682). The meeting house itself was constructed a few years later.
(The name "monthly meeting" reflects the self-governing organization of the Society of Friends. Groups of Quakers who meet each month to conduct business and make decisions regarding their own meetings will meet quarterly with members of other nearby meetings, and will meet yearly with all the Friends in their regional "yearly meeting.")
The meeting house was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1999. A preservation campaign is underway to make needed repairs while retaining the original architecture and features.
Merion, Pennsylvania
Merion Station is an unincorporated community in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is contiguous to Philadelphia and is also bordered by Wynnewood, Narberth, and Bala Cynwyd...
is the second oldest Friends meeting house in the United states and remains the place of worship of the Merion Monthly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
(Quakers). The meeting was founded by the first known group of Welsh settlers in the Americas (who arrived in 1682). The meeting house itself was constructed a few years later.
(The name "monthly meeting" reflects the self-governing organization of the Society of Friends. Groups of Quakers who meet each month to conduct business and make decisions regarding their own meetings will meet quarterly with members of other nearby meetings, and will meet yearly with all the Friends in their regional "yearly meeting.")
The meeting house was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1999. A preservation campaign is underway to make needed repairs while retaining the original architecture and features.