History of Haverford Friends Meeting

March 1683 - Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting - "It being proposed at the Meeting that ye frds of Wales beyond Schulkill belonging to this Quarterly Meeting may b allowed to keep a Weekly and Monthly Meeting amongst themselves, the Meeting agrees thereunto."
April 1684 - The first monthly meeting of the Welsh Friends is held at the home of Thomas Duckett. It included weekly meetings at Schulkill (sic), Haverford and Merion.
1683 - Merion Meeting erects a log meetinghouse at its present site on Montgomery Avenue.
~1693 - Radnor Meeting erects its first meeting house at its present site on Conestoga Road and the original Haverford Meeting was erected on Eagle Road, where Old Haverford Meeting worships today.
1827 - Great Schism of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Half of those attending left the Yearly Meeting at Fourth and Arch Street for Fourth and Green Street, then later to Cherry Street (1828) and then Race Street (1857).
9/13/1827 - Most members of Radnor Monthly Meeting (about 450 members before the schism) chose to unite with the Hicksite/Race Street Friends. A much smaller number (about 70) felt loyal to the Orthodox or Arch Street Group, and first gathered by the side of the road by Radnor Meeting.
1827 - Jacob and Jane Maule, who lived near Radnor Meeting, invited the road-side group to meet in their home.
1827 - Samuel and Sarah Garrigues invited the group to meet in a house they provided near the corner of College Avenue and Turnbridge Road in Haverford. The women had their meeting in the kitchen and prepared dinner at the same time.
1834 - After Haverford School (now College) opened in 1833, the house where the Meeting gathered was too small. Samuel and Sarah Garrigues sold 2 acres to the Haverford School Association for $300 on July 26, 1834, which then deeded the property to the Trustees of Radnor Monthly Meeting. The Meeting raised $1000 and the College matched that, allowing construction of the center section of the present Meetinghouse. Students were required to attend meeting on Sundays and Thursdays.

Haverford Meeting House c. 1845

1835 - A footbridge was built across the railroad tracks and Gingko Walk (aka Pig Lane) was deeded to the School. In the mid-1800's, the porch on the west side and privies on each end were added to the Meetinghouse.
1865 - So many original members had died that a committee from Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting visited and recommended the Meeting be laid down. Members were transferred to the Western District Monthly Meeting at 20 South 12th Street, as were the records and cash balance. Members and attenders continued to come to our Meetinghouse to worship.
1881- the porch was added, fireplaces were installed, and the inside partition that had been used to allow a separate area for women to gather for their monthly business meeting was removed.
1885 - Friends School Haverford was established for children of the Meeting and the neighborhood.
1891 - The Meeting petitioned Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for a separate monthly meeting but Western District Meeting rejected the request and promised to make it easier for Haverford members and students to participate at in their meetings.
1892 - Haverford Friends formed the Haverford Meeting Association to have a focal point for various community projects.
1894 - the 14 ft x 48 ft gallery wing (raised tier area) was added to provide space for the enlarged college community. Elders and ministers sat there and the lower benches faced the raised benches. The fireplaces were added.
1903 - a First Day School (Sunday School) wing was added, the old meeting room was renovated, and a second floor was added to the annex.
1904 - Western District Meeting agreed to allow a separate meeting at Haverford. There were 139 members ready to transfer to the new Meeting. The southern dependency was demolished and a bridge" was built to connect the Meeting Room to a the new wing where the Forum Room, Vaux Room, Quiet Room and office are now located. A concrete-floored basement was built beneath the new wing and a large kitchen with a dumbwaiter was installed.

Haverford Meeting c. 1904

1912 - dormers were added to the attic roof to allow the addition of 2 large children's classrooms and a restroom. The American chestnut staircase was added.
1920 - Separate Meetings for Business for men and women were changed to a joint monthly Meeting for Business in Worship.
1955 - The long time schism was healed.

Haverford Meeting c. 1950