Merion Friends
Meetinghouse is a
National Historic
Landmark

and one of the oldest extant examples of early Quaker architecture in the country. The construction of Merion Meetinghouse began as early as 1695 and was completed by 1715. Its T-shaped, almost cruciform plan appears to be unprecedented in meetinghouse design, and reflects the lack of prescribed standards governing the design of meetinghouses erected by the earliest Quaker settlers to Pennsylvania. Merion Meetinghouse is also of interest for its use of the Welsh building traditions as seen in the stone construction, steeply pitched roof with angled (cruck) timbers, remnants of original leaded casement windows, pent eaves, and doorway hoods.

Merion Meetinghouse has been in continuous use for over three hundred years. It is one of the oldest meetinghouses in the nation. Its existence represents the core values upon which our nation built the civil and religious liberties that William Penn first introduced in Pennsylvania.

Merion Meetinghouse is one of only a few meetinghouses to survive from the 17th century. For over 300 years, it has served as the center of religious life for Merion Friends, also known as Quakers. Merion Meetinghouse is virtually unchanged since the last imporvements were made in 1829. Its preservation is an important affirmation of the concept of Brotherly Love.

In 1997, a U.S. Department of the Interior Historic Building Survey (HABS) of the Merion Meetinghouse revealed that the building had some very serious structural conditions that needed to be addressed.

In response to the survey, Merion Meeting raised the necessary funding to hire experts in the field of historic preservation -- John Milner Architects, and Keast and Hood Structural Engineers -- who developed a physical assessment and structural survey of the building. Their findings confirmed the initial HABS assessment and indentified many structural conditions that need to be resolved. The assessment report outlines a list of priorities for the preservation of this National Historic Landmark:

 

Issues that need to be addressed: Structural repairs to timber roof framing Reconstruction of the chimney Floor replacement Electrical service upgrade Fire detection and security systems for life safety and to preserve the building Pointing Termite treatment and repairs of the wainscoting and baseboards

 

Merion Meeting has been awarded $97,000 Keystone grant from Partners for Sacred Spaces and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commision Keystone Grant Program, a $20,000 Pennsylvania DCED, and a $10,000 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Samuel Jeans Trust grant, and a $5,000 gift from Friends Central School. We have developed a capital campaing, have formed a strong committee and we are actively seeking a diverse base of funding sources. Our committe members have taken courses with Partners for Sacred Spaces in fundraising and community partner development. Our fundraising plan has been developed and the structure of our match is as follows: