Western Quarterly Meeting
Quakers believe that out of silence comes a healing, creative energy empowering us to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone.
This collection of stationary depicts 17 meetings' "homes" which still exist in the area of Western Quarterly Meeting of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Nine of these buildings are open for worship each Sunday. The other eight are open from one Sunday in the summer to a full month of Sundays. Kendal meets in its library and Newark meets at Newark Center for Creative Learning and cares for London Britain. There are eleven monthly meetings (meeting weekly for worship and once a month for business and religious concerns) which make up Western Quarterly Meeting which meets once a quarter for mutual affairs, on of the 13 quarters which make up Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Meetings in Delaware, and parts of Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania).
Artists include: Lois Barth, Mary Jo Ciganic, Gene Galantino, Margaret Hocking, Terry Pyle, Thomas B. Taylor, G. Robert Wagner, and Jack W. Wren, Jr.
The note cards are published by and available from Western Quarterly Meeting. Proceeds from the sale of these notecards benefit Kennett Friends Home.
Founded in 1687 and ereted in 1796, Centre Meetinghouse replaced the log structure of 1711. This building is listed on the National Register. (Artist: Thomas B. Taylor)
Built in 1841 of native stone, Colora Friends and other nearby Meetings formed the Primative Yearly Meeting in 1854. It joined Western Quarterly Meeting in 1890. The active meeting closed in 1980, but annual meetings continued to be held. (Artist: Gene Galantino)
Fallowfield was erected in 1801 at Ercildoun, near Coatesville, and replaced a log building. Traditional partitions which separated the men's and women's business meetings were removed in 1912.(Artist: G. Robert Wagner)
Hockessin Meetinghouse was built in three sections: the east in 1838; the west in 1745 and the north later. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. There are two "mounting blocks," one for mounting side-saddle, and one for entering carriages. (Artist: Lois Barth)
Homeville, built in 1838, was a Preparative Meeting until its closing in the early 1900s. Since 1915, the property has been owned and maintainted by the Homeville Cemetery Company. Twice each summer Meetings for Worship are held. (Artist: Jack W. Wren, Jr.)
Built of fieldstone in 1958, Kennett Meetinghouse was preceeded, at a different site, by and 1873 brick building and a whitewashed stone structure of 1814. (Artist: Thomas B. Taylor)
A brick building was erected in 1834 and closed in 1928. It is now cared for and used for special events in the summer by Newark Meeting. (Artist: Jack W. Wren, Jr.)
Built of stone in 1818, London Grove added a large wing in 1968. The original meetinghouse (1724) used stone and logs. The finest and one of the last 'Penn Oaks" stands majestically on the grounds. (Artist: Terry Pyle)
Erected of brick in 1801, Marlborough was a Preparative Meeting under the care of Kennett Monthly Meeting. After it became a Monthly Meeting, restorative work was done. (Artist: Mary Jo Ciganik)
Mill Creek, at first a Preparative Meeting, was built on acreage given to the male members in 1841 and met weekly until 1919. At that time it was laid down but was reopened as a Monthly Meeting in 1954. (Artist: Thomas B. Taylor)
Honoring the Quaker Testimony that God's presence is independent and is found wherever sought, Newark Meeting, founded in 1962, has chosen to live lightly upon the Earth by meeting in rented facilities. These selected quotations present its contribution, meaningfully, to this "meetinghouse" collection of stationery.
New Garden's first meetinghouse was of hewn logs and was built in 1715. The present brick building replaced it in 1743 and further enlagement took place later. Its name comes from the 'home' meeting of the many Scotch Irish settlers. (Artist: Margaret Hocking)
The wooden date marker set in the brick wall (1831) is unique. The meeting was laid down and closed for 40 years but was renovated in the 1970s and is open for worship the Monday evening before Christmas eve. (Artist: Margaret Hocking)
Old Kennett Meetinghouse stands by the entrance to Kendal Retirement Community and was erected in sections in 1718, 1719 and 1731. It, with Birmingham Meetinghouse, served as a hospital during the Battle of Brandywine. In the summer it is open monthly. (Artist: Thomas B. Taylor)
Parkersville was built in 1830 of local fieldstone by member, John Parker. It was open weekly until 1939 but now only holds an annual meeting each summer. (Artist: Mary Jo Ciganik)
Penns Grove, built in 1833 as a Preparative Meeting, became a Monthly Meeting in 1842. Laid down in 1952, it hosts an annual Meeting for Worship each summer. Lucretia Mott attended its opening Meeting for Worship. (Artist: Jack W. Wren, Jr.)
Placed on the site of a simpler 1786 meetinghouse, West Grove was enlarged a century later to be able to hold Quarterly Meeting session. In 2001 it is being enlarged again. Its nearby Friends' school building now houses an active day-care center. (Artist: Jack W. Wren, Jr.)