Nomination for Friends Meetinghouse

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NOILON Z 5. PH0006777 HB EZ83740 2n19N4657250 Form 10-300 (Rev.

6-72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ISTATE: Massachusetts COUNTY: NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM Worcester FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY DATE (Type all entries complete applicable sections) JAN 2 4 1974 NAME COMMON: Friends Meetinghouse AND/OR HISTORIC: LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: Quaker Highway (Route 146) CITY OR TOWN: Maa,1 46 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Uxbridge STATE Third CODE COUNTY: Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION 025 Worcester CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS (Check One) District X Building Site Structure Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: - In Process Being Considered Occupied Unoccupied - Preservation work in progresr CODE 027 ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC Yes: Restricted Unrestricted No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial Industrial Educational Military Entertainment X Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific - Transporfation: |L /5 Comments - Other (Specity) A RECÊIVED NOV141975 OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: Quaker Meeting House Association STREET AND NÚMBER: Quaker Highway at Aldrich Street CITY OR TOWN: Uxbridge LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Registry of Deeds STREET AND NUMBER: 2 Main Street CITY OR TOWN: NATIONAL REGISTER 1 STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 STATE CODE Massachusetts Worcester Worcester Massachusetts REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE OF SURVEY: 1967 - Federal X State - County - Local DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: 025 Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: JAN 2 41974 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: ISTATE: Boston Massachusetts CODE 025 STATE COUNTY: ENTRY NUMBER FOR NPS USE ONLY 7.

DESCRIPTION CONDITION Excellent (Check One) Good - Fair - Deteriorated (Check One) X Altered Unaltered DESCRIBE THE PRESENTANDORIGINAL (if known)PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

Ruins [] Moved - Unexposed (Check One) XOriginal Site The Friends' Meetinghouse in Uxbridge is situated on a wooded knoll which overlooks the Quaker Highway (Route 146) and the Meetinghouse burial ground. It was erected between 1770 and 1776 on land purchased from Moses Farnum, an elder and first minister of the Meeting. The structure is rectangular in plan, three bays wide by two bays deep, and two stories high. The wall fabric is brick, laid in common bond. Chimney flues are incorporated into the east and west gable ends of the gently-sloped ridge roof. The two story entrance vestibule was added to an otherwise austere main (south) facade during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. At this time the 1771 entrance, which consisted of a double leaf door, was removed and bricked over. It was replaced by two single doors which flanked the original door frame.

The original interior stair was removed to the vestibule addition, providing access to the second floor gallery. The interior of the Meetinghouse was probably renovated at the time the vestibule was added. A moveable interior partition was inserted, running north- south, which divided the first floor into two unequal spaces. Panels were suspended by a system similar to that which operates sash windows. When in place they created two separate meeting spaces; when raised they did not interfere with the large, single, interior first floor space. A fireplace was added at this time to the east wall, opposite the original fireplace in the west wall, to heat the second space created by the partition. The seating arrangement, dating from the nineteenth century and typical of Quaker meetinghouses of the period, consists of two banks of benches which face each other.

The benches, along with the interior woodwork, are quite simple in design, reflecting the Quaker aversion to ornamental frivolity. The second floor gallery, created to accomodate larger crowds, is closed off from the first floor by trap doors. Its plain unfinished benches and bare brick walls indicate that it was not often used. Two outbuildings, thought to date from the early nineteenth century, have been reconstructed on the property. The first, rebuilt in 1954, is a three bay horse shoeing oxen. These two buildings, as well as the Meetinghouse burial ground across the highway, contribute to the integrity of the setting of the Meetinghouse, which looks much the same today as it must have looked in the eighteenth century. .16 RECÊIVEO NOV 1 # 1973 NATIONAL REGISTER

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian! 15th Century - 16th Century ] 17th Century * 18th Century 19th Century 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Aboriginal Education Prehistoric Engineering Historic Industry Agriculture Invention Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce - Literature Communications - Military Conservation Music 1770-1776 Political X Religion/Phi- losophy Science Sculpture Social/Human- itarian Theater Transportation Urban Planning Other (Specify) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

The Friends' Meetinghouse (1770-1776) in Uxbridge is of architectural and local historical significance. It is of architectural significance as an unusual example of the use of brick as wall fabric in an eighteenth century New England meetinghouse. Because the form of Quaker meetinghouses traditionally bore a greater relation to domestic rather than ecclesiastical architecture, and because several of the houses in Uxbridge at that time - including the Moses Farnum House - were built of brick, one can explain the use of brick in this instance. The Uxbridge Meetinghouse is also a good example of the typology of eighteenth century Quaker meetinghouses in New England.

The interior moveable partition and the installation of two separate entrances to the spaces created by that partition are indicative of the nineteenth century custom of separating the female and male elements of a Meeting at certain times. The austere interior and exterior finishes reflect the striving for simplicity which was a part of Quaker life. The Friends' Meetinghouse is of local significance in the history of the development of the town. The Quaker faith was introduced to Uxbridge by Friends from Smithfield, Rhode Island. As Uxbridge is close to the border, the settlement served as a bridge between the liberal Quakers of one state, and the severe Congregationalism of the other. The woolen mills for which Uxbridge is known were founded by members of the Uxbridge Meeting, and have contributed greatly to the town's economic growth.

The Meetinghouse was restored in 1954 and 1955 to its present state with funds raised from the town and from neighboring Meetings. AL151 <6) (21131 RECEiVED NOV 1 41973 NATIONAL REGISTER 16 10.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Baker, Roy W. Report on the Quaker Meeting House, Uxbridge. Mss Dec. 1954. Quaker Meeting House Association, "Historical Sketch: 1770 Friends Meeting House, " (n.d., n.p.). Sessions, Catherine D., "The Quakers and Their Meeting House", Quaker Meeting House Association, Uxbridge, 1955 (n.p.). Small, G. Arthur, and Violet H., "The 1770 Meeting House", Quaker Meeting House Association, Uxbridge [1967?].

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITJDE COORDINA TES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PHOPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW 42 02' 21" 71 37° 16" NE SE SW " APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIÉS" STATE: CODE COUNTY RECEIVED CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: NOV 1 $ 1973 CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: 11 NATIONAL REGISTER CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: ELITIIT TOL CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME AND TITLE: Laurie R. Hammel for Elizabeth R.

Amadon, State Survey Director ORGANIZATION DATE Massachusetts Historical Commission 8/14/73 STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: (617)-727-8470 STATE Boston, STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION Massachusetts. 02108 NATIONAL REGISTER YERIFICATION CODE 025 As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according, to the c-iteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: National State * Local I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa 1 Register ARWarteuseu Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation arha JOHN F.

DAVOREN, Secretary of the Commonwealth and Chairman, Title Massaehusetts Historieal Commission Date 1/24/14 ATTEST: Date 10/25/73 - PRoPRerx Frends Meetinghaue WORKING NUMBER 11.14.73.3956 TECH REVIEW PHOTOS_3 MAPS SIATE Mass. Worcester 74000395 CONTROL REVIEW 11.14 73 HISTORIAN vould be herqul t au photos ofbther bldap OK Accept 12-27-23 8.5 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER Kticolz iln/74 aseatt mattaph National Register Write-up Federal Register entry 13-74 3-5-24 Send-back Re-submit Entered JAN 2 4 1974 INT: 1538-73 Acroes 146 from meiting houe - to east quaker mutng Hrise FORM 10-301 A (6/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or en close with photograph) AND/OR HISTORIC 1. NAME COMMON Friends Meetinghouse 2.

L.OCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER Quaker Highway at Aldrich Street 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT Roy W. Baker 4. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. COUNTY Worcester L5.L16 RECEIVED NOV 1 # 1973 DATE NATIONAL REGISTE 1955 (?) EMTITO NUMERIC CODE (Assigned by NP JAN 24 TOWN Uxbridge TNEGATIVE FILED AT Friends Meetinghous Friends' burial ground, across the highway and to the east from the Meetinghouse GP ponbromr Ae me PROSTER Soert jasa de 9 last aide yua FORM 10-301 A (6/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or en close with photograph) AND/OR HISTORIC 1. NAME COMMON Friends Meetinghouse 2. L.OCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER Quaker Highway at Aldrich Street 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT DATE Roy W. Baker 4.

IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. South and east elevations NUMERIC CODE (Assigned by JAN 2 COUNTY Worcester TOWN Uxbridge 1955 (?) NEGATIVE FILED AT Friends Meetingh 6 RECÊIVED NOV 1 NATIONA: REGIST PPORFOTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Noth pacade a eeattne quaker mectins Morise FORM 10-301 A (6/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries -attach to or en close with photograph) AND/OR HISTORIC 1. NAME COMMON Friends Meetinghouse 2. LOCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER Quaker Highway at Aldrich Street 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT DATE Roy W. Baker 4. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

North and east elevations NUMERIC CODE (Assigned by NPS) JAN 241 COUNTY Worcester TOWN Uxbridge NEGATIVE FILED AT 1955(?) Friends Meetinghouse 157 6 RECEIVED NOV 1 $/ 1973 NATIONA! REGIST 60 GPO ODAmAM Ar F PROPERTY OF THE NATIOMAL REGISTER Form 10-301 (July 1968) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) AND/OR HISTORIC 1. NAME COMMON Friends Meetinghouse 2. LOCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER COUNTY Worcester Quaker Highway at Aldrich Street 3. MAP REFERENCE SOURCE DATE U. S. G. S. Blackstone, R. I.

REQUIREMENTS: 1953 PROPERTY BOUNDARIES, WHERE REQUIRED, AND NORTH ARROW NUMERIC CODE (Aesigned by NPS) JAN 2 4 1974 TOWN Uxbridge TSCALE 1:24,000 N 15T L6) RECEIVED NOV 1 #/1973 00 NATIONAL REGISTER EI1 IIOITE GPO 932-010 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATEMASSACHUSETTS JAN 2 4 1974 Date Entered Name Frlends lieetinghouse Location Uxbridge Worcester County on: Edvard: Keondy Hon. Hazold D. Denohue Director, North Atlantie Region Also Notified State Historie Preservation Offieer Hon. John F. X. Davoren Sectetary of the Consonwealth Chaizaan, Massachusetts Historical Connission 40 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 PR MMOTT: p1 2/7/74