Open
to visitors 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday
to Saturday
Meetings/or Worship, to which visitors are always welcome, are held here
on Sundays at
10:30 a.m.
and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
Visitors are encouraged to visit the Quaker
InformationCenter
at Friends
Center, 1501
Cherry Street; Philadelphia,
PA
19102-1479
(215-241-7024).
Many
other Quaker organizations are located at FriendsCenter.
Early
History
The Religious
Society Of Friends arose in
England
in the middle of the 17th century. Its founder, George Fox, after
experiencing and rejecting the many other faiths then competing for souls,
underwent a mystical opening. His description of it can be expressed in modern
English in these words: "I learned from experience that Christ speaks
directly to our inner selves." Fox soon attracted many followers. They
called themselves Friends of the Light; others ridiculed them as "quakers,"
for when worshipping they often trembled in religious ecstasy. They cheerfully
accepted the name, and now use "Quakers" and "Friends"
interchangeably.Quakers were rebels
against both Church and Crown. They rejected established forms of worship and
treated all people, including royalty, as equals. Thousands suffered
imprisonment, from which they emerged undaunted and without bitterness.
Persecution seemed only to strengthen the movement. By the end of the century
Quakers comprised about ten percent of
England
's population.
William Penn was one
of the few Quakers of wealth and position, with influence at Court. He persuaded
King Charles II to give him
Pennsylvania
, where the rebellious Quakers could migrate and set up their own society,
relieving
England
of a factious minority. Penn made of
Pennsylvania
what he called a Holy Experiment, an experiment in freedom, religious and
civil. Penn's Charter of Privileges (1701) for the people of Pennsylvania was
celebrated fifty years later by the creation of the Liberty Bell, and about
ninety years later by the incorporation of many of its principles into the Bill
of Rights. He opened the colony to all denominations, but in the early years
Quakers were the most numerous and most influential. They were responsible for
many innovations: humane prisons and asylums for the insane, hospitals, schools,
and a commerce based on reasonable, published fixed prices. Friends' schools and
colleges, from kindergarten through graduate school, continue to play a
prominent role in the educational life of the
Delaware
Valley
.
The most widely
influential member of
Arch Street
meeting in the nineteenth century was the outstanding social reformer, Lucretia
Mott. She was a leader in three great social movements: freedom for slaves,
votes for women, and opposition to war. Quakers, as well as many others, brought
the women's suffrage movement to a successful conclusion and continue to work
for all human rights.
Quakers
Today
FROM EARLY FRIENDS'
experience that Christ speaks directly to our inner selves arose Friends' core
belief that divine revelation is as available to us today as it was to early
Christians. That belief in turn shapes our form of worship, which is also
patterned after the practices of early Christians. We gather in silent communal
worship to wait on the spirit of God. Sometimes it moves us to speak. Sometimes
it moves us in other ways.
Quakers are perhaps
best known in the twentieth century for their commitment to service. Each local
Friends meeting finds ways to be involved with the social problems of its
community. There is also a Quaker lobby in
Washington
, and a national organization (the American Friends Service Committee) devoted
to putting Quaker faith into action on national and international problems. In
1946 it joined its British Quaker counterpart as co-recipients of the Nobel
Peace Prize.
Today, Quaker
organizations and individuals are at work throughout the world caring for the
aged, initiating prison and criminal justice reform, serving as a conscience in
Indian affairs, and advocating for peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The
Building and Its Grounds
This property has
been in use by Friends, also called Quakers, since 1693. The land was set aside
by William Penn, the founder of
Pennsylvania
, as a burying ground for members. A hundred years later, a series of yellow
fever epidemics made mass burials necessary. The brick wall dates from that
time, when it protected the graves from "rowdy boys and wandering
cows."
The building was
built over the graves in the early 1800's to house the annual gatherings of
Quakers in the Philadelphia area The impetus came from Quaker women, who lobbied
for a structure that would provide equal meeting space for women's and men's
gatherings for business. The result was two large meeting rooms of identical
size and facilities, forming together the world's largest Quaker meeting house.
In the 1920's men
and women began to conduct business together. Today they gather in the west
room. As it approaches its bicentennial (in 2011), the west room is
substantially unchanged. The east room, formerly the men's meeting room, now
serves multiple purposes. The building functions today as a conference center
for Quakers and other groups. All are welcome to enjoy our exhibits, our videos,
and our history.
rged undaunted and without bitterness.
Persecution seemed only to strengthen the movement. By the end of the century
Quakers comprised about ten percent of