November 2025 Program
A Tour of the Quaker Meeting House
by York Meeting Member Lamar Matthew

he November meeting of the SCPGS was held at the historic York Friends Meeting House, 135 West Philadelphia Street, York, Pennsylvania 17401, located immediately East of the York County History Center.

William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was a member of the Society of Friends, whose members are also known as Quakers.  The York Meeting House is one of the oldest houses of worship in York County.  The eastern section was constructed in 1766 and the western section in 1783.  Our visit to the York Friends Meeting House will be hosted and presented by York Meeting member Lamar Matthew, a native of York, who has served as Clerk of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. The York Monthly Meeting is a part of this larger governing body.  In addition to information about the York Meeting House, the presentation will cover information about the history of the Society of Friends and their worship practices.

Program review by Becky Anstine:
Lamar Matthews, the Clerk of the meeting house, was our speaker who covered a wide range of topics, telling not only the history of the Meeting House and Quakers, but also his own personal experiences of being a Quaker. He spoke from the
comfort of his rocker, while we sat on the original benches and listened intently. Unfortunately, this meeting could not be taped, so this summation cannot begin to do justice to the presentation.

Lamar has been a member of the Religious Society of Friends for forty years.  Growing up, he had mixed feelings about religion and there were arguments within his family over many religious topics. After leaving home, he attended a variety of churches of different religions. When he came to the York Friends Meeting House, he knew he had found his home.

The York Friends Meeting House was built in the 1750s and its location on Philadelphia Street is still the same. In 1785, a new room was added so that the women would have a place to meet, conduct their own business, handle their own money, and address their own concerns. Among those concerns, the women ensured that before couples wed, they were not closely related;  otherwise, they could not marry. Women were recognized as speakers and allowed to speak in the meetings.

An outhouse and horse stable were also on the property. Running water, electricity, and a handicapped accessible fixtures have been added over years. A furnace was added in the 1960s and upgrading the heating and air conditioning are being considered.

The property is surrounded on two sides with a cemetery. There are some tombstones with no dates or names were on them. Quakers believe that you are remembered by your deeds, not the dates of your life. The Meeting kept detailed accounts of burials and marriages, however, original records were lost during two floods which occurred in York in the 1800s. York had several prominent families that were members of the meeting. Among them were the Jessops, who developed the York Imperial Apple; John Elgar who was a ship builder; Phineas Davis, who built the first practical coal-burning locomotive; and the Farquhar family who built agricultural machinery among other things.

Lamar talked about the structure of the Meetings. Yearly meetings were divided into quarters and seven meetings were held at the various Meeting Houses throughout the membership. The meetings could last for up to seven days. Around the 1820s there was a split into two groups – the Hicksite and the Orthodox. Quakers have been known for their plain dressing – but they did not wear black or some shades of blue because they were made by slave labor. Larmar related a story about the wearing and taking off of hats – one man actually nailed his hat to his head –because he refused to remove it.

They believe that they are a part of the world but not apart from the world. There are no written doctrines or dogmas. Songs were generally not sung. When asked which Bible, they used, Lamar responded that they use all Bibles and translations– there is no Quaker Bible.

In the 1920s, the Steam Plant wanted to buy the Meeting House property in order to expand their plant. There was a court case (they felt the House had been abandoned) but according to Meeting Rules – if there is only one person attending the meeting, it is still considered an active meeting and cannot be sold. The Clerk of the Meeting maintained a regular presence by attending meeting for over 14 years. The Steam Plant lost the case and the Meeting House still stands on its original ground.

Quakers are worldwide – there are more Orthodox Quakers in Kenya than anywhere else in the world. They developed many schools just for girls. Historically, Quakers have left their mark on history and in the world. The Constitution of the United States very closely follows William Penn’s Charter for Pennsylvania. Presidents Lincoln, Eisenhower, Hoover, Nixon, and Ford had Quaker ancestors. Betsy Ross and Dolly Madison also had Quaker backgrounds. Quakers have been a vital part of not only York, but of the country and the world.