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MATINECOCK FRIENDS MEETING HISTORY

Bearing witness through centuries of change. 

Since 1725, our historic meeting house has stood as a testament to Quaker resilience on Long Island—a center of Quakerism in New York. For nearly three centuries, Friends have gathered here, through revolution and restoration, holding fast to the belief that there is "that of God in everyone.”

We invite you to explore how our past illuminates our future.

Black and White filtered image of Meeting House

TIMELINE

Rooted in faith, growing in the Light.

Our timeline traces the continuous thread of spiritual seeking connecting the first Quakers on Long Island to our community today.

The Quaker movement emerged during religious turmoil in 17th-century England, and early Friends brought this vision to Long Island decades before William Penn's Pennsylvania colony, making our region one of the birthplaces of American Quakerism.

Since George Fox first visited Long Island in 1672, our meeting has been a living witness to Quaker values through times of profound change. 

1657
The Woodhouse Journey
1661 to 1663
Persecution of John Bowne and the Victory for Liberty of Conscience
1671 to 1700
George Fox Spreads the Message and the Establishment of NY Yearly Meeting
1724 to 1725
Matinecock Friends Meeting House Is Built
1775 to 1798
Standing Against Slavery
1776 to 1826
Peaceful Witnessing Continues: the Charity Society and Lindley Murray’s Educational Legacy
1876 to 1877
150 Years of Faithful Presence and Friends Academy Foundation
1925
200th Anniversary Celebration
1957 to 1968
Quaker Education Efforts Expand With Emphasis on Peace
1975
Alternatives to Violence Project
1985 to 1986
Rising From the Ashes
2025
Celebrating 300 Years of Continuous Worship

A LIVING LEGACY

Three centuries of faithful witnesses of the Light. 

We invite you to join this continuing journey. Colonial Quakers on Long Island forged a spirit of religious tolerance and pioneered equality that significantly influenced our region's history.

Our historic meeting house stands not merely as a monument to the past, but as a living space where the Light continues to gather us into communion with the Divine and with one another.

Kids running in the foreground with parents and grandparents following in background-1