Massachusetts

Massachusetts Quaker Meetinghouses | Featured Photographer Jean Schnell

A collection of images by featured photographer Jean Schnell celebrating the beauty of Quaker meetinghouses.

By Heather Marcus

Mar 24 2022

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Beacon Hill Friends Meetingroom, Boston, MA. This Meetingroom is located in Beacon Hill Friends House. This house began as two houses: 2 five-story brick family homes designed by Charles Bullfinch in 1805-1806. The 2 houses are now combined into one known as Beacon Hill Friends House. The music room/ballroom on the ground floor has a teak floor and a grand fireplace, made with teak and black marble This room is now the Meetingroom of the Beacon Hill Friends Meeting

Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
Beacon Hill Friends Meetingroom, Boston, MA. This Meetingroom is located in Beacon Hill Friends House. This house began as two houses: 2 five-story brick family homes designed by Charles Bullfinch in 1805-1806. The 2 houses are now combined into one known as Beacon Hill Friends House. The music room/ballroom on the ground floor has a teak floor and a grand fireplace, made with teak and black marble This room is now the Meetingroom of the Beacon Hill Friends Meeting
Beacon Hill Friends House (Boston). This building was originally two five-story brick family homes designed by Charles Bulfinch in 1805–1806.
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell

DESCRIBE YOUR CONNECTION TO NEW ENGLAND.

Each summer when I was very young, my family drove from Philadelphia, where we lived, to the Damariscotta region in Maine. I loved the lake and going to the rocky coast to see the Pemaquid lighthouse and get some fresh lobsters. When I was older, I traveled with my parents to Acadia for summer vacations. I still love to visit there. I moved to Massachusetts when I was a young adult and now consider it my home. My children were raised in Massachusetts, so I now have deep roots with family and friends in the area. Now that I am retired, I like to explore all the hidden — and not so hidden — treasures in New England.

DESCRIBE YOUR EQUIPMENT AND PROCESS.

For photographing the Quaker meetinghouses in Massachusetts, I used a Nikon D7000, D7100, a tripod, and natural light. As I continue with this project in the other New England states, I am using a Nikon D750. It’s fairly simple and straightforward equipment.

I use a meditative approach to the photography. I normally spend a full day in each meetinghouse, meditating before picking up my camera.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Stylistically, I was influenced by two artists. Andrew Wyeth’s interiors and somber color palette helped me to understand that a quiet interior scene is a worthy subject for a photograph. Heather Neill’s “Reclamation” series gave me ideas on how to photograph the windows and window light, and helped me to understand the decisions I had to make about whether the exterior should be part of the interior scene.

Initial inspiration for this Quaker meetinghouse collection came from the desire to try my hand at making a fine-art collection of photographs around a single subject. It was important that I felt an affinity for my subject. Since I am a lifelong Quaker, I’m very familiar with the beauty of the Quaker meetinghouses, so this subject seemed a natural fit. It became a labor of love to show the essence of my Quakerism in photographs.

Photographing 23 Massachusetts Quaker meetinghouses over three years was a bonanza of “photo-learning firsts.” The drive to keep going on such a lengthy project was, and still is, provided by the support of family, friends, mentor Alison Shaw, and my entire mentorship group. They encouraged me and provided insightful feedback as I photographed and edited this collection, “Framing the Light: Quaker Meetinghouses as Space and Spirit.”

To see more of Schnell’s work and learn more about the places she photographed, go to jeanschnell.com.

Massachusetts Quaker Meetinghouses

Mattapoisett Meetinghouse, Mattapoisett, MA. This meetinghouse was built in 1827, and is the third meetinghouse on this site. There is a central belief in Quakerism: Everyone has the Light within and all are equal in the eyes of God. Because of this central belief, Quakers are very inclusive. Today, there is a wide range of beliefs accommodated within the meetings. There is also a range of ethnicity, color, and a wide range of lifestyles. All are welcome.
Mattapoisett Meetinghouse. Built in 1827, this is the third meetinghouse on this site. “There is a central belief in Quakerism: Everyone has the light within and all are equal in the eyes of God,” Schnell says. “Because of this central belief, Quakers are very inclusive. Today there is a wide range of beliefs accommodated within the meetings. All are welcome.”
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
East Sandwich Meetinghouse, East Sandwich, MA. East Sandwich is the oldest continuous Quaker Meeting in America, begun in 1656-57. Quakers migrated to Cape Cod from Boston to escape from the Puritan persecution of Quakers that was taking place in Boston.
East Sandwich Meetinghouse. This is the home of the oldest continuous Quaker meeting in America, begun in 1656–1657. Schnell notes: “Quakers migrated to Cape Cod from Boston to escape Puritan persecution.”
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
New Bedford Meetinghouse, New Bedford, MA. Quakers began meeting in the New Bedford area in the 1690's. The first meetinghouse was built in 1758 and the current meetinghouse in 1821-22. New Bedford Quakers were pre-eminent whalers and businessmen in town, and thus they influenced life in New Bedford. The community became a major stop on the Underground Railroad and because of the Quaker belief in Equality, it became known as a place with equal opportunity hiring for all. That was very unusual for this period.
New Bedford Meetinghouse. Quakers began meeting in the New Bedford area in the 1690s; the first meetinghouse was built in 1758 and the current one in 1821–1822. “New Bedford Quakers were preeminent whalers and businessmen in town,” Schnell says. “The community became a major stop on the Underground Railroad, and because of the Quaker belief in equality, it became known as a place with equal opportunity for all.”
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
Uxbridge Meetinghouse, Uxbridge, MA. In their earliest days, Quakers were a mix of the mystical and evangelical. Waiting in silence, gathered meetings, and belief in the Inner Light are all mystical, seeking experiences. But make no doubt about it, early Quakers were also evangelical and preached with passion so that others could hear their truth. Evangelical fervor brought Quakers to American shores and increased the numbers of Quakers in the colonies dramatically. These well-used Bibles were found in the Uxbridge Quaker Meetinghouse and were quoted frequently.
Uxbridge Meetinghouse. “In their earliest days,” Schnell says, “Quakers were a mix of the mystical and evangelical. Waiting in silence, gathered meetings, and belief in the inner light are all mystical, seeking experiences. Early Quakers were also evangelical and preached with passion so that others could hear their truth.”
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
Apponegansett Meetinghouse, Dartmouth, MA. Apponegansett was the original Meeting in the Dartmouth area, and it became a Mother Meeting, with spin-offs everywhere. There were eventually 6 Quaker Meetings in the general area. At the Meetinghouse opening in 1799, 2000 Quakers were in attendance.
Apponegansett Meetinghouse (Dartmouth). “Apponegansett was the original meeting in the Dartmouth area,” Schnell says, “and it became a ‘mother meeting,’ with spinoffs everywhere. At the meetinghouse opening in 1799, 2,000 Quakers were in attendance.”
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
Pembroke Meetinghouse, Pembroke, MA. The Meetinghouse was built in 1706 and is currently on the Massachusetts Register of Historic Places. It is the oldest Quaker Meetinghouse in Massachusetts and the third oldest in the United States. The South Shore Preparative Meeting holds worship in this beautiful building in July and August.
Pembroke Meetinghouse. Built in 1706 and listed on the Massachusetts Register of Historic Places, this is the oldest Quaker meetinghouse in the state and the third oldest in the U.S.
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
North Dartmouth Meetinghouse, Deerfield, MA.This Meetinghouse was built in 1849 in the North Dartmouth area. In 1996, it was disassembled, moved, and reconstructed on the grounds of Woolman Hill, a Quaker Retreat center. It is in full use today for mid-week worship, retreats, weddings, conferences and all else that Woolman Hill offers.
North Dartmouth Meetinghouse (Deerfield). This meetinghouse was built in 1849 in North Dartmouth, but in 1996 it was moved to Woolman Hill, a Quaker retreat center in Deerfield. It is in full use today for midweek worship, retreats, weddings, and other Woolman Hill events.
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
Allen's Neck Meetinghouse, Dartmouth, MA.The Meetinghouse at Allen's Neck was built in 1758, and rebuilt in 1873 when more room was required. The children's rendition of George Fox ( the founder of Quakerism) and his wife, Margaret Fell, is found in the Allen's Neck Meetingroom. Because of a belief in the Inner Light within, children are considered equal and worthy of respect in all meeting communities. Great care is taken to nurture children's spiritual growth.
Allen’s Neck Meetinghouse (in Dartmouth). Originally built in 1758, the Allen’s Neck Meetinghouse was rebuilt in 1873 when more room was needed. This photo shows children’s drawings of George Fox, founder of Quakerism, and his wife, Margaret. “Children are considered equal and worthy of respect in all meeting communities,” Schnell says. “Great care is taken to nurture children’s spiritual growth.”
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell
Westport Meetinghouse, Westport, MA. This is the second meetinghouse on this site, and was built in 1813. One of the hallmarks of old Quaker Meetinghouses is symmetry. The very early buildings had separate entrances, galleries, and staircases for men and women. In general, early Quaker Meetinghouses were modest and simple. In accordance with the testimony of simplicity, there is no ornamentation of any kind. The benches are usually in an inward facing square or circle that focuses on the people involved. Even though they are simple buildings without ornamentation, they are usually aesthetically pleasing in accord with the desire for harmony within their communities. The simplicity of the buildings allows the worshippers to focus on inward prayer.
Westport Meetinghouse. This is the second meetinghouse on this site, built in 1813. “In general, early Quaker meetinghouses were modest and simple,” Schnell says. “In accordance with the testimony of simplicity, there is no ornamentation of any kind. The benches are usually in an inward-facing square or circle that focuses on the people involved. Even though they are simple buildings without ornamentation, they are usually aesthetically pleasing in accord with the desire for harmony within their communities.”
Photo Credit : Jean Schnell

This post was first published in 2018 and has been updated. 

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Heather Marcus

Heather Marcus is the senior photo editor for Yankee Magazine. She works closely with the art director and a large group of contributing photographers to tell our stories about people and place in a compelling way. Living and growing up in New England, she continues to be inspired by the communities, the landscape, and the wonderful visual opportunities the region affords.

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