DELAWARE COUNTY ARCHIVES. 75 



"The first mention of a Friends' Meeting in Providence 

 occurs in the minutes of Chester Quarterly Meeting, Third 

 Month, 1696, when it was agreed to settle a meeting ' at 

 Thomas Minshall's every First and Fourth day.' On Twelfth 

 Month 6th, 1698,9, Friends belonging to Thomas Minshall's 

 meeting proposed to build a meeting house at the burv'ing 

 ground of Thomas Powell, which would have located the 

 building near the Media reservoir, on Providence road, in 

 Upper Providence. The Quarterly Meeting deferred the con- 

 sideration of the matter, but the project doubtless met with 

 some opposition, for it is recorded, ' It being the sense of this 

 meeting that no meeting-house be hereafter built upon any 

 new situation without ye advise & consent of the quarterly 

 meeting.' However, Caleb Pusey, Thomas Worth, John 

 Hood, George Pierce, Nicholas Pyle and Robert Carter were 

 appointed ' to view & consider of the most convenient place 

 where to sett the above proposed meeting-house.' On Third 

 Month I, 1699, the committee stated ' according to the order 

 & request of ye Last quarter!}- meeting, The friends appointed 

 to inspect into & consider of the most convenient place to 

 build the meeting-house, to answer that of Tho : Minshall's, 

 Do make return under their hands that it is their sense that at 

 the farthest end of Thomas Minshall's Land, by y^ high 

 roade side, is the most Convenient place for that service, & 

 accordingly this meeting approves of y^ same.' The land on 

 which this meeting house was built was given for that pur- 

 pose by Thomas Minshall. The first house was a log struct- 

 ure. The building was completed in the Summer of 1700, 

 for on 5th day of Sixth Month (August), in that year, the 

 Quarterly Meeting ' ordered that the next Quarterly Meeting 

 be held at the new meeting-house in Nether Providence.' On 

 Ninth Month 4, 1700, the First day and week da}- meeting 

 was ordered to be removed from Thomas Minshall's to the 

 ' meeting-house,' and on Twelfth Month 12, 1701, the meeting 

 at Randal Vernon's was also ' removed to the new meeting- 

 house. ' " 



