Friends Oblong meeting house

(National Register of Historic Places)

• Quakers
  
  • The Quakers were one of the earliest religious groups to settle in the Pawling area
    
  • The Quakers strongly influenced the culture and early development of Pawling
    
  • The Quakers believed in peace, equality, simplicity, and nonviolence
    
  • Many Quaker families settled in the Oblong region of Pawling
    
• The “Oblong” was a long strip of disputed land between New York and Connecticut
  
  • The area became known for Quaker farms and communities
    
  • Quaker settlers helped establish schools, farms, and places of worship throughout the region
    
  • The Quakers often opposed slavery and promoted social reform
    
• The Oblong area became one of the strongest Quaker communities in Dutchess County
  
• Churches
  
  • 1755-The first Baptist Church of Pawling was founded
    
  • Served the religious needs of the settlers in the town
    
• The Quakers created meeting houses instead of traditional churches
  
  • Quaker meetings were held in silence until someone felt moved to speak
    
  • The meeting houses were designed to be simple and plain without decoration
    
  • Quaker communities emphasized education and moral living
    
• During the Revolutionary War the Quakers refused to fight because of their religious beliefs
  
  • Some residents criticized Quakers during the war because they stayed neutral
    
  • 1778-The building was used as a hospital for George Washington’s troops disregarding the neutral religious agreement
    
• The Quaker communities still continued to grow after the Revolutionary War
  
• June, 1828-Quakers divided between Orthodox (conservative) and Hicksite (progressive)
  
  • The split happened because of disagreements about theology and leadership
    
  • The Orthodox Quakers believed in stricter traditional religious teachings
    
  • The Hicksite Quakers supported more liberal and independent religious ideas
    
• Late 1828-Quaker Meeting House became Oblong Meeting House
  
  • Separate meetings were held after the division
    
  • The meeting house became one of the most important Quaker sites in the Harlem Valley
    
  • The building reflected the simple architecture common in Quaker communities
    
  • The meeting house was built using local materials and craftsmanship
    
  • The structure included separate entrances and seating arrangements for men and women
    
  • The meeting house also contained a burial ground nearby
    
  • Many early Quaker settlers and families from Pawling were buried there
    
  • The cemetery remains one of the oldest burial grounds in the area
    
  • The meeting house became an important center for religion and community gatherings
    
  • Travelers and visiting Quakers often stopped at the meeting house while passing through the region
    
  • The Oblong Meeting House became connected to anti-slavery movements during the 1800’s
    
  • Some Quakers in the area participated in abolitionist activities
    
  • The meeting house survived while many other early buildings in Pawling disappeared
    
  • The building later became recognized for its historical importance
    
  • The Oblong Meeting House is one of the oldest surviving religious buildings in Dutchess County
    
• The site is preserved today as a historic landmark and museum
  
• The Oblong Meeting House continues to represent the early Quaker influence on Pawling and the Harlem Valley