Cane Creek Friends Meeting facts for kids

The Cane Creek Friends Meeting, started in 1751, was the very first Quaker community in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. This place was even taken over by British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War.

Quick facts for kids Cane Creek Friends Meeting
Cane Creek Friends Meeting Location in North Carolina Show map of North Carolina Cane Creek Friends Meeting Location in the United States Show map of the United States
35°53′22″N 79°26′44″W / 35.88944°N 79.44556°W / 35.88944; -79.44556
Location	Snow Camp, Alamance County, North Carolina
Country	United States
Denomination	Quaker
History
Status	Meeting for worship Monthly meeting
Founded	1751 (1751)
Dedicated	October 6, 1942
Events	1764, Land donated for second meeting house 1781, Occupation by British troops 1786, Repairs to second meeting house 1879, Fire destroyed third meeting house 1880, Fourth meeting house completed 1942, Fire destroyed fourth meeting house 1984, Fire damaged fifth meeting house
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Years built	1942
Construction cost	$30,000–35,000
Specifications
Materials	Brick

History of the Quakers

Simon Dixon, a Quaker who moved from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, arrived in the Cane Creek area around what is now Snow Camp, North Carolina in the late 1740s. By 1751, about thirty other Quaker families had also moved to Snow Camp.

In 1751, Quaker Ministers Abigail Pike and Rachel Wright traveled to Perquimans County, North Carolina. They wanted to get permission to start a new "Monthly Meeting" in Cane Creek. A Monthly Meeting is a regular gathering where Quakers discuss important community matters and worship together.

Permission was given, and the first Monthly Meeting was held on October 7, 1751. On that day, fifteen founding members received special "certificates" that showed they were part of the community. By the next year, sixty-eight more certificates had been given out.

Quaker Minister Abigail Pike at the Cane Creek Meeting Place, NC in 1751

The Cane Creek Monthly Meeting has had five different buildings over time. Four of these, including the one standing today, are on land that William Marshall and his wife Rebecca Dixon gave in 1764. The Cane Creek Monthly Meeting is often called the "Mother of Meetings" because it helped start many other Quaker meetings in the area.

The Meeting House also ran a school called the Sylvan Grove Academy from 1866 to 1903. The current Sylvan Elementary school in Snow Camp continues this history.

Revolutionary War Events

During the American Revolutionary War, the town of Snow Camp, North Carolina was briefly taken over by General Charles Cornwallis and his British troops. This happened after the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

During this time, Simon Dixon's home and mill were used as Cornwallis's headquarters. The soldiers took livestock from local farmers and even used the Meeting House benches as tables for cutting meat. These events are shown in a historical play called Sword of Peace, performed by the Snow Camp Outdoor Theater.

Important Members

Herman Husband

Herman Husband, a leader during the War of the Regulation, was a member of the Cane Creek Meeting from 1762 to 1764. The War of the Regulation was a rebellion by North Carolina colonists against unfair taxes and corrupt officials before the American Revolution. Herman Husband was later asked to leave the Quaker community because he was unhappy about another member being dismissed.

Thomas Jefferson Hadley

Thomas Jefferson Hadley was a captain during the Revolutionary War. His father, Joshua Hadley, and grandfather, Simon Hadley, were Quakers from Ireland who joined the Cane Creek group when they arrived. Thomas was asked to leave the Quaker community because he fought in the war. Quakers are known for their belief in peace and usually do not participate in wars.