North Sandwich Meeting House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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North Sandwich Meeting House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Quaker-Whiteface and Brown Hill Rds., Sandwich, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1881 |
| Built by | Quinby, William F. |
| Architectural style | Quaker plain style |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001230 |
| Added to NRHP | June 5, 1986 |
The North Sandwich Meeting House is a special old building in Sandwich, New Hampshire. It's a historic Quaker meeting house, which is a place where Quakers, a type of Christian group, gather for worship. Built in 1881, this building is the best-preserved Quaker meeting house from the 1800s in its area. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 because of its historical importance. At that time, it was the only active Quaker meeting house in Carroll County.
Contents
Exploring the North Sandwich Meeting House
The North Sandwich Meeting House is found in a quiet, rural part of northeastern Sandwich. It sits at the corner of Quaker-Whiteface and Brown Hill Roads. This building is made of wood and has one story. It features a simple pointed roof and flat, decorative strips on its corners, called pilastered cornerboards.
Inside the Meeting House
When you step inside, you first enter a small area called a vestibule. From here, you can go into the main hall. There are also stairs that lead up to a balcony. The building has not changed much over the years. Outside, a bulletin board was added, and the front steps and platform, made of granite, seem to be from the 1920s.
Inside, only a few small changes have been made. Two of the long benches, called pews, were taken out. One was removed to make space for an organ. The other was moved to fit a more modern heating system. The main meeting area also had carpet added at some point.
A Look at the Meeting House's History
The Quaker group in Sandwich, known as the Sandwich Society of Friends, started in 1783. In 1802, this group became a "monthly meeting." This meant they had separate meetings for Quakers in southern and northern Sandwich. The first meeting house for the northern group was built on this same spot in 1814.
Changes Over Time
In the mid-1800s, the number of people in both Quaker groups started to get smaller. The southern group eventually stopped meeting in 1884. However, the northern group became active again in 1876. The current building was then built in 1881. It replaced the first meeting house, which was getting old and worn out. Unlike two other Quaker meeting houses in the county, this one has stayed almost exactly the same.
See also
