Friends Meetinghouse and School, Religious meeting house and educational building in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, United States
Friends Meetinghouse and School is a religious gathering place and educational building with red brick walls and brownstone trim displaying Neoclassical and Greek Revival features at Schermerhorn Street and Boerum Place. The site includes an original worship space and an adjacent school building constructed later as enrollment grew.
The meetinghouse was established in 1857 to serve the Hicksite Quaker community in Brooklyn. The school building was added around 1902 to accommodate the growing number of students attending the community's educational programs.
The meeting room inside reflects Quaker beliefs through its spare design, with simple wooden seating and bare walls that encourage silent reflection. This straightforward interior shows how the community valued direct spiritual experience over decoration.
The building is easy to locate from the street since it occupies a corner position and stands apart from nearby structures. Visitors should know that portions of the site function as an active school, so public access times may vary depending on the school schedule.
For many years, men and women sat separately during worship services until the congregation decided in 1873 to allow mixed seating sections. This shift marked an important moment in how the community approached their social practices and beliefs about equality.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
