Arney's Mount Friends Meetinghouse and Burial Ground, United States historic place
Arney's Mount Friends Meetinghouse is a small stone building erected in 1775 in Springfield Township, New Jersey, built to serve as a gathering place for Quakers. The structure has rough, unpainted ironstone walls with irregularly spaced windows, and the interior features galleries on three sides that could be opened or closed with hand-hewn wooden panels.
The building was constructed in 1775 by Samuel Smith using local stone and was one of the few early stone meetinghouses in the area. After fires around 1800 and 1809, it was carefully restored, and in 1941 the community revived its use.
The name Arney's Mount comes from Arney Lippincott, an early landowner whose family was connected to the place. The Quakers who gathered here valued simplicity and humility, which shows in the plain stone walls and lack of decoration.
The site has no electricity or running water, with a wood stove providing warmth in winter and oil lamps offering light. A brick privy from the 1930s on the grounds serves as the toilet facility without modern conveniences.
A datestone on the wall carries the names 'S. Smith' and 'I. Coate', which was unusual among Quakers who typically avoided displaying pride. This suggests these men felt proud of their craftsmanship and contribution to the building.
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