Related Records

1. 2004.170.018 - Sept. 13th 1699. WHS 2004.170.018 The Meeting House at Central Village The Friend's Society at Central Village is the outgrowth of the Quaker migration to Dartmouth begun soon after 1660. In the records of the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting is found under the date 9th month 13th, 1699, the following item:" It is agreed that our fourth day meeting is to kept at Acoakset one day at Stephen Willcocks, next at James Tripps, and so by turn continuing the ensuing winter." This is the first record we have concerning religious services being held in Westport. The two men, at whose home the meetings were held, belonged to families prominently connected with early history of this section. The meetings evidently grew as the population increased as many of the newcomers were Friends from Sandwich, Mass. or Portsmouth, R.I. In consequence of this growth, there was a meeting house planned in 1715. Concerning the building, the record makes the following statement on the 10th month 19th, 1715: "It is agreed that there shall be a meeting house built on the other side of Acoaxet river, 28 foot wide and 34 foot long, and 16 or 17 foot studs," and "the monthly meeting to defray the charge and it is concluded that the house above sd should be finished by the 15th day of the 8th month next." The land, upon which the meeting house was built, was bought from George Cadman and on July 19, 1716 the sum of "Three pound currant money" was paid said George Cadman for "One acre and a half and Sixteen rods situate lying & being within the Township of Dartmouth aforesaid and is the North west corner of that lot whereon his son-in-law William White now liveth and is by measure Sixteen rods in length and sixteen rods in Bredth, Bounded Southward & Eastward by his own land and Northward & Westward by undivided land." At the time the meeting house was planned and the land purchased, there was no road leading to the spot designated as a site for the meeting house, but in 1717 the town of Dartmouth formally laid out a road leading past this place. Soon after agreeing to build the meeting house, a committee was appointed to take a deed" to set Coakset meeting house upon". This committee was composed of Stephen Willcocks, William Wood, Henry Tucker, Thos. Taber Jun., and Joseph Taber. From a record made 11th month 21st, 1716/17, it is learned that the land was not paid for until after the building was completed, as it states." This meeting has concluded to make a subscription to pay 3L due for ye land whereon Coakset meeting house now stands." All the description of this first place of public worship in Westport to be found, is within covers of the old records, but this unfortunately is all too incomplete, and was made in 1782 when the building was to be renovated. This record states: "The committee to consult and consider with the women friends whether there ought not to be an alteration for the better in men's and women's seating themselves in our meeting for worship reported that it was their judgment that an alteration might be made for the better viz all both men and women to set below stairs when there is room and the way to accommodate it is for the men to fill all the seats to the west of the ally from the double door to the north door and the women to take all seats below to the east of the aforesaid ally and when the seats below are not sufficient for the people some men may go above stairs and some women make take seats in the little meeting house below which the whole is for the use of when meetings are held in the great house." The last few lines indicate that the structure was composed of a main building and an ell. This ell is again referred to in the records ten years later when a committee was appointed to "inspect into the circumstances of the winter meeting house at Acoaxet and see what repairing is necessary." This ell was used as the winter meeting, as the report of the committee just mentioned will show, which states, "those friends that were appointed to provide material for shingling the little part of the old meeting house reported that they have provided materials for the same ad seen the work accomplished and their bill of costs is four pounds and five pence." The Friends Meeting at Acoaxet belonged to the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting until March 1766. A committee was then chosen to set off boundaries of the new meeting and the record gives the boundaries of the new meeting and the record gives the boundaries of the new meeting as follows: "Beginning at the south easternmost corner of the Benjamin Wing Homestead Farm, from thence to Coaxet River as the line of the said Benjamin land goes. Thence southerly by said river to the sea. Again from said corner first mentioned thence northerly in the line between said village until comes to the Country road, thence on a straight line to the nearest part of the westernmost branch of the Noquochoke River thence by said branch of said river till it comes to Freetown line." The old meeting house all ready described stood until 1813, when the record dated 2nd month, 18th day states: " The committee to view and examine the old meeting house in order to ascertain whether it may be best to repair it or build a new one report in favor of building a new house to take down the high part of the house and let the low part stand to hold meetings in while the new house is in building - the new house to be forty five feet by thirty feet with gallerys with slides for the accommodation of the men's and women's meeting to be held separate much in the form meeting houses are generally built with a porch fourteen feet by ten - the Committee find that a new house of the above description can be got built for twelve hundred Dollars with working in what stuff that may be suitable for it out of that part taking down." The following month, so the record states, a building committee composed by Paul Cuffe, Ebenezer Baker, Prince Wing, Abner Potter, Joseph Tripp, George Brightman and Samuel Newitt(?) were chosen. In March 1814 the building was completed at the total cost of $1198, two dollars less, than the amount estimated. This building when complete was typical of the meeting houses of a century ago. Its walls were devoid of paint or ornamentation, its benches were cushionless, and its floors were sanded. It was heated by fireplaces and divided by a sliding partition. This building, which is the present meeting house, was greatly modernized in 1872, when the galleries, sliding partition, and fireplaces were removed. The interior was then painted and carpets, cushions, and stoves were used in refurnishing the meeting house

   Central Village Friend's Meeting House Quakers

   Record Type: Archive

   
2. 2005.075.040A - Newspaper article about the 1932 marriage of Dorothy Melvina Wood, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robert Wood, Central Village to William James Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, South Westport.

   Friend's Meeting House Grange (Central Village)

   Record Type: Archive

   
3. 2008.008.002 - Friends Church with Capt. Paul Cuffe's grave/monument in foreground.

   Friend's Meeting House

   Record Type: Photo