A Somerset preservation nonprofit has gained fresh momentum after the Swansea Friends Meeting House was named one of the nation’s 11 most endangered historic places. The designation comes as the group prepares major exterior work funded by grants totaling more
On May 20. the Swansea Friends Meeting House landed on a national list that few historic sites want to see—“most endangered historic places.” Just as the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding approaches. the Somerset landmark has been thrust back into the public eye. along with money meant to slow its decline.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Meeting House one of the 11 most endangered historic sites in the United States. The timing is deliberate. The Trust pointed to the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. and the Meeting House—built between 1701 and 1702—has become a test of whether small communities can keep centuries-old history standing.
The Swansea Friends Meeting House is recognized as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in Massachusetts. It also reflects the story of early Quaker settlers in colonial New England, who sought religious freedom and safety.
But the building’s survival hasn’t been steady. After the congregation dwindled to four members in 2008, ownership was transferred to the Town of Somerset. The structure was no longer used regularly. and it closed to the public for more than a decade—conditions that. the National Trust for Historic Preservation said. contributed to deterioration.
In 2018, residents formed Friends of Somerset Historic Preservation (FOSHP), a nonprofit focused on restoring and preserving the property. Since then. FOSHP has sought grants and carried out restoration projects aimed at stabilizing both the exterior and interior of the building. according to FOSHP Chair Richard Peirce.
Peirce and other leaders have linked the effort to more than bricks and beams. In an essay about the site. former FOSHP Chair Mary Ann McDonald wrote that the group is working to preserve “the structure and the history of the people who built it.” She added that those builders were “the founders of Somerset. ” leaving “a past that gives us pride of place. ” and that the preservation work honors the past “for the future.”.
The project also faced delays, as Larsen described in his role as FOSHP Treasurer. Preservation efforts slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic despite earlier support from organizations such as the Hathaway Family Foundation.
That slowdown is what makes the new funding feel like a reset. Last spring, FOSHP received grants from the Taunton River Watershed Alliance and the Massachusetts Historical Commission, giving the nonprofit a path to begin the first phase of exterior restoration work.
The Massachusetts Historical Commission grant totals $80,000 and funded repairs to the building’s windows and doors. Peirce said that phase is expected to be completed by the end of June.
Then came the bigger turn: last week. the organization received its largest grant to date—approximately $184. 300 from the Mass Cultural Council. Peirce said. Larsen said the funding will support the remaining phases of the exterior restoration. including repairs to the facade and foundation. along with site improvements surrounding the building.
The Meeting House’s significance isn’t confined to local worship history. FOSHP leaders say it connects to early abolitionist efforts as well. including figures such as Patience Brayton. a Rhode Island Quaker and outspoken anti-slavery advocate. McDonald wrote that slavery existed in Somerset as early as 1680. but that Brayton believed slavery was “incompatible with the teachings of her faith.” After marrying a Somerset farmer. Brayton freed the enslaved people working on her husband’s property. then embarked on a yearlong journey in 1771 across the American colonies to speak out against slavery.
Peirce said, “The building stands for religious freedom, equality of the sexes, and — very early on — abolition of slavery.”
Once the exterior and interior restoration work is completed. FOSHP hopes to transform the Meeting House into a community cultural center. Larsen said they are planning to form a group to discuss the possibilities of the Meeting House. adding. “We want to make the building a vibrant part of the community once again.”.
Peirce said the restored Meeting House could host community events such as concerts, lectures, and art programming while still honoring the site’s historical significance. Larsen added, “I don’t see the building being open without a nod to the history of the building and the area.”
Now. with the national ranking and recent grants strengthening his confidence. Peirce said he’s looking forward to shifting focus toward the interior. “We’re looking forward to turning our attention to the interior and getting the building open as quickly as possible. ” he said. For a structure that has been closed to the public for more than a decade. that goal carries a particular weight—because the restoration isn’t just about saving a landmark.
It’s about making sure the stories inside it don’t fade along with the deteriorating walls.
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