Quaker Meetinghouse
Why it's listed
Set within the Maple Street Cemetery in Adams, this plain two-story clapboard meeting house was built between 1781 and 1784 by the Quaker families who settled the town, then called East Hoosuc, after 1769. The frame is mostly original oak, while the clapboards have been replaced over time and the slate roof dates from the late 19th or early 20th century. Double front doors allowed men and women to enter separately, and fixed and movable partitions divided the interior so each group could hold its own meetings. Fireplaces on each floor sit on the women's side. The interior has survived with little change after about two centuries. The building is valued as one of the few surviving eighteenth-century Friends meeting houses and as a link to the early history of Adams. The town owns it, and descendants of the Friends gather there each year.
Significance in brief: It is described as one of the few remaining examples of eighteenth-century Friends meeting house architecture. Its interior is virtually unaltered and well preserved. It is also tied to the early settlement of Adams by Quakers from Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 76000236, listed August 17, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Maple Street Cemetery, Adams |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | August 17, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000236 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1781-1784 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Quaker example |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned and cared for by the Town of Adams; used annually as the meeting place of the Adams Society of Friends Descendants. Interior described as essentially untouched; a concrete foundation replaced the stone one in the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.62724, -73.12559 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 76000236.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7268561
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.