East Blackstone Friends Meetinghouse
Also known as: Mendon Lower Meeting; Smithfield Monthly Meeting
Why it's listed
This small Quaker meetinghouse on Elm Street in Blackstone, Massachusetts, was built in 1812 for $525. It is a one-story, three-bay clapboard building with a gable roof, slate roofing, a granite block foundation and an enclosed pedimented entrance porch. Inside, the walls are plain plaster, with wooden pews arranged in rows. A small privy and a burying ground stand on the 1.12-acre lot. The burying ground dates to 1799, when land was conveyed to the Smithfield Monthly Meeting. Local records say Seth Kelly Sr. was the first person buried there. Known as the Mendon Lower Meeting, the congregation grew after the Mendon Meeting closed in 1841. It is the only surviving Quaker meetinghouse in Blackstone and the town's oldest surviving place of worship. It was listed for its association with local religious and social history and for its modest Georgian design, with a period of significance from 1799 to 1945.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving Quaker meetinghouse in Blackstone and the oldest surviving place of worship in the town. It reflects the development of the village of East Blackstone and the religious life of Quakers from Mendon and Blackstone. The nomination also cites its Georgian-style architecture and the burying ground dating from 1799.
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 95001035, listed August 22, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 197 Elm St., Blackstone |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | August 22, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001035 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1799-1945 |
| Architectural style | Colonial: Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Religion, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Meetings were held regularly until the late 1800s and sporadically until the 1960s. The meeting has not been officially laid down but is inactive. Since a 1954 agreement the Blackstone Association has used and maintained the building, and some meetings have recently been held there. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.05263, -71.52249 (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 95001035.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5327878
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.