Greenfield Preparative Meeting House
Also known as: Catskill Meeting House
Why it's listed
Set on a mountain slope just off NY 55, west of Grahamsville, this small Quaker meeting house was built in 1838-39 by Leonard Porter. The one-story building measures about thirty-nine by nineteen feet and has vertical plank framing, cedar clapboard siding that replaced the original hemlock, and a standing-seam steel roof. A small privy is attached to the east end. Inside, it is a double-cell plan, with separate rooms for men's and women's worship divided by a wall with hinged screens that could be raised for joint meetings. Plaster walls, wide plank floors, unfinished woodwork and plain built-in and movable benches reflect the Quaker value of simplicity. Two wood stoves share a central chimney, and there are no electric lights. The building is significant as a well-preserved example of Quaker meeting house design and as the oldest and only surviving one of three such buildings in northeast Sullivan County. Members still use it for worship today.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a distinctive, intact example of an early nineteenth-century Quaker meeting house, embodying the Quaker tradition of simplicity, symmetry and fine craftsmanship. It is the oldest of three meeting houses built in northeast Sullivan County and the only survivor. It also reflects the settlement of Quakers from New England and the Hudson Valley in the Catskills.
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 10000956, listed November 29, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 55 at Denman Mt Rd, Grahamsville |
|---|---|
| County | Sullivan County |
| Listed | November 29, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000956 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1838-39 |
| Architect / builder | Leonard Porter, builder |
| Architectural style | no style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for its original religious function; worship is held in one room and the other is used for religious education and fellowship. It has no electricity, central heat or indoor plumbing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.85641, -74.55238 (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 10000956.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5603980
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.