Friends are known as one of the historic peace churches and strive to revere all life, seeking "that of God" in everyone. Living our commitment to peace, equality, social justice and simplicity is a constant challenge.

A Brief History

Quakerism was founded in England in the 17th century by George Fox. Early Friends sought direct experience of God, Christ and the Bible rather than relying on the formalism of the established church.

Quakers migrated to the American colonies to escape persecution and to find religious freedom. They settled in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. Many moved westward from New England, some from Nantucket, moving to New Bedford and then to the Central New York region where they settled on prime agricultural land.

The first Quaker meetings for worship in Cayuga County began in 1799 at the home of Benjamin and Mary Howland. By 1882 there were several local branches of the Scipio Meeting (each with a separate meetinghouse), and many members. During the same year the Scipio Meeting suffered from divisions that occurred in all parts of the country At various times there were groups known as orthodox, Guerneyite, Wilburite and Hicksite. Gradually, membership declined and all meetings, except this one, were discontinued.

In 1974, the Poplar Ridge Friends Meeting joined others in the region in sponsoring a meeting at Auburn Prison. This meeting continues to thrive in spite of the transient prison population.

A Beginning Bibliography

"The Faith and Practice of the Quakers", by Rufus Jones
"Faith and Practice of the New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends"
"Friends for 300 Years", by Howard H. Brinton
"The Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman", edited by Phillips P. Moulton

There are a number of pamphlets near the main entrance of the meeting house including:
"Beyond Consensus", by Barry Morley
"A Song of Death, Our Spiritual Birth, A Quaker Way of Dying", by Lucy Screechfield McIver
"Quakerism in the Poplar Ridge Area, A Poplar Ridge History", by George E. Clarkson

also www.quaker.org links to many Quaker resources.

Please feel free to browse our meeting Library.

Associations

Poplar Ridge Monthly Meeting is a part of Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting and New York Yearly Meeting, which is affiliated with both FGC (Friends General Conference) and FUM (Friends United Meeting)