According to the minutes of the Schrewsbury Quaterly Meeting of the 8th Month 29, 1706 "This meeting doth permit that there may be a first day meeting weekly at manasquan for ye present at ye request of some friends that doth live there."

New Light on the Early History of the Manasquan Friends Meeting

Excerpted from Edward J. Raser

No significant settlement occured in the Manasquan area until after 1685, when sale of the Squan lots began. The patentees of these lots mostly lived in the Schrewsbury-Middletown area, and acquired these lots largely for their decendants or for investment. Actual settlement proceeded slowly, so that before 1800 settlers were thinly distributed between Shark River and manasquan River, and westerly to Squancum, on largish farms with no village centers of consequence.....

In August 1773 a Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting committee, appointed to research the origins of its constituent meetings, reported on its findings. The report [hereinafter referred to as the Chronicle of 1773] stated the "About the year 1703 a Meeting settled at Squan [and was] held in private Houses, till about the year 1730 when their Meeting House [was] built...." (M:11). This leaves no doubt that the Manasquan Friends followed the typical path, soon associating themselves with the Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting ( and not obtaining their own meeting house until about 1730. Assertions that they built a meeting house as early as 1693-1706 clearly are incorrect.

The Chronical of 1773 states that the [then] meeting house was built about 1730. When the old meeting house still extant in December 1885 was sold at auction, it was reported in a newspaper article as being "the oldest building now standing in Monmouth County" (N:1) When the new (present-day) meeting house was dedicated seven months later, in July 1886, it was said that this "ancient building [had been] used as a meeting house for more than one hundred and fifty years' (n:6). This would place the old meeting house as built before 1736.

Old Manasquan Meeting

circa 1808

Ground Plot Records: ( transcription of writing contained in the above document)

Joseph Tilton to Monthly Meeting of friends, Conveyed 5 mo.27, 1807 to it.
Beginning on courseof 29 deg. E. deg 1 chain from the N. corner of the meeting house to a white oak tree being the S.E.corner of a lot sold by Joseph Tilton to George Soper.

Benjamin Pearce to Monthly Meeting of Friends, conveyed lot 1st Month 30, 1845 to it. Beginning at the S.E. corner of the meeting house, thence westerly along the house and yard 169 feet. Second; Northerly along the yard 77 feet to a stone in Hullitts line. Third; westerly to Hulittts line 91 feet to a stone. Fourth; Southerly 81 feet to a stone, Fifth; Easterly 194 feeet to a stone on the east side of Highway. Sixth; Northerly 165 feet to the beginning. Supposed to cu in 50/100ths of an acre.

The meeting House was a two story structure, but in the memorable storm of 1808, it was damaged to suchan extent, the committee caused it to be remodeled as in the photograph. the unused timbers were for framing horse sheds still standing.

Dotted line indicate lot conveyed by Nathan Wooley 50/100 of an acre, to it; First; South 79 deg. West 30 deg. Second; 25 chains. Third; North 79 deg. East 30 deg.-2.25 chains. Fourth; North 3 deg, East 30 deg to 2.23 chains

The old meeting house was replaced by the present building in 1884. Soon afterward the old one was disposed of an taken away on account of the risk of fire.

Old Squan Meeting

circa 1808

Meeting House circa 1938 (J. Forman Applegates and 1933 Chevy Coupe on right)