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photo circa 1892; note on the little girl in the doorway

There are many varied accounts of the beginnings of Manasquan Meeting. Links to some of these accounts are included among the following pictures and documents. Manasquan Meeting was iniatially afflilliated with Philidelphia Yearly Meeting. In July 1685 Quakers from the Navasink and Middletown areas purchased land from the Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Region of New Jersey. The Quakers who held the "Squan Patents" essentially founded the community of Manasquan and organized its preparatory meeting. The first meetinhouse was built sometime between 1693 and 1701. The present Meetinghouse is the last of three constructed on this site. In August of 1808 a storm damaged the first meetinghouse and in 1812 a remodeled second bulding was completed. This second building was relatively small as pictured above. The current meetinghouse begun its existance in 1884 because the above building was severely damages by a storm.

Cronology of Historical Deeds for the Manasquan Meeting Site

Old Manasquan Meeting

Ground Plot Records: ( transcription of writing below the above photograph)

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.

List of persons buried in Friends Burying Ground 1822 - 1911
List of persons Buried in the Friends Burying Ground 1766 - 1970
Earliest mentions of Manasquan collected by D. Freiday
Historical Sketches of Manasquan by T. Chalkley Matlack 1938
Anonymous Historical Sketch
Compilation of Manasquan History by P. Guthorn
Genealogical History of Marriages at Manasquan
Discription and History from Joan Lane's Archive
300th Anniversary Composition by P. Burke
Phoebe Doolittle Curtis Remembered
National Register of Historical Places

Old Squan Meeting

From the Red Bank Register Newspaper- Nov. 17, 1886
courtesy of Randall Gabrielan, Monmouth County Historian

Meeting House circa 1899

Meeting House circa 1915

photo R. Heller circa 1919

photo: Forman Applegate and Ford circa 1937

Clara Benson-1941

Quaker Youth circa 1943

Horse Shed circa 1950

Meeting Entrance circa 1961