Friends Meetinghouse, Wilmington

The Friends Meetinghouse in Wilmington stands as one of the oldest and most enduring Quaker landmarks in Delaware, located in the historic Quaker Hill neighborhood. Built between 1815 and 1817, this plain yet dignified brick structure has remained a hub of worship for the Wilmington Monthly Meeting, which today counts around 400 members and is affiliated with the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. It reflects over a century of Quaker presence, beginning with George Fox鈥檚 1672 visit to New Castle and formalized in Wilmington by William and Elizabeth Shipley in 1735.

The current meetinghouse鈥攐pened in 1817 and said to accommodate 700 people鈥攔eplaced earlier structures from 1738 and 1748, reflecting the growth of the local Quaker community. The meeting also fostered educational efforts early on, establishing a school in 1748 that eventually became Wilmington Friends School. Though the school relocated in 1937, its origins on Quaker Hill remain a central part of the meeting鈥檚 legacy.

Adjoining the meetinghouse is a burial ground that holds the graves of several prominent figures, including John Dickinson, famed as the 鈥減enman of the Revolution,鈥� and Thomas Garrett, a leading abolitionist and Quaker who aided Harriet Tubman and helped over 2,700 enslaved individuals escape via the Underground Railroad. Garrett鈥檚 commitment to justice drew some 1,500 mourners to his funeral in 1871, held at the meetinghouse and marked by a eulogy from fellow activist Lucretia Mott.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, the Friends Meetinghouse continues to embody the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, and community while standing as a witness to centuries of social change and spiritual continuity in Wilmington.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Wilmington. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 黑料吃瓜网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Friends Meetinghouse
Sight Location: Wilmington, USA (See walking tours in Wilmington)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Quaker Hill and Downtown Historical Buildings

Walking Tours in Wilmington, Delaware

Create Your Own Walk in Wilmington

Creating your own self-guided walk in Wilmington is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Wilmington Introduction Walking Tour

Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware. It lies at the confluence of the Brandywine and Christina Rivers. Wilmington was originally home to the Lenape people. However, the land was purchased from Chief Mattahorn by the Swedish South Company in 1638. They built Fort Christina at the mouth of what would later be called the Christina River.

The Swedish lost control of the Fort Christina... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles

Quaker Hill and Downtown Historical Buildings

For many visitors to Delaware's Wilmington, the downtown district is the main area of interest.

Indeed, the majority of Wilmington's most distinguished attractions are found here. Steeped in history, this part of the city still carries legacy of its first Swedish settlers much as that of the du Pont family who left a great deal of mark on the town's history. Some of the key local... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles

黑料吃瓜网