Pipe Creek Friends

A Brief History

In the year 1730, Allen Farquhar and his wife Catherine, recent immigrants from the north of Ireland, bought 200 acres where Union Bridge now stands. Their son, William, and his wife, Anne, came by pack-horse and settled here in 1735.

Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting, set off from Fairfax Monthly Meeting in 1772, was composed of Pipe Creek and Bush Creek Preparative Meetings. Worship began at Pipe Creek in 1736, under Fairfax Monthly Meeting. In 1759, Pipe Creek became a Preparative Meeting under Western Quarterly Meeting. Bush Creek Preparative Meeting began in 1764. The Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting alternated between Bush Creek and Pipe Creek. Monocacy meeting members were joined in 1776.

During the Separation of 1828, the meeting affiliated with the Hicksite branch of Friends. It became a united meeting in 1972 and is still active today. Early religious gatherings were held inthe home of the Farquhars. In 1764, a log meetinghouse was built on the north side of Little Pipe Creek. At the time, following the French and Indian War, many travelers (would be settlers) came through the region and this building provided shelter in addition to being a place to worship.

The present brick Meetinghouse was bulit in 1771 on what is now called Quaker Hill Road. The interior was rebuilt after a fire gutted the building sometime in the early 1930's. The lumber used was cut from trees on the property.

Our Meetings

Our Meeting for Worship begins when the Clerk directs us to "Settle". "Be Still and Know that I am God" (psalm 46:10) Together we wait in silent expectation of hearing God's "still, small voice" (I Kings 19:12) within us. The simplicity of our surroundings and the stilling of our minds and our bodies allow us to more intently focus on listening.

As we worship we seek Divine Guidance for our spirit, out lives, the Meeting and the larger Communities around us. We seek continuing revelation. During Meeting some may be Divinely called to rise and share a message from the Spirit. After, we reflect in silence on what was shared. Often we find that what is shared speaks to out hearts.

At the end of Meeting we rise at a signal from the Clerk and gather in the center of the Meetinghouse to hold hands for a moment of shared union.

Our Officers

Co-Clerks: Frank Reitemeyer, Tony Breda
Treasurer: T. R. Wailes
Secretary: Jo Israelson

Committtees

Nominating: Gewn Handler, Becky Powell