History

1830s
  • Quakers arrived from Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey.  
  • Jeremiah Parker named their meeting "Richsquare" after his previous meeting in North Carolina.
1832
  • The first log meetinghouse was built and also used as a school. 
  • Caleb Wickersham, Thomas Newby, and other congregation members were active participants in the Underground Railroad.
1841
  • Separate frames were built for both the meetinghouse and the schoolhouse. 
  • These frames were destroyed by fire. 
  • A new school was built and used for worship as well.
1851
  • A meetinghouse frame was built for the second time.
1850s
  • Many of the Friends died during a typhoid epidemic that swept through the neighborhood.  
  • Some of the congregation's families moved to Iowa, Kansas, and further west.
Civil War era
  • The Quaker leaders were opposed to war, but twenty young men from the neighborhood served in the Union. Six were killed; five wounded.
1895
  • A brick meetinghouse was built.
  • This is the same building Richsquare Meetinghouse occupies today.
1898
  • One of the first country women's literary clubs was organized at Richsquare and named "Sesame Circle." After 100 years of meeting, Sesame Circle was laid down. 
  • The congregation sold a piece of their land in order to buy furniture for the meetinghouse.  This furniture included custom-designed pews.
  • These pews still reside in Richsquare Meetinghouse.
1902
  • Richsquare changed from preparative to a full-fledge meeting.
1922  to  1954
  • Mildred White, member of Richsquare, taught in the Friends Schools in Ramallah, Palestine.
1934
  • The Richsquare Centennial was held.  
  • Etta S. White wrote Welcome, and it was recited by Janet Johnson on June 30th of that year.
1956
  • The members built the Fellowship Room as an addition to the main building.
1950s  to  1970s
  • Truman Kenworthy, Murvel Garner, Merton Scott, Larry Page, Clyde Thralls, and others were part-time pastors of Richsquare.  
  • Teachers and Students from Earlham School of Religion, as well as students from Earlham College, came from the 60s through the 80s. 
  • D. Elton Trueblood and Mildred White spoke at Homecoming ceremonies. 
July 15,  1979
  • Lightning hit the steeple of Richsquare, but the building was saved and the damage restored by October of that year.
1980s
  • Mary Elizabeth Long was pastor until 1984 when the last Homecoming was held.  
  • Tom Mullen was the Homecoming speaker. 
May  2000
  • The members of Richsquare approved the laying down of the meeting.
November 19,  2000
  • The closing meeting for worship at Richsquare Meetinghouse was held.
2002
  • Friends of Richsquare, Inc. was established to preserve and maintain this beloved meetinghouse.

Accreditation
  • National Register of Historic Places
  • Indiana Register of Historic Places
  • Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
  • Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures