The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) was founded in 17th century England by George Fox. Early members include Margaret Fell, William Penn and Edward Hicks.

The rich history of Easton Friends Meeting begins in 1774, when Nine Partners Meeting in Dutchess County granted permission for Friends in this area to hold meeting for worship in their homes. Two years later, a log meeting-house was built on the land where our South Meetinghouse now stands.

In 1777, when a party of Burgoyne’s Native American scouts came upon the unarmed Friends in worship, they laid down their weapons to join Friends in the silence. At rise of meeting, Friends shared a meal with their guests and, according to legend, watched them place a white feather over the door as a sign for other traveling bands to leave the Friends in peace.

Easton Meeting was set off as a separate Monthly Meeting in 1778. By 1838, there were enough Friends in North Easton to build the brick North Meetinghouse.

A number of Easton Friends had secret rooms in their houses to hide slaves on the Underground Railroad. The meeting hosted many abolitionist visitors, including Lucretia Mott and Sojourner Truth.