Friends Meetinghouse Restoration

The 1740 Bordentown Friends Meetinghouse, now at 302 Farnsworth Avenue, is undergoing an extensive restoration and preservation effort that will return it to its historic appearance as shown in an 1890 photo and as reported in the 1937 Historic American Building Survey (HABS).

An evaluation of the existing masonry was completed by Schnabel Conservation in 2012. The building had its 1800’s stucco finish stripped away years ago. This caused damage to the brick and exposed the damaged brick directly to the weather for the next half century. The facade restoration project will save the 1740 Meetinghouse for future generations, by protecting its fragile Northeast facing brick façade from rapid deterioration, and restore it to historically accurate look.

From 2012 to the present Bordentown Historical Society, local donors, 1772 Foundation, and New Jersey Historic Trust have funded and managed work on the oldest building in continuous use in Bordentown City. All work is being performed in accord with priorities and high historic standards of a Restoration Plan prepared by Westfield Architects & Preservation Consultants in 2012.

Dr. Michael Skelly, Sr., Trustee and Restoration Project Coordinator said, “When you stand inside this building you are connected to the spirit of the American Revolution. This building is a direct link to our City’s founders Thomas Farnsworth (a Quaker) who donated the land it sits on, and Joseph Borden (a Baptist) who donated the money for its original construction in 1740. It is the physical proof that our City’s founders wanted freedom of religion in this land.”

This project is made possible by your tax-deductible donations to the Bordentown Historical Society Preservation and Restoration Fund. Most donations are DOUBLED by using them as matching money for outside grants acquired by the Bordentown Historical Society. Recent tax returns for BHS are available free to donors on request.