Mary Wells and her husband, Benjamin Wistar Morris were Quakers from Philadelphia who ventured to north-central Pennsylvania, as part of a land company involved in the lumber industry. They founded both the town of Wellsboro and the Wellsboro Monthly Meeting (1805). This fact should not be surprising, as Pennsylvania was a land grant to William Penn. The colony he founded brought over many members of the Religious Society of Friends (the formal name for Quakers). The first house of worship in Wellsboro was the Quaker meetinghouse, a sixteen-foot by twelve-foot building made of hewed logs. It was located across the road from the town green behind where the law offices are now located on the corner of Central ave. and Main st. Soon after the meetinghouse was built, it was used for school and other town functions, being the only building in the village suitable for those purposes. Upon the establishment of the common school system, it served as the district schoolhouse (1813-1816) until the Wellsboro Academy was built. The old Quaker meetinghouse was still standing after 1830 but in such disrepair that it was unusable or torn down by 1838.
Mary Wells was born in Philadelphia, reared in the Quaker faith, and always wore the Quaker "plain dress." Her family was originally from Delaware and some of them accompanied her to Wellsboro but only stayed a few years before returning to Delaware and Philadelphia. Benjamin Wistar Morris, a tall and portly man, was by birth and education a member of the Society of Friends. He always adhered to the customs and dress of Friends, including silent worship and lay preaching when moved by the Divine Spirit. Wellsboro Monthly Meeting was weakened by the death of Mary Wells Morris (1764-1819) and Benjamin Wistar Morris (1762-1825) resulting in declining attendance at Meeting. There were many other Quakers spread out around Tioga County. There was a significant group down the Cowanesque valley including the Quaker schoolhouse by the woolen mills near Academy Corners and the Monthly Meeting in Knoxville (1812-1840)
There were still Quakers in the area after the Monthly Meetings dissolved. Back in this era, the area had many logging camps and most of the new settlers were not of the Quaker faith. Some Quakers met for worship in the homes of various Friends. Also, as was the custom in these rural areas at the time, people of different faiths joined together to have sufficient numbers. In1838, Samuel Morris son of Benjamin Wistar Morris, and 14 other Quakers helped to form the Episcopal Church in Wellsboro. This did not necessarily mean they gave up their faith and traditions. It was said of Mordecai Jackson that she attended the Episcopal Church in Wellsboro but maintained the outward appearance and sentiments of the Quaker tradition her entire life (Wellsboro Agitator 4/20/1880).
The original Friends Meeting was “unprogrammed” and did not have a minister to conduct services. The same is true of the current Meeting. A “Meeting for Worship” (services) involves people gathering at the appointed time for about an hour of silent worship. Each individual sits in silence seeking what is often called “the Light within,” the divine presence that Friends believe is within everyone. Sometimes individuals will be moved to speak out of silence led by the movement of that still small voice within.
The emphasis Friends place on the Light within each person has led them to take aggressive stands on many social issues. It led 18th & 19th century Friends to reject and then oppose slavery. Quakers were prominent in the Underground Railroad that smuggled slaves out of the South and into Canada. It has also resulted in a strong peace testimony, leading Friends to actively oppose war and violence as a way of resolving conflict.
Quaker groups, like Wellsboro Friends, are called “Meetings” rather than Churches and are referred to as “Monthly Meetings.” The name comes from the fact that “Meeting for Business” originally occurred monthly. Decisions at these meetings are made by a form of consensus rather than majority rule. In this way, the concerns of each person are considered and addressed. Those who administer the business of the organization are chosen from within the group. They do not rule Meeting but rather observe, organize and serve Meeting.
The Wellsboro Monthly Meeting is a member of the Upper Susquehanna Quarterly Meeting (USQM), which, as the name implies is a larger inclusive group that meets each quarter. The original Wellsboro Monthly Meeting was laid down (disbanded) but was reinstated on the Fourth Month 22, 1991, as a Monthly Meeting in USQM. In addition to Wellsboro, the Upper Susquehanna Quarter was composed of Monthly Meetings in Elklands, Forty Fort, Huntingdon, Lewisburg, Millville, Pennsdale, State College, Towanda, and a Worship Group in Sterling. At that time there were about 425 members of the Meetings in the Quarter. This number does not include the many people that were active in Meeting but did not become official members. In that era, Wellsboro Meeting also had many children that participated in religious instruction (called First Day School).
These Meetings, having common needs, desires and concerns, work together forming what is known as Yearly Meeting. There is a Quaker Meeting in Elmira, New York and it is part of the New York Yearly Meeting. Wellsboro Monthly Meeting and Upper Susquehanna Quarterly Meeting are part of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, headquartered in Philadelphia, where Mary Wells and Benjamin Wistar Morris originally lived. About 11,700 people belong to the Monthly Meetings that are part of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, which covers Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. Like other denominations, Quakerism has many flavors. For example, there is a Quaker Church in Hughesville, PA that east of Williamsport, close to Pennsdale. They have programmed services with a minister.
Meeting for Worship (services) back in 1991 was held each First Day (sunday) at the Irvin Comstock School of the Seventh Day Adventists on Charlestown Road near Wellsboro. Not having a permanent structure, they moved several times and now meet in a space provided by the Canoe Camp Church of Christ in Mansfield, PA. The location of where we first met is why it is called Wellsboro Monthly Meeting rather than Mansfield Monthly Meeting. Friends have a long-standing tradition of welcoming visitors to their Meetings and we hope to see you there soon.