By 1672, when George Fox made his first visit to the American colonies, Quakers were already settled in Mamaroneck. In 1716 Mamaroneck Preparative Meeting was established under the care of Flushing Meeting. They built a meeting house in 1739, but moved it in 1768 to Weaver Street in Scarsdale to be nearer to the large Quaker ridge farming community. This became the first building erected in Scarsdale for religious purposes.
At one time about one-third of Scarsdale was a Quaker community. Changing patterns of land use came in the mid-19th century, after the railroad to New York City was built, and gradually most farmers sold their homes, their land, and in 1911, their two meeting houses. Remaining Friends went to Purchase to attend meeting for worship.
In 1942, when wartime gas rationing made travel difficult, Scarsdale Friends met for worship in the home of Charles and Ruth Brinton Perera, and later in the Girl Scout House in the village. In 1944 Scarsdale Preparative Meeting was established, under the care of Purchase Meeting. Two years later it became Scarsdale Monthly Meeting. To house their growing membership a new meeting house was erected in 1949 and twice enlarged, in 1952 and 1962. Presently there are about 100 adult members.
The spiritual life of the Meeting strengthens its members' lives of service. Significant activities stemming from the Friends' peace testimony have included draft counseling, hospitality to "Hiroshima Maidens" whose injuries were being mended in New York hospitals, responsibility for displaced persons from Central Europe and various services for the homeless in Westchester County. Two Scarsdale programs have aided people caught by the law. A bail fund created by the Meeting functioned until the time when the Meeting helped to set lip pre-trial services in the county courts and jails. The Meeting founded and participates in a worship group meeting every Sunday morning in Sing Sing Prison, open to inmates and interested Friends.
The Meeting's space is used for a variety of activities. Congregation M'vakshe Derekh conducts services every Saturday. In addition to its First Day School, the Meeting operates a nursery School serving 18 children three days a week. An Al Anon group and the United Nations Women's Guild meet there regularly.
from DIRECTORY 1993 New York Yearly Meeting by John Brush
