History of Friends in Hudson
Prior to the arrival of people of European descent, Upper Hudson Valley, including the land upon which the City of Hudson now sits, was inhabited by the Mohicans (or Mahicans).
1630 (approx.): Europeans, first Dutch then British, settle in the area.
1783: A group of Quakers move their whaling businesses from Nantucket, MA to the current location of Hudson, NY. Of note are brothers, Seth and Thomas Jenkins, who purchase land on what was then called Claverack Landing. About 30 additional families follow the brothers.
1784: Hudson Preparative Meeting was established in 1784 as a part of Creek Monthly Meeting. It was initially composed of Hudson and Coeymans Preparative Meetings and the meeting at Klinakill.
1785: Cty of Hudson, NY was chartered. It is the first chartered city in the United States, as it was the first chartered after the Declaration of Independence.
I793: The first Hudson Quaker Meeting is established, set off from Creek Monthly Meeting.
1828: The Hicksite-Orthodox split within New York Yearly Meeting leads to a split within Hudson Monthly Meeting, forming Hudson Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) and Hudson Preparative Meeting (Hicksite).
1832: Hudson Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) finds unity to erect the meetinghouse at 343 Union Street. The total cost for the land and construction is $750.
1867: Hudson Monthly Meeting is reportedly laid down.
1871: Hudson Preparative Meeting is reportedly laid down, although records exist through 1880. Remaining members were attached to Ghent Preparative Meeting.
1951: A group of Quakers began meeting again in southern Columbia County.
1952: Taghkanic-Hudson Monthly Meeting (often referred to as Hudson Friends Meeting or Hudson Monthly Meeting) is established. 343 Union Street, which was being used as a warehouse, becomes a meeting house once again.
For more information, please visit our Resources page.
Hudson Friends Meeting Today
Hudson Friends Meeting is also known as Hudson Monthly Meeting or Taghkanic-Hudson Monthly Meeting. Though we meet each week for worship, we are a “monthly meeting” because we conduct business on a monthly basis during our meeting for worship with concern for business on the second Sunday of each month. The meeting has met continuously at our meeting house on Union Street since 1952. Our meeting house is the simple, one room building located at 343 Union Street between S. 4th Street and City Hall Place, built after the Hicksite-Orthodox split.
We welcome all ages to meetings for worship.
