Quaker Meeting House gets Mass. grant
BLACKSTONE — The East Blackstone Quaker Meeting House & Cemetery Association recently embarked on a restoration project to repair the south wall of the post and beam structure located at 197 Elm St. in Blackstone.
Through direct fundraising efforts by its members and the generosity of the community, the Association raised significant funds for preservation of the Meeting House. The Association has announced that this property, which is listed in the State Register of Historic Places, has received a matching grant from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund through the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Secretary of the Commonwealth, William Francis Galvin, chairman.
The matching funds will be directed to structural framing and clapboard repair, window conservation, interior plaster repair, and partial interior and exterior painting. The Association looks forward to the successful preservation of the Meeting House.
Due to the upcoming construction at the Meeting House, the Association will not hold ecumenical services this fall. A taget date for the project completion is sometime in November, so the Association can hold its annual Caroling by Candlelight Program on Friday, Dec. 8.
The Association also sponsored a Dine-Out Fundraiser on Sept. 24, at the Roast House in Blackstone.
Membership in the Association, a non-profit organization, is open to all persons interested in the preservation of the Meeting House and cemetery. Anyone interested in information regarding the Association or the Association's upcoming events may contact Harriet Chase Sharp, via e-mail at info@blackstonequakermeetinghouse.org.