325-year-old meeting house in Massachusetts appears on "Most Endangered Historic Places" list
The list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" for 2026 includes a centuries-old landmark in Massachusetts.
The Swansea Friends Meeting House, which is located in Somerset, is said to be the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in the state. It was built in 1701.
"Its simple structure is rooted in the Quaker belief of 'Inner Light' and emphasizes the human right to spiritual equality and dignity," the National Trust for Historic Preservation said in a statement.
A Quaker female minister, Patrice Brayton, is credited with leading the town to become one of the first in Massachusetts to abolish slavery.
The building was turned over to the town of Somerset in 2008. The Friends of Somerset Historic Preservation replaced the roof and reconstructed part of the meeting house in 2017, but the trust says that today "the building is vacant, unused, and requires investment to once again serve public uses."
The trust is giving the meeting house $25,000 to go toward the more than $1 million that is needed for a full restoration.
In 2024, Minuteman National Park and Walden Pond in Concord made the list because advocates feared they could be harmed by the expansion of Hanscom Field Airport. The Boston Harbor Islands were on it in 2021, with the trust citing threats from climate change.
Other historic places making this year's list include an Alabama hotel frequented by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Stonewall National Monument in New York and the President's House Site in Philadelphia.
