Old Kennett Meeting House

Old Kennett Meeting House was established in 1710 as the local community of Quaker colonists grew.  Initially, a log cabin was quickly put up until the stone and wood materials could be gathered to construct the final building in 1730.  It is arguably the best preserved Colonial era Quaker meeting house. 

The Society of Friends did not believe in permanent headstones for burials at that time, so the earliest burials from 1710 to around 1840 are unmarked. Notable burials include the founders of the predecessor of Longwood gardens, the Hessian mercenary casualties of the Battle of the Brandywine, and some of the slaves freed by U.S. Ganges after the slave trade was outlawed. The graveyard contains many huge old trees that may date from the earliest era, especially tulip poplars, Eastern hemlocks, and red and white oaks.  Two sassafras trees are listed as Pennsylvania champions, as well as an Aesculus flava.  As they plant replacement successor canopy and understory trees, they are enhancing the breadth of their collection of native trees while strengthening climate change resilience and biodiversity.  New accessions are designed to showcase the ornamental values of lesser-known native tree species. The collection of native trees is complemented by a green burial area of native forbs and grasses.