Herndon Friends Meeting


A Brief History of Herndon Friends Meeting

Several Quakers began meeting in each other's homes in Reston in 1974.  Space was rented in Brown's Chapel in Reston in 1976, and as the Meeting grew, we worshipped in different locations in Reston and Herndon.  We became a Worship Group in 1979, a Preparative Monthly Meeting under the Care of Langley Monthly Meeting in 1981, and a Monthly Meeting of Baltimore Yearly Meeting in 1986.  

The front part of the Meetinghouse building was built in 1926 by the Herndon Fortnightly Club and Library Association.  The rear portion of the building was added in 1953.  In 1972, the Fairfax County Library system took over the operation of the Herndon Fortnightly Library.  When a new library was built in Herndon, the Fortnightly Club put the building up for sale.  Herndon Friends Meeting purchased the building in 1995.  After extensive remodeling, the first Meeting for Worship occurred in April 1996.

The monthly meeting designation refers to a distinguishing part of Quaker practice, the Monthly Meeting for Business.  In a spirit of worship, activities of the committees are reported and we seek new directions.  We make decisions in unity through discernment rather than by voting.