We don’t know what to do with it, but we sure don’t want to see it torn down.”

Town Historian Jim Garman

PORTSMOUTH — Nearly 100 people turned out Saturday, March 7, to see what all the fuss was about the Friends Meeting House, the former Quaker church that was built in 1700, closed in 2017, and is now for sale.

As visitors toured the 10,561-square-foot church building and its 1,541-square-foot parsonage during a two-hour open house the Portsmouth Historical Society coordinated with Kirby Realtors, the overriding consensus was: This place is big, is in decent shape, and has many potential uses.

That’s just what members of the Society wanted to hear, as they are pushing for a way to save the 3.75-acre historic property, the asking price for which is $925,000.

They’re not sure how’d they pay for it, and they’re not even sure what to do with it. Society members, however, felt they needed to push for more public awareness of the property in hopes of preserving it.

“This is one of, if not the most, important pieces of property in Portsmouth,” Society Vice President Craig Clark told visitors who gathered in the worship area at the church, which sits atop Quaker Hill at the corner of Middle Road and Hedly Street.

The church is believed to be the third-oldest Friends meeting house in the country, according to Town Historian Jim Garman, a member of the Society’s board of directors who gave an account of the property’s past and how the Quakers were so significant to Portsmouth’s history. 

“This is a critically important building,” said Mr. Garman. “It’s the oldest public building in town. We really hope we can rally support to save it. We don’t know what to do with it, but we sure don’t want to see it torn down.”

He also spoke about the buildings’ condition. The church building is in good shape, save for some ceiling damage around a chimney in the worship area. The 1891 parsonage, however, “is not in great shape because there was some construction going on when the building as abandoned,” Mr. Garman said. 

The Society of Friends Eastern Region in Canton, Ohio, ordered the congregation shut down in 2017 due to dwindling membership.

Rick Lauder, the former minister who raised his children in the parsonage, pointed out the church building was older than the Declaration of Independence and has outlived the Revolutionary War and all the battles that followed. 

“It’s a symbol of religious freedom … a freedom of choice,” Mr. Lauder said. “It’s part of the fiber of Portsmouth history. Don’t let this go the way that some other properties have gone. Please save this building.”

What to do with it?

Mr. Clark said he didn’t see any other use for the sanctuary other than as a place of worship or for displaying Quaker history. The rest of the building, however, could be used as town welcome center, an exhibit with town history, or space for another nursery school, arts or theater groups, he said. Several nonprofit groups in town are looking for space, so they could work together to become tenants into the building, Mr. Clark said.

Rose Escobar, who represents a collective of local arts and wellness groups, is just one resident who’s interested in the property. “This could be such a beautiful home and space for multiple uses,” she said, adding that “bringing people together” is keeping with the Friends’ mission.

Cindy Killavey of Portsmouth Community Theater also pledged to work with the Society to help save the property, including grant-writing.

After the discussion was over, many visitors who toured the two buildings expressed surprise at the sheer size of the church, in particular its basement. The lower level features a large gathering space with an adjoining kitchen, two modern bathrooms and a long hallway with several smaller rooms. 

Several people said the space would be suitable for a senior center. The Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center on Bristol Ferry Road may be shut down by the state fire marshal’s office within a year due to the lack of sprinklers, and the town is weighing its options going forward.