Photo from Our Special Heritage (Erected 1863)
Contributed By: Andrea Long
Jericho Friends Meeting 2003
Contributed By: Donald Peacock
Jericho Friends Meeting
Tucker History Page 149
Jericho was established about 1820. They built a log cabin, with no windows, but merely holes for light with shutters. The seats were poles with legs. The women's side had a big fire- place, but the men's side had a hearth in the middle of the room, with a hole in the roof above to let the heat and smoke out They would use coals from the fir-place, bark, etc., that made but little smoke. Benoni Hill, Henry Hill, Amos Peacock, Abram Peacock, Elijah Cox, and William Cox, with their wives, formed the meeting.
There was no minister for fifteen years. The first preacher was John Jones, about 1835. Other preachers have been resident among them, though not very many.
In 1843, a division took place in the society at Jericho, a large company adhering to the Anti-slavery Friends. A new meeting-house was built near Henry Hill's, and it was occupied, perhaps, for twenty years. The Hills, the Peacocks, and others were prominent in this "Reparation" at Jericho. After the abolition of slavery, the Anti-slavery Friends disbanded, and most went back to the "body." In about 1878, another division occurred at Jericho arising from the fact that the great body of the societies belonging to the Richmond Yearly Meeting (and, perhaps, to others), have decidedly charged their methods of procedure and their modes of worship from those which had been prevalent for many years. Some of the Jericho Friends were unwilling to yield to these changes, and set up a meeting for themselves. The two divisions occupy the same meeting-house, the old society meeting in the forenoon, and the new in the afternoon. The "new", would to outsiders appear to be the "old," but since the Yearly Meeting has also changed, those who persist in the old methods are reckoned to be the "new" society. Both, curiously enough, claim to be in the spirit, and to be using the methods, of the original Quakers. The new methods" certainly differ very greatly from those forty and fifty years ago. How it was at first, we are unable to say. The members of the meeting in harmony with Richmond Yearly Meeting are George Thomas, Frances Frazier, Asenath Thomas, and many others.
The members of the other meeting are William Peacock, Clarkson Peacock, ____ Peacock, Elijah Peacock, William Robinson, ___ Gilbert, with their wives, as also perhaps others.
The Jericho Friends are a steady, God-fearing, kind and generous people, trying to walk in the leadings of the Spirit, and following peace and good-will toward their brethren and their fellow-men; and it would seem, to those who look on a matter of sincere regret that the little group of faithful Christians, small enough even in the whole, could not so far walk in unity as to continue to be one in outward work and modes of worship, even as they doubtless are in substantial love and desire for Christian purity and spiritual advancement.
Our Special Heritage
Sesquicentennial History of Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers) Page 108
Jericho Friends Meeting
Location: 1 mile south and 4 miles east of Winchester, Wayne Twp., Randolph Co., IN. Address RR3, Winchester, IN.
Date Organized as a meeting: Worship services were held as early as 1822.
A preparative meeting was established Aug 30, 1827. As a monthly meeting: November,1946.
Organized by Authority of: White River Meeting.
Origin of Name: Historians disagree whether the meeting was named for the Biblical city or for Jeremiah Cox (Jeri-co), an early settler in the area.
Family names of charter or early members: COX, GRAY, HILL, KEYS, THOMAS, PEACOCK, RHODES, ROBERTS and ROBINSON.
First paid minister: Franklin Chant. Date: 1934.
Present membership 103.
History of physical facilities: A log meetinghouse was constructed in
the early 1820's and served until 1836, when a frame structure was built.
In 1863 the present brick meetinghouse was erected.
The present meetinghouse was remodeled in 1888 and in 1906.
In 1958 a Christian Education Annex was added.
Other information: West of the meetinghouse is the Jericho Friends Cemetery.
The cemetery is still in use.