Marlboro Friends Meetinghouse is located just outside the small town of Sophia, in Randolph County, North Carolina. The Marlboro Friends Meeting we know today has been shaped by a history that spans more than 200 years. From the original log cabin to the present brick meetinghouse, the members have been sustained by their worship of God in a manner befitting that of Friends. Those who first met together to "worship in the manner of Friends" met in homes - thus, the term "Meetinghouse" came to mean the place of worship.




1796 - Marlborough requests to be established, land purchased in 1797.
 
1797. A small log cabin serves as first meetinghouse.
 
1796 - Marlborough requests to be established, land purchased in 1797. A
small log cabin serves as first meetinghouse.
1848 - Second Meetinghouse constructed click here for picture
 
1864 - Sunday School ("First Day School") established
 
1866 - First Marlboro School opened
 
1889 - Third Meetinghouse built click here for picture
 
1949 - Fourth Meetinghouse (remodeled from third) click here for picture
 
1972 - Fifth (current) Meetinghouse built click here for picture
 
1991 - Family Life Center added
 
2005 - Additional building for Sunday school classes added.


In 1997 our year-long celebration of our bicentennial as a Quaker Meeting served to remind us of the rich heritage we enjoy at Marlboro, and helped to reaffirm our direction for the future.
The book "Marlboro Friends - Plain and Simple" is a very special part of our bicentennial celebration. Filled with information from historical documents, photos, Meeting minutes, and memoirs, it is a "must have" for Quakers or anyone interested in the history of the Society of Friends or Randolph County.
Copyright (c)Marlboro Friends Meeting 2005