Beacon Hill Friends House is:
– a cooperative residence for those interested in community living
– a center for public educational programming that supports personal and spiritual deepening
– a public meeting & event space welcoming a wide range of community groups
– a Quaker nonprofit organization, and the longtime home of Beacon Hill Friends Meeting (an independent Quaker congregation)
Beacon Hill Friends House is located on historic Beacon Hill in Boston, Massachusetts, a few blocks from the State House. The building was originally built in 1803. Since being given to Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1957, the building has become a center for the Quaker community and others in the Boston area.
Beacon Hill Friends House fulfills its mission by:
– providing a center where Friends and others can meet, worship, and study
– offering opportunities for the development of personal growth and deepening
– maintaining a diverse residential community guided by Friends’ principles
– providing hospitality to visitors in our B&B style guest rooms
– advancing and fostering the principles of the Religious Society of Friends
21 Residents (of many faith and non-faith traditions) live at the house for up to four years. We create community through house dinners cooked by our kitchen manager, sharing chores and community-building responsibilities, and two house meetings a month. We welcome residency applications from people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, beliefs, sexualities, backgrounds, etc.
“To embody the Quaker principles of faith, simplicity, integrity, community, and social responsibility in order to nurture and call forth the Light in all of us.”
Vacancies occur throughout the year, and we accept applications on a rolling basis.
We have one guest room that is available for short-term (up to 2 week) stays. If you would like to stay in our guest rooms, please call the office or email us. We are also open to visits from people looking to live here. Please contact BHFH staff at st***@**fh.org to arrange your visit.
One person or partnership has ultimate authority.
Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
We have four full-time staff members, including an Executive Director, Associate Director, and Facility Manager, and Program & Outreach Manager.
Some decisions are made by staff, others by a consensus process in house meeting, and others by the board.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Residents to weekly household chores and “dish crews” (setting up and cleaning up dinner).
Rent varies depending on room size, and includes all utilities. All residents also pay full board. We ask for a security deposit equivalent to one month’s rent in a double room.
Common House, Garden(s), Library, Workshop, Large Scale Kitchen, Internet
Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.
Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
kitchens, dining, and social areas.
Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.
Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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