Celo Friends Meeting is located within the Celo Community, a land trust in rural Western North Carolina that operates by consensus. The community was founded in 1937 by Arthur Ernest Morgan, and currently includes about 40 families on 1200 acres. Friends and Attenders of the Meeting come both from within the community and the wider region.

Interview with Joyce Johnson

Follow this link to Jeff Goodman’s Celo History Project interview with Joyce.

History of Celo Friends Meeting

1937	Celo Community founded by Arthur Morgan, Clarence Pickett and William Regnery. 1200 acres purchased.
1946	Mary K. Andrews and Louise Toness started a Friends Meeting Worship Group.
1946-1947	Conscientious Objectors recruited by Arthur Morgan to move to Celo Community.
1948	Group met in Arle and Tillie Brooks’ chapel in the summer and Mary Kay Andrews’ living room in the winter.
1949	Worship group became an official monthly meeting. Racial integration of Camp Celo
1951	Bob and Dot Barrus moved to Celo. Chestnut benches were built by Wendal Hinkey.
1949-1954	Camp Celo started by Moodys in 1949, Barruses joined in 1951, Elizabeth Morgan in 1954.
1953	A core group met weekly with intent of developing a closer spiritual community including a school.
1954	Two families of this group moved to Macedonia Community in Georgia. One went to Bruderhof Community in New York. Three other families left at the same time.Meeting to discuss future of CFM.
1952- 1956	Singing at the beginning of Meeting was slowly started until it evolved to first 15 minutes and song books were purchased.
1957	Lawsuit in Yancey County to integrate schools (Celo Community members involved in lawsuit)
1961	Margit Hirschenhauser arrived in May 1961 from the Bruderhof and moved into the cabin near the goat barn.
1962	Arthur Morgan School integrated.
1955-1967	Erling Toness built a goat barn next to their small cabin with wood salvaged from Harvard Elementary School. When they left, Celo Friends met in the barn in the summer and Celo Health Center in the winter.
1967	It was decided to take a holding for CFM and winterize the goat barn. Howard Marshall contributed the money and did most of the remodeling. The windows had been given to the Barruses by a Camp Celo parent. The fireplace was built by Gene Harrison.
1967-1984	Margit Hirschenhauser was the meeting’s the caretaker. Small room added to caretaker house for First Day School.
1980’s	First Day School building was built in the early 80’s..
1993	Meetings were begun to discuss building a new Meeting House and caretaker house.
1996	New Margithaus was built that includes a caretaker apartment and meeting room.
1999	50th Anniversary of Celo Friends Meeting . Fund raising campaign started for new Meeting House.
2003-2008	New Meeting House was built by members. First Meeting for Worship June 8, 2008. Fireplace built by Tom Trout. Post and beam framing by Jon Pertee.
2008	Dedication of new Meeting House, October 12, 2008.

Timeline

1940: The original house (which had no bathroom) was built in the 1940s by Erling and
Louise Toness. Erling also built the goat barn which eventually became the Meeting House.
1951: The house was remodeled by CCI and a bathroom and septic system installed. The
Toness family moved to another house in Celo.
1950s: Temporary residents occupied the original house.
1961: Margit Hirschenhauser moved from the Bruderhof Community and rented a house
from Celo Community.
1967: Celo Friends Meeting purchased a holding from CCI that included the goat barn and
Margit’s house. The house was remodeled by CFM, a bedroom was added and the goat
barn winterized for a Meetinghouse.
1967 to 1984: Margit became caretaker of CFM for 17 years.
1984 to 1999: 13 different caretakers occupied the house, with terms ranging from a few
months to three years.
1996: A new Margithaus was built that included a caretaker apartment, meeting room and
shared kitchen.
1999 to present: Rachel Weir became the caretaker and continues to tend the property today.