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The Material Culture of Dissent

The long eighteenth century was the period in which Dissenting meeting houses moved out of the backstreets into positions of public prominence. Initially, hard to distinguish from the domestic dwellings that surrounded them, Dissenting meeting houses developed a distinctive style of their own. Often lacking the towers of their Anglican counterparts, they were designed as venues for preaching, rather than elaborate ceremony and ritual, and their internal configuration and decoration reflected these priorities. While drawing inspiration from earlier Puritan and European models, concerns about visibility and status made a significant impact on meeting-house design. As concerns about Dissenters’ social and political positions diminished, structures became more permanent and ornate, while retaining the central emphasis on the pulpit.