(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All
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image. Where a family sat in the meetinghouse was a measure of
the social status of the male head of the household. The town
itself decided upon the rank of each pew and a committee decided
where the people sat. Age was the principal criterion in the
1600s, but wealth, military titles, and holding town office
became key factors in the 18th century. Seating the meetinghouse
became the subject of frequent legislation and social agitation.
This chart reflects the seating of the Meeting House in
Deerfield, Massachusetts, shortly after the American Revolution.
Men and women are no longer segregated and families sit
together. Box pews with doors have replaced the older backless
benches. These little box-like spaces created a more draft-free
and family-centered worship space. Many congregations began
selling or renting pews to parishioners in this period.