Many early Muslim communities were comprised of a few individuals and/or families. They met in private homes for prayers, and rented out halls for the Muslim holidays.
1900 – First Documented Communal Muslim Prayers
Muslims of Arab descent in Ross, North Dakota gathered in homes for the first documented communal prayers held by American Muslims.
1915 – Mosque Built in Biddeford, Maine
Albanian Muslims built a mosque in Biddeford, Maine and established an Islamic association. In 1919, they established another mosque in Waterbury, Connecticut. These were among the first Islamic associations in America.
1929 – Mosque Built in Rural North Dakota
The small Ross community built the mosque, but in time it fell into disrepair as some Muslims relocated and others passed away. It was rebuilt in 2005 in memory of one of the town’s few remaining Muslims.
1934 – The Mother Mosque of America
Lebanese Muslims in Cedar Rapids, IA built this mosque in 1934; it is the longest continually standing Muslim house of worship still in use today.
