The Shaker Museum and Library, officially known as Shaker Museum , Mount Lebanon, is a museum and research library concerned with the Shakers, a Protestant religious denomination founded in America by

Ann Lee Ann Lee (29 February 1736 – 8 September 1784), commonly known as Mother Ann Lee, was the founding leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, or the Shakers. After nearly two decades of participation in a r ...

and her followers in 1774, and known more formally as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing. The museum and library collections relate to Shaker life and culture and are based in New Lebanon,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Originating in 1950 with the private collections of the museum's founder John S. Williams Sr., the Shaker Museum was accredited in 1972 by the

American Alliance of Museums American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

. In 1986 it was named a "Primary Organization" by the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell (1905–1996 ...

. The museum's administrative offices are located in Old Chatham.Map of Shaker Museum & Library, Old Chatham
, Guided tours, exhibitions, and special events take place at the museum's main location - the North Family historic site at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village. Their Visitor Center & Museum Store is located in the Granary, built in 1838 and located at 202 Shaker Road, New Lebanon, NY 12125. In 2004, the Shaker Museum began expanding to the Mount Lebanon Shaker Village in

New Lebanon, New York New Lebanon is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States, southeast of Albany. In 1910, 1,378 people lived in New Lebanon. The population was 2,305 at the 2010 census. The town of New Lebanon is in the northeastern corner of Columbia ...

, in an area of historic Shaker buildings located at the site of the former North Family of Shakers, north of

Darrow School Darrow School is an independent, co-educational college-preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9-12 and PG. Its New Lebanon campus is a property just to the west of the boundary between New York and Massachusetts in the T ...

. Currently, the Museum operates programs and guided tours of the site during the summer-fall season. The North Family's Great Stone Barn, built in 1859 and listed on the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and traini ...

, is undergoing a large-scale stabilization and restoration through 2014, with Phase 1 being completed in November of that year. In April 2014, the museum expanded its site by acquiring 61 acres of land comprising the historic North Pastures, bringing the total amount of protected land owned by the museum to over 90 acres. The museum exhibits Shaker objects from its collections alongside modern and contemporary artwork, furniture, and photography. Historically, the New Lebanon Shaker Village was the home of

Lucy Wright Lucy Wright (February 5, 1760 – 1821) was the leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, also known as the Shakers, from 1796 until 1821. At that time, a woman's leadership of a religious sect was a radical departu ...

, head of the Shaker ministry 1796-1821, Isaac N. Youngs, who lived there 1807-1865, and

Issachar Bates Issachar Bates (January 29, 1758 – March 17, 1837) was among the most prolific poets and songwriters among the early 19th century Shakers. Several of his songs, poems, and ballads are known outside of the Shaker movement, including "Rights of ...

, a notable Shaker missionary who returned from the West and died in 1837. The North Family was particularly known for its advocacy of equal rights for women, the

peace movement A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals, such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world pea ...

, and

spiritualism Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (when not lowercase) ...

. They hosted a national peace convention in August 1905. In addition, the North Family published a number of works from 1870 into the early twentieth century. Elder Frederick W. Evans and his cohort of editors, poets, and authors were responsible for more than a hundred tracts and broadsides which included not only theology but also topics ranging from pacifism to the benefits of sparrows, land limitation, and vegetarianism. Their more important works included: -- ''The Manifesto'' (1870-1899). Also known as ''The Shaker'' or ''Shaker and Shakeress''. -- ''Mount Lebanon Cedar Boughs: original poems by the North family of Shakers'' (Buffalo: Peter Paul Company, 1895). -- White, Anna and Leila S. Taylor. ''Shakerism: Its Meaning and Message'' (Columbus, Ohio: 1905).

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External links

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TripAdvisor entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaker Museum And Library Museums established in 1972 Museums in Columbia County, New York Shaker communities or museums Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums Religious museums in New York (state) Libraries in New York (state) Decorative arts museums in the United States