The Brothers and Sisters of the North Family lived together under one roof where they woke, dined, and retired in unison. Erected in the first half of the 19th century, it served the North Family until the last members left in 1947. The Dwelling…

The Shakers are renowned for the aesthetic simplicity that informed their architecture. The clean lines, fine craftsmanship, and unornamented facades of Shaker buildings speak not only to their visual acuity, but also to the core beliefs of the…

Though the Shakers at Mount Lebanon attempted to separate themselves from the world geographically, socially, and religiously, their celibate lifestyle required them to look to the outside world for new members. As early as 1781, Shaker missionaries…

The Shakers at Mount Lebanon were precursors to the modern-day “farm to table” movement. Many of the community’s thousands of acres were devoted to agricultural production, an investment that allowed them to produce their own food and divest…

The Shakers carried their belief systems with them to their graves, eschewing the burial practices that had gained favor in Victorian America. Ornamental coffins and exclusive cemeteries were readily dismissed in favor of burial grounds that were…

Shaker furniture is renowned for its simple lines, graceful proportions, and refined aesthetic, qualities that were shaped by the belief system of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Shaker furniture forms were derived…

When John Humphrey Noyes and his Oneida Perfectionists removed themselves from the constraints and expectations of mainstream society, they forged many new and unorthodox traditions. However, the Perfectionists were not immune to all aspects of…

The Second Meetinghouse was the religious center of the Shaker community at Mount Lebanon. The largest Shaker meetinghouse in America, the building was erected between 1822 and 1824 to accommodate the rapidly growing community of worshippers and…

With an abrupt shift away from his lucrative stint in the soap business, Elbert Hubbard followed his passion for writing and began a literary career in 1893. After enrolling at Harvard, Hubbard soon realized his disdain for the inaccessibility of…

The importance of play to healthy childhood development is well documented in scientific literature. Children are not simply having fun, but are honing their social and physical skills while gathering and processing information about the world around…