The journey of a public school teacher who loves history
A Day at the Watervliet Shaker Community
A 1915 barn. The original having been lost to arson, but rebuilt by the Shaker community. Heirloom turkeys called Narragansett. The breed originated in Massachusetts “Shakers built this structure to accommodate an increasing Shaker population and replace the smaller 1791 Meeting House. The Shakers opened their doors to the World’s People (term used to refer to anyone not a Shaker) to encourage new converts.” They built in benches at one end for visitors. This Meeting House was built in 1848.The 1915 barnThe population of Shakers began to fall after the Civil War. Wisdom’s Valley closed in 1938. The 1848 Meeting House. Sisters entered in one door and Brethren in the other. The Shakers were known as The United Society of Believers in Christ’s. It was founded by Mother Ann Lee in 1774. The other side of this building there are three doors. The center door for the elders. A Shaker loom in the 1848 Meeting House“A Christian sect, the Shakers believed that the Christ Spirit could dwell within anyone who led a pure life through confession of sins, celibacy, pacifism, and the avoidance of worldly influences. The group aimed to establish a ‘beacon on earth’ with a community lifestyle that emphasized racial and sexual equality, honesty, and work as a form of devotion.”According to the site, “the land the Shakers chose was originally known by the local Native American name Niskayuna, a reference to extensive corn fields in the area.” Watervliet was a Dutch name which means Water Flood. The spiritual name of the community, the first Shaker Community, was Wisdom’s ValleyMother Ann Lee Pond. “Ann Lee and her followers slowly transformed the swampy, wooded landscape into fertile farm land.”
Quoted material from the site, walking tour, and literature.
The Museum & Museum Shop are housed in the 1848 Shaker Meeting House, located adjacent to the Albany International Airport off Heritage Lane.
History Made Seamless 
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