Housing more than 28,000 objects, the Shaker Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the premier collection of Shaker artifacts in the world. The Museum's holdings span over 200 years of Shaker history and represent more than a half century of scholarship and collecting.
Our History:
In June of 2001, the Shaker Museum and Library received a $750,000 Save America's Treasures grant to investigate the acquistion of the North Family site in New Lebanon, New York and the feasibility of building a state-of-the-art museum for the SM&L collection.
In August of 2002, the Shaker Museum and Library Board of Directors cast the historic vote to implement the master Plan, developed by architects Cooper, Robertson and Partners, to construct a museum within the shell of the Great Stone Barn at the North Family site. The Great Stone Barn was the largest stone barn in America. Ravaged by a devastating fire some thirty years ago, all that remains of this remarkable structure is the masonry shell. It is our hope that we can reclaim and rehabilitate this national treasure as the new home of the Mount Lebanon Shaker Village . This timely action will accomplish several goals:
The salvation and rehabilitation of the Great Stone Barn and eventually, the other endangered structures.
The long-term preservation of America's most significant collection of Shaker objects, which includes over 15,000 artifacts and 20,000 archival items.
Reunification of these artifacts with their orginal home, 80% of these objects originally came from the Mount Lebanon site.
During this process, the Shaker Museum and Library in Old Chatham, New York remains open to the public with a full schedule of special events, lectures, educational programs and tours slated for the 2005 season.
