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Shaker Asthma Cure Bottle and Shipping Box with Sample
Package of the Same, Second Family, Mount Lebanon, NY,
ca. 1880s-1890s, Shaker Museum } Mount Lebanon.

several occasions she remarked, “Mr. Williams, you are really going Rendering of new Shaker Museum, designed by Selldorf Architects,
to start a Shaker Museum.” that will break ground in Chatham, NY in August, 2023.
Through Sister Emma Neale, Williams acquired the first objects
for the Museum, ranging from hand tools and pieces of equipment The administrative offices, collection, and research library are
used in a variety of industries, to decorative art pieces such as baskets, located in Old Chatham, NY, where the original museum was founded.
oval boxes, and cupboards. Williams later remarked that without Here, researchers and scholars work are given access to over 56,000
Sister Emma’s “faith and help, the job would have bogged down and Shaker artifacts including tools, furniture, tools, photographs,
perhaps been abandoned.” textiles, and more. With the new building, access to the collection by
Thanks to an endorsement the public will be much improved.
from Eldress Emma B. King, the
search for and gathering of key A Precious Item in the Collection
Shaker objects grew across all of This framed piece of fabric
the Villages. Soon after meeting was given to the Shaker
Williams and Clawson regarding Museum’s founder John S.
the building of the collection, a Williams, Sr., in 1953 by
strong working and personal Sister Marguerite Frost of the
relationship grew between them. Church Family, Canterbury,
In a letter to Williams, Eldress NH. Williams’ son, Warden,
Emma wrote, “… We feel you recalled that his father was at
have been very fair to us in your Canterbury negotiating for
dealings and unlike most muse- the purchase of a number of
um promoters there is a sympa- objects for the Museum. By
thy and interest in what our Ventilator from Mount Lebanon this time some of the Shakers
North Family dwelling house.
organization represents and a Journalist Hepworth Dixon wrote in had become invested in and
desire to be helpful to us, while 1867, “The Shakers, who have no committed to helping him
we contribute to your effort. This doctors among them, and smile at our establish the Museum. At the
naturally calls for our regard and Gentile ailments, take a close and end of the meeting, Sister
respect and a desire to be cooper- scientific care of their ventilation.” Marguerite handed him a
ative with you.” Thanks to this paper bag and told him not to
friendship, the Museum acquired hundreds of interesting and impor- open it until he got in his car.
tant artifacts. “Dad forgot to pick up the
Eldress Emma B. King corresponded regularly with both Williams bag when he left the room and
and Clawson regarding important artifacts and items she felt would the Sisters had to come to his
be well served as a part of the Museum. She would also reach out to Framed Piece of Linen Fabric, Church car and hand him the bag,”
most of the villages inquiring about pieces that were possibly being Family, Canterbury, NH, 1774 – a piece said Warden. When Williams
sold off or disposed of to determine whether or not they would make of fabric from the dress worn by Mother had driven down the road a
a useful addition for the Shaker legacy being gathered. For example, Ann Lee on her voyage from England to bit, he stopped the car and
in a letter dated July 14, 1952, she wrote: “Have you any Shaker America in 1774 opened the bag to discover it
sewing desks at the Museum? If not I think I should reserve one for contained a piece of fabric
you before it is too late. They are in great demand and all we have left from the dress worn by Shaker Founder Mother Ann Lee on her
but two are needed and used by the Sisters here. I do not want to voyage from England to America in 1774. Warden remembered that
sell to any other party what you really need or want for the this moment brought his usually stoic father to tears.
Shaker Foundation. I am museum minded and in due course of time The fabric has been identified as hand woven of hand-spun linen
may find other items which may be helpful to you.” Thanks to her thread, but has not been definitely dated to the period of the Shakers’
networking, the Museum collection continued to expand. ocean voyage. While there is no reason to think the piece is not
legitimate, its authenticity is of little importance. What is important
Continuing to Grow is that the Shakers believed it was real and treated it as if Mother Ann
The Shakers transferred one of the most significant collections of Lee had indeed worn it aboard the ship Mariah sometime between
their archival material to Shaker Museum – the records of the May 10, 1774, when the small group of Shakers left Liverpool, and
Central Ministry, which included diaries, business records, and August 6, 1774, when they disembarked in New York City.
correspondence spanning 150 years.
In 2004, the Museum became the owner and steward of the To learn more about the Shaker Museum, exhibits, activities, and
North Family site at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, consisting of 11 collection, visit shakermuseum.us
shaker buildings on 91 acres.

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