Darrow School - Shaker Post Yearbook (New Lebanon, NY)

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1936, The Peg Board The Main Dwelling House By NATHAMEL EDWARD GRIFFIN, ,37 Prize Article in Ihr Upper-Middle Group HH MAIN dwelling house of the Church Family of Shakers stands in what was the center of action of the whole Shaker community. By that I mean right next to the Shaker Meeting House, across the road from the old infirmary, near the main office building and the laundry. This building was erected after the old one had burned down in the fire of February 6, 1875. The fire was the work of an incendiary. As the old dwelling house was built of wood, it is easy to see that it was a complete loss. Although the fire was very costly to the Shakers, they managed to start this remarkable building and practically finish it that same year. They had dinner in it on New Year-'s Day, 1876. After the fire the Shaker community at Watervliet, hav- ing heard of the disaster through a newspaper man, sent funds and clothing to aid the Shakers here, as did many other societies. . The division of the building is a matter ofinterest. The brothers had the north end, while the sisters had the south. In the west wing-our present infnrmary-were a work shop, a tailor shop, and a dressmaking shop. Another fact of interest, although it is slightly off the subject, is that the deacons lived on one end of the first floor, while the deaconesses lived on the other. This building has a peculiar construction. It has brick partitions running up to the fourth floor, thereby rendering it more safe from fire. This extraordinary method of building partitions explains why each room between the basement and the fourth Hoor is of exactly the same dimen- sions as those immediately above and below it. The interior finishing, such as wood work, is in a perfect state ofpreservation. All the school did when it took over the building was to take down the stoves, and gas jets, and put in electricity, install showers, put in a new heating plant, and take down some minor partitions. The partitions of any size could hardly be removed, as they are made of brick. Brother ffeorge Wickensham in his room. This Room is now the Office of the Headmaster of the Lebanon School. 29

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T H E P 8 Q EB Lffdm hA 'hs 'h'M5 'M ' W 1 Qigz THE MAIN DWELLING HOUSE 28

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The-MPa-rig Board 1936 Photographed by' Winlhrop Coffin, '36 SHAKER COOLING SYSTEINI This plmlogruph, when in the buxemenl ofthe .Vain Building, shows Ll kind ofbrick poolfed by a spring. This was med by the Shakers as a refrigerator. DINING ROOM OF THE CHURCH FAMILY This is now the dining room of the Lebanon School, though il has, of course, been modernized. 30