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

Page 36 text:

The Peg Board 1936 better educational advantages were provided? Some of the brethren were made responsible for the instruction of the boys, and some of the sisters for teaching the girls? The schools thus taught were opened and closed as circumstances demanded. Sometimes they were in session only for a few weeks. They taught the usual subjects such as reading, writing and arithmetic. In 1808 better privileges were secured for the pupils, and the teachers began to pay more attention to the correct use of language. The sessions also became more regular, and a night school open to any of the brethren and sisters who cared to attend, was established. In 1817 a public school was opened for the benefit of all the children in the community. It operated under the Lancastrian System. Its teacher was a member of the Church Family and it was directed by that same family. A two-session scheme was instituted, one being held in the summer for the girls, and the other in the winter for the boys.4 Instruction was provided in reading, spelling, writing, geography, arithmetic, grammar and other miscellaneous subjects. This school moved along prosperously for some eighteen years until, in 1835, it was decided to establish other district schools that the burden of teaching might be lessened? In 1839 a schoolhouse was erected, in which the Shaker school continued in operation for many years. Here summer and winter sessions of four months each were maintained regularly. To the list of subjects already taught were added others, such as music, algebra, astronomy, and agricultural chemistry? Many good reports were made of this school. Among others we have the report of a man who visited it during a summer term, a few years before the Civil War. I quote his words: With Dr. Hinckley I visited the school for girls, and was surprised and delighted by the exercises there. It was composed of thirty-three girls, varying in age from four to fifteen years, dressed in the costume of the Shaker women, with the omission of the cap, for which a black net was substituted. The system ofinstruction is the same as that pur- sued in our best common schools, and all the children in the community are supplied with a thorough common English educationf Another extremely favorable report was that written by the School Commissioner, Isaac T. Haight in 1882.8 It reads as follows: I visited this school on the I3 of Jan. I found everything in perfect order, and can speak in the highest terms, both of the teacher and scholars. The school-room was in perfect order, supplied with globes, charts, maps, Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, and every thing that is needed for teacher and scholars. The order was perfect and recita- tion superior to schools in Columbia County. The attendance was the best in the Second Commissioner's district, being 95 per cent. The teacher's success did honor to himself as a teacher,'and honor to the Society. Penmanship was one of the good qualities of the school, but reading was a success. The pronunciation was clear and distinct. Each word was accented correctly, and the scholars understood what they read. I was well pleased with the reading exercises. 2. The Manifesto, XX fApril 18901, 73. 3. Edward D. Andrews, The Community Industries of the Shakers, Albany, 1932, p. 283. 4. In The Manifesto, XX C April 18907, 73 it is stated that a session was held in the summer for the boys and in the winter for the girls. This is aplgarently a mistake, for it contradicts the notes furnished the Peg Board by Sister Emma J. Neale of the Church Family of Shakers. Besides, r. Andrews prints on page 284 of his Community Industries of the Shakers a statement of tuitlons owed the Church Family by other Shaker societies. Under December 31, 1833 are listed charges for tuition of boys during the last winter, and girls during the summer. In the iournal of Elisha Blakeman, just discovered by Sister Emma and made availa le to the Peg Board, this notation occurs under November 18, 1867: Boys commence going to school for this season. This is additional proof that the boys went to school in the winter. The reason for sending the boys to school in the winter term was, it seems, that they were needed for work out of doors in the open summer months. 5. The Manifesto, XX tApril 18903, 74. 6. The Manifesto, XX CApril 18901, 74. 7. Harper? Magazine, XV CJuly 18575, 175. 8. At this time the school of the Church Family was part of the public school system of the state ol New York. - 32

Page 35 text:

T936 The Peg Board The construction of a room is not so important as some other things, but it deserves mention. Let us begin with the Hoor and work up. The floor has rather a rough finish, the boards, which are made of hard pine, not being Fitted very closely. The walls were made of plaster painted white, but the school changed their color to yellow as far up as the peg boards, and from there to the ceiling a lighter yellow to relieve eyestrain. The ceiling was also made ofplaster painted white, but was made a light yellow by the school. There is another little thing which I forgot to mention and that is that the peg boards, from which the school paper gets its name, encircle the entire perimeter of each room. The dining room still enjoys the peace of its former days, its walls not having been operated upon. In fact it had only one flesh wound, and that was the removal of a sink which rested in the center of the room. The places where the water pipes came up and the drains went down are still visible under Mr. R. Miller's table CMr. Miller is the modern language masterl. All the kitchen suffered was the removal of its west partition so as to increase its size. There is only one classroom on the ground floor. It was made out of two closets, like many ofthe boys' rooms. That may seem tiny, but it really isn't as each closet was quite large. The rest of the classrooms are on the fourth Hoor. THE GIRLS' SCHOOL The Educational System of the Shakers By HENRY MARSHALL COLVIN, '37 Prize Article in the Upper-Middle Group EFORE the organization of the Shaker community at Mount Lebanon the Shakers living in the vicinity had to rely upon the district schools, which were very deficient, for the edu- cation of their childreng but after the gathering of the Believers into organized societies,1 much 1. The organization began in 1787 and was completed by 1792. See A Summary View of the Millennial Church, Albany 1848, p. 59. 31

Page 37 text:

1936 The Peg Board , ' ', . , , ,af . ' . JH.. Photograph by Winthrop B. Coffin. '36 The picture on the left shows the interior of the Shaker schoolhouse when it -was in use. From left to right are Brother James Culver, Sister Amelia Culver, Elder Calvin Reed, and Sister Emma J. Neale. The picture an the right shows the exterior of the Shaker schoolhouse as il is today. The interest the Shakers take in education is very commendable. I regret that more ofour Public Schools do not take a deeper interest in our schools and bring them up to the standard of the school at Mt. Lebanon. The teachers attend the Institutes and Association, and are ready to catch every new idea or new Methodg therefore their teachers are well posted in all the New Methods now in use. Isaac T. Haight, School Commissioner' Although the Shakers had many trials and tribulations, they also had their share of blessings. The Manifesto, one of their publications, tells of the bravery of one of the sisters, Ada Brown, in extinguishing a fire in the schoolhouse-a fire that might have spread into a conflagration: Among the special blessings we have to recount is the preservation of the village school house with its valuable furnishings of books and charts. On November 26 a little past the noon hour as the teacher, Sister Ada Brown, entered the school room Ca little earlier than usualj, she was startled to see smoke and flame coming up through the register. Through her presence of mind in immediately closing doors and windows and throwing on the water at hand, she was able to check the flames and summon assistance, barely in time to save the building. Cause of Ere was large unprotected wood casing too near the large new furnace. Repairs have been made with greater security for the future. ' An amusing incident that occurred in the schoolhouse was told us by Sister Emma. One day while she was a teacher there, she was trying to get the floor particularly clean. The water, which she used a little too freely, seeped down into the basement, where at that time the wool and felt hats were manufactured, slightly wetting some of the stores of felt. The hatters were con- siderably perturbed to Sister Pfmma's chagrin. 9. The Manifesto XII lSeptember 18821, 207. 10. See Vol. XXVII C1895-J. 33