Spring is here and our forests have once again been transformed by delicate little wildflowers. Every spring some slopes are lucky enough to be carpeted in colorful, diverse blooms that seem to appear out of nowhere. If you revisit these spots in midsummer you’ll be hardpressed to find a single sign the dramatic display was ever there.
Many of our earliest flowers are considered “ephemerals.” They emerge early, before the trees have leaves. They flower quickly, create seed and then they disappear. But “ephemeral” does not mean short lived. Our spring wildflowers are mostly perennials, growing slowly, coming above ground and gathering their annual supply of sunlight during that short period of time between when the days get longer and when the forest gets too dark and shady.
A small patch of sessile trillium.
One of our more common spring ephemerals is Trillium sessile (uncreatively given the common name of sessile trillium). Sessile trillium is often just a few inches high and has erect red flowers with three petals and three sepals sitting directly atop a whorl of three leaves. The “tri” in trillium refers to this three-ness while “sessile” refers to how the flower sits directly on the leaves, without a stalk to support it. The dark red flowers have a slightly unpleasant stink which attracts their primary pollinators of flies and beetles. The resulting seeds have a fatty appendage attached called an elaiosome, which attracts ants and wasps to carry the seed away from the mother plant.
Once an ant carries off the seed, it will take two seasons of cold for it to germinate. In its first year of growth the new seedling stays completely underground, slowly creating a root system. The year after that, a single leaf emerges. If enough energy is gathered, it will be slightly bigger the next year. In fact, it could take 10 years for a trillium to grow strong enough to produce its first flower. Some plants can live to be 25 years old if conditions are good.
One mature “mother trillium” (5+ years old), an immature three-leaved trillium (4+ years old) and a dense patch of single-leaved trilliums (3+ years old).
Repeated trampling, grazing or picking can kill any plant, but spring ephemerals are especially vunerable because of how slowly they grow. So always stay on trail and only take photographs, but be sure to enjoy the display soon before it disappears for the year. And, if you miss your chance this year, don’t be too sad… they’ll be back next year, just a little bit bigger.
Jacob Glover,PhD, Director of Public Programs and Education
A few weeks ago we began our blog series on our trip to Shaker sites in New York and New England in February and March 2020. Our trip was just days before the country came grinding to a halt with the COVID-19 pandemic. In this post, we are recounting our adventure to Massachusetts, New York and then back to Massachusetts to complete one whirlwind of a Saturday!
With Watervliet in the rearview mirror, we headed east towards Pittsfield, MA, and Hancock Shaker Village. Along the way we passed the location of the Mount Lebanon, NY, Shaker community, a destination that we would return to later in the day. At Hancock, we were graciously welcomed by several staff members and a volunteer, and we were even provided special access to view the Shaker gift drawings in their Collection!
The Shakers produced most of these “gift drawings” during the Era of Manifestations in the mid-19th century. They are a wonderful example of American folk art, and we felt lucky to view them up close.
While the sunshine was abundant by the early afternoon, it remained quite cold as we toured the beautiful grounds at Hancock. Originally founded in the late 1780s, Hancock grew to more than 300 Believers and 3,000 acres by the 1830s. As with most other Shaker communities, decline in the late nineteenth century led to the selling of outlying lands and diminishing numbers. Despite this, Hancock remained an active Shaker community until 1959—nearly fifty years after the closing of the covenant at Pleasant Hill.
Inside the 1826 Round Stone Barn – one of the architectural wonders we visited on our trip.
Hancock today is very well preserved, with 20 existing Shaker buildings, a modern welcome center, a working farm, programs and exhibits. Although many of the structures were awe-inspiring, the 1826 Round Stone Barn is the unforgettable cornerstone of the experience at Hancock. After a few hours on the grounds and one more trip to the gift shop, we said our goodbyes, regretful that we had so little time to explore the beautiful village.
Then we backtracked over the mountains and into eastern New York for a quick afternoon jaunt to the Historic Mount Lebanon Site. Although today many of the Shaker buildings have been repurposed into a school and an eco-Sufi community, the Shaker style is evident throughout.
The original seat of Shaker government, Mount Lebanon was active from the early 1780s until the 1940s when the community sold most of their land and buildings to the Darrow School—a school that just happened to win a basketball championship the day of our visit! Today, the Historic Mount Lebanon Site only offers self-guided tours and hiking, but if you ever have the chance we highly recommend stopping by to see the Great Stone Barn. It is easily one of the most impressive architectural marvels we have ever seen.
Photos don’t do it justice, but hopefully you get the idea of the scale of the Great Stone Barn. It’s an absolutely massive and impressive structure.
Having been thoroughly impressed, but also cut to the bone by the howling wind and the fading sun, we hopped back on the road and made our way to Boston, MA for the night. There would be no rest for the weary; however, as we had to be at Shaker Meeting at Sabbathday Lake the next morning at 10 a.m. sharp. We would end up cutting it close…VERY close!
Check back in a couple of weeks for the next installment of our adventure!
“Mother’s Good Drink” note the attribution in the corner which says, “Patsy Williamson coloured Sister.”
Born January 7, 1791, in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Patsy Roberts or Patsy Roberts Williamson belonged to a household originally from Rockingham County. The Roberts family moved to Madison County, Kentucky and by August of 1808 21-year-old Eunice (Betsy) Roberts, the oldest of the Roberts siblings, arrived at Pleasant Hill.
She was followed by Susannah in January of 1809. Susannah was listed in the Pleasant Hill records as a twin, born January 7, 1791 –the same birth date as Patsy. What is most interesting is that Patsy is listed as black and enslaved while Susannah is not. Patsy is the only Roberts recorded to have been of African descent.
According to Shaker records, Patsy Roberts joined the society of Shakers at Pleasant Hill in 1809, three years before moving to the Village. In the fall of 1812, Namon Roberts and his wife Jinny Roberts moved to Pleasant Hill with the rest of their household. Eunice (Betsy), Susannah and Patsy were the only Roberts to sign the covenant making them full members of the Church.
In January of 1815, Namon and wife Jinny made the decision to “return to the world” with their five younger children. Before Namon Roberts departed he offered Patsy for sale and the Shakers purchased her legal freedom so that she could remain with them.
Patsy lived 51 years as a Believer experiencing the strong bonds of sisterhood as she worked and worshiped at Pleasant Hill. Her faith was reflected in her songs that she composed with references to Mother Ann Lee, the joy she experienced in the dance and childlike simplicity and freedom she felt in worship.
Music Program Specialist Holly Wood and Music Interpreter Sarah Porter sing “Pretty Mother’s Home.” The song was composed by Patsy Roberts Williamson.
On August 28, 1860, Patsy passed away in the East Family Dwelling after an undisclosed illness of four or five years. The writer of the journal described Patsy as being “zealous in the cause.”
Jacob Glover,PhD, Director of Public Programs and Education
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill staff prepare to give a presentation on Pleasant Hill in the Watervliet Meeting House in February 2020.
Although it seems like a lifetime ago, the above photo was taken exactly one year ago today inside the Meeting House at the Watervliet Shaker community in Albany, NY. This gathering was the kick-off of a whirlwind tour through more than a half-dozen Shaker sites in New York and New England that our program team at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill had planned to coincide with Mother Ann Lee’s birthday on February 29. While the trip was educational in nature, we had hoped to share images and video from our trip upon our return. Little did we know the significance of the public health crisis that was building then.
So, here we are, exactly one year later and we are finally returning to this material. Looking at all of these photos and watching the videos brought us a great deal of joy, and we hope these short snippets and glances into other historic Shaker sites will do the same for you. Our first stop was Watervliet the first Shaker communal establishment in America.
First off, if you’ve ever flown into or departed from Albany International Airport you’ve probably driven past either the gravesite of Mother Ann Lee or the current location of the Shaker Heritage Society, the group who oversees the remaining historic property. A quick glance at Google Maps for a reminder and the proximity is striking even now. Shakers Creek runs through the short term parking lot, and Albany Shaker Road and Meeting House Road will both take you to Jetway Drive. Trust us, it’s close. The Shaker cemetery itself was small but well-kept, and identified by a historic marker familiar to most. Although cars zipped by on a modern road beside the cemetery, it was an impactful and moving place nonetheless.
Having arrived in Albany on the afternoon of February 28, we journeyed into the Adirondacks to spend the evening before returning to Watervliet the following morning. Located in present-day Colonie, NY, the Shakers established Watervliet in 1776. Although the nearby community of Mount Lebanon would become the Central Ministry, Watervliet itself overcame trying beginnings and prospered during the mid-nineteenth century. Like many other Shaker communities, Watervliet’s fortunes had declined by the early 1900s, and, in fact, the County had taken ownership of the property and razed many Shaker buildings by 1927.
Today, the Watervliet Shaker National Historic District oversees the site of Watervliet’s Church Family, which includes nine Shaker buildings, gardens and orchards, the Shaker cemetery and the Ann Lee Pond nature preserve. Despite the brutally cold conditions of that February morning, the beauty and simplicity of Shaker design were evident in the snow-dotted landscape.
A view across the expansive grounds of the Church Family at Watervliet. The red roof and white siding of the 1848 Meeting House stand out. Today, this building hosts a museum shop, educational exhibits and public programs.
An interior view of the museum shop inside the 1848 Meeting House.
While the Shaker Heritage Society oversees roughly 770 acres, many Shaker buildings were transferred to private hands over the years and are still being used for other purposes today. In some ways, this process of private ownership of the Watervliet Shaker’s buildings is similar to what happened here at Pleasant Hill between the closing of the community in the early 1900s and the restoration of the historic village in the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, the office that I sit in while typing this blog served as a private residence during the interim years after it had been the workspace of the Village ministry for nearly a century!
The Shaker architectural style is evident, even as this building has received modern additions and been adapted into residential apartments.
After a wonderful tour with our hosts through the Church Family buildings and a driving tour of the remaining Shaker buildings that are now in private hands, we returned to the 1848 Meeting House for the presentation that is documented in the photo at the top of this blog. The audience was both interested and gracious, and our only regret was that we had only a few hours to spend with them before we left for out next Shaker tour destination. We said our good-byes and hit the highway for Massachusetts. Check back in a few weeks to find out where our adventure took us next!
Our wonderful hosts at Watervliet!
For more information on the Shaker Heritage Society and the Watervliet Shaker National Historic District, please their website at: https://home.shakerheritage.org/.
Something that everyone has had to navigate during the global pandemic is how to safely go on with our day-to-day lives while maintaining safety for ourselves and those around us. This has made event and wedding planning even more challenging than before! No one wants to make compromises when it comes to the most important day of their life and who they wish to share that time with. Throughout this year, I’ve learned a lot while working with multiple brides to make their wedding day special and safe.
Bride and bridesmaids outside Meadow View Barn at Shaker Village.
It’s All About the Venue
When looking for venues there are many things to consider. Does this venue provide enough space for all guests to maintain social distancing guidelines? Does this venue have outdoor locations for guests to go, weather permitting? During this time, I recommend looking for venues that have both indoor and outdoor locations. If the weather is nice, your guests will be able to go in and out of the venue. This makes adhering to local and state guidelines much easier to manage, as guests are not confined to a single area within the venue.
At Shaker Village, we have several options for any guest count up to 150. For small, intimate events, we have historical spaces that could accommodate 50 people or under that are surrounded by beautiful scenery and nature. This will allow your guests to enjoy the starry night sky while staying warm next to a cozy fire. If your guest count exceeds that number, we have our Meadow View Barn. The barn is the perfect location for a large gathering. Originally utilized as a tobacco barn, Shaker Village has transformed this space into an ideal place to hold a reception. From this location, you can observe and bask in a gorgeous sunset. We also have the West Lot location, a great space that feels like a retreat. You and your wedding group can rent this space and stay in the West Lot building from Friday to Sunday.
Check In With Vendors (Especially Catering Vendors)
When times are uncertain it is very important to check in with your vendors more frequently. I recommend doing this often to stay up-to-date with any changes that your vendors may make due to the pandemic, especially your caterers. Food handling has not been an easy task to tackle during this time and your catering team may have changed the way they serve and handle food. I would suggest investing in a plated meal as well as service staff. This is to eliminate people coming together for a buffet line, while also limiting several points of touch. If you would like to do a buffet, work with your catering vendor to ensure that the buffet will be served in a safe manner and limit the touch points for your guests.
Table settings for a reception at Shaker Village.
At Shaker Village, we pride ourselves on cleanliness and the customer service of our restaurant and catering staff. Our events team has made accommodations to ensure that you and your guests remain safe. At Shaker Village we have a committed service staff that ensures the timeliness of the service for your event, especially since we are serving plated meals at this time.
To Mask Or Not To Mask
You will set the precedent of mask wearing at your event. If you and your wedding party are wearing masks on the dance floor and anytime other than when you are eating and drinking then the guests will follow suit. Messaging and visual cues help to reinforce that you are following current guidelines at your event. Hand sanitizer stations with disposable masks can be stationed throughout. Having a greeter that informs guests of the safety rules can explicitly convey how you expect your guests to behave. Decorative signs can reinforce your priorities such as “Spread the love, not germs!”
At Shaker Village, the safety of our guests is our top priority. All of our employees will be in masks. We have made changes to our catering services. For example, we have switched to strictly serving plated meals to ensure limited touch. Each of our catered meals comes with a friendly team of staff ready to provide the best and safest customer service to you and your guests.
Make Multiple Guest Lists
With changes to maximum capacities and new mandates, your guest list will likely vary over the course of your planning. You should begin by creating a full guest list. This includes everyone that you would want to invite. Based on that list, you should make a second guest list of 50%. This prepares you to make quick changes if the maximum capacity of your venue changes due to new mandates and guidelines. If you choose not to continue with your current date, and want to postpone to allow additional guests, then reference your contract and talk with your venue about their policy.
Here at Shaker Village, we are currently offering full refunds of deposits if your wedding needs to be cancelled due to COVID-19 or new mandates, or moving deposits to a new date that is available.
Hire a Wedding Coordinator or Day-of-Coordinator
I cannot stress enough that no matter how elaborate or intimate your wedding is, the entire planning process is complex and could be made easier by hiring a coordinator. A professional coordinator will also be apprised of all COVID-19 mandates, regulations and guidelines.
At Shaker Village, we do not require a coordinator, but recommend it as much as possible. The Event Sales Catering and Events Manager that you book with will ensure everything on the Shaker Village property will be ready to go on your big day. Our staff has knowledge of the policies and procedures at the Village that we will be using to make you and your guests feel safe. However, a coordinator can assist with the set-up and breakdown of all décor and help your dream wedding come to life!
Be Flexible
With things continually changing it is important to be flexible. Things may take longer to plan and timelines may be a little foggy. The plan can change very quickly and the team you have assembled will do everything they can to ensure your wedding day is perfect. With all the negativity surrounding the virus, something positive is that we can recognize and prioritize the things that matter most to us and that same philosophy applies to your wedding day. Couples should make a list and discuss the most important things they want to experience on their wedding day. Whether the ceremony is the experience you value the most or having your first dance with your new partner. Make sure you emphasize these things on your day because these are the memories you will look back on and cherish the most.
An outdoor ceremony at Shaker Village.
No one said planning a wedding in the middle of a global pandemic was easy, but it is doable and can still be the best day of your life!
If you are in need of a venue, please reach out to the team at Shaker Village.
