Archaeological Dig Will Excavate At America’s First Shaker Community
Darrow School, which was founded on the historic Mount Lebanon site of the first Shaker community in America, has announced a partnership with the archaeological firm, DigVentures, to excavate several sites on the campus.[private] The Digging Darrow excavation—scheduled to take place at Darrow from May 30 to June 11—intends to map out the entire Shaker settlement, locate long-lost workspaces, and unearth evidence of Shaker life and culture at the site.
“What we discover might turn the popular image of Shaker culture on its head,” said Lisa Westcott Wilkins, the co-founder and managing director of DigVentures, a U.K. firm that designs and delivers collaborative archaeology projects using crowd-funding, crowdsourcing, and digital technology to increase opportunities for public participation in archaeology. “When people think of the Shakers, they think of rocking chairs, rustic kitchens, and lifelong vows of celibacy. They assume they must have been pretty conservative in their beliefs, when in fact, the very opposite is true; the Shakers embraced technological innovation, believed in racial equality, and insisted on having strong female leadership. ”
The Shakers established their self-sufficient community at Mount Lebanon, NY, in 1787, and existed there well into the 20th century, though their numbers had dwindled significantly. It was the intent of the remaining Shakers at the time that the site become a school, and in 1932 the New Lebanon School for Boys opened in the original Shaker buildings. In 1939 it was renamed Darrow School in honor of the local family who had first settled the land and provided support and leadership in its first years as a Shaker community.
“From wheel-driven washing machines to mail order seeds, the Shakers have been credited with all manner of surprising inventions,” Westcott Wilkins said. “Recent studies are beginning to challenge the idea of Shaker simplicity, to reveal a complex and often fractious history. DigVentures is hoping to unearth clues into their fascinating story.”
Westcott Wilkins’s brother is Craig Westcott, Darrow’s Assistant Head of School for Advancement and External Relations, and has worked and lived at Darrow for 18 years.
“A majority of the buildings on Darrow’s 365-acre campus are original Shaker structures, some dating back to the early 19th century. Hundreds of years later, this setting continues to define the character of the school. Shaker values of industriousness, hard work, and innovation inform how we live, learn, work, and play.” Westcott said, noting that Darrow students and faculty will participate in the excavation project, and that findings will be shared collaboratively with scholars and organizations interested in Shaker history.
This is the second time DigVentures’ professional archaeologists have excavated on the Darrow campus. A 2013 dig discovered dozens of artifacts ranging from large hand-hewn stones used as structural supports for buildings, to everyday objects such as tools, toys, clothing, artwork, bricks, horseshoes, bottles, pottery, door handles, and more. The most important finding was evidence that confirmed the existence of the Center Family Wash House, which was lost to fire in the early 20th century. Artifacts from the 2013 excavation are currently on display in the school library. Financing for the 2017 dig is being provided in part from a crowdfunded effort at digventures.com/projects/digging-darrow. [/private]