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Fenimore Farm & Country Village facts for kids
Cooperstown
Location in the United States
Cooperstown
Location in New York
Fenimore Farm & Country Village is a special museum in Cooperstown, New York. It used to be called The Farmers' Museum. This place helps you imagine what life was like in the countryside during the 1800s. You can explore old buildings and even try out some activities from that time.
The museum has more than 24 real, old buildings. These include a tavern (like an old inn), a farm, a printing shop, a pharmacy, and a blacksmith's shop. There's also a doctor's office and a general store. You can also find exhibits of 19th-century games, a children's barnyard, and the famous Cardiff Giant.
Contents
History of Fenimore Farm
Early Farm Life in Cooperstown
The land where Fenimore Farm & Country Village stands has been a working farm since 1813. It was first owned by James Fenimore Cooper, a famous writer. He wrote the book The Last of the Mohicans. Later, in 1829, Judge Samuel Nelson bought the farm. He raised sheep there. The farm became known as Fenimore Farm.
The Clark Family's Influence
In the 1870s, the Clark family bought Fenimore Farm. In 1918, Edward Severin Clark built a very modern farm complex. It was designed for his special cattle. The barn, creamery (where milk products were made), and herdsman's cottage are still there today. These buildings are part of the museum. They were built from local stone and are now used for museum offices and exhibits. These historic buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Opening the Museum Doors
The Farmers' Museum first opened to the public in 1944. At that time, it had about 5,000 tools and other items. Many of these came from important collections. These included items from the Otsego County Historical Society and old farming families. Today, the museum has more than 23,000 artifacts.
Fenimore Farm & Country Village is a private organization focused on education. It works closely with the Fenimore Art Museum, which is its sister organization. On November 1, 2024, The Farmers' Museum changed its name. It became Fenimore Farm & Country Village. This new name helps show its long history as a farm and its historic village.
Exploring the Exhibits
What You Can See and Do
The museum has over 23,000 artifacts. These items show what farm life was like in central New York in the 1800s. You can find them in more than two dozen buildings across the museum grounds.
The museum also has working exhibits. This means you can see skilled workers doing things just like people did long ago.
- At the print shop, workers print real documents, like old rules for baseball.
- Weavers make cloth using looms.
- The blacksmith shop creates hinges, tools, and other items. Some are used at the museum, and some are sold in the general store.
- At the pharmacy, they even make insect repellent!
These skilled craftspeople are happy to answer your questions about their trades.
The Empire State Carousel
Fenimore Farm & Country Village is home to the Empire State Carousel. This is a special, hand-crafted merry-go-round. It celebrates the history, culture, and environment of New York State. The carousel was built on an old 1947 merry-go-round machine.
Many people helped create the carousel. A carver named Gerry Holzman and over 1,000 volunteers from all over New York State worked on it. The whole project took more than 20 years! The carousel has 25 hand-carved animals. Each animal represents the farms and natural resources of New York State.
See also
- Open-air museum