Fruitlands (transcendental center) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fruitlands
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Farmhouse at Fruitlands (photographed in 2015)
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Harvard, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1843 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001761 |
| Added to NRHP | March 19, 1974 |
Fruitlands was a special community started in Harvard, Massachusetts, way back in the 1840s. It was founded by two men, Amos Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane. They wanted to create a perfect place to live, based on ideas called transcendentalist principles. This meant they believed in living simply, close to nature, and focusing on spiritual growth.
The people at Fruitlands tried to live without many modern things. They ate only plants, drank only water, and bathed in cold water. They also believed that everything should be shared, and they didn't use animals for farm work. This community lasted only seven months because farming was too hard. Today, the original farmhouse is part of the Fruitlands Museum, where you can learn more about this unique experiment.
Contents
History of Fruitlands
The idea for Fruitlands came from Amos Bronson Alcott in 1841. He was a teacher who believed in new ways of thinking. In 1842, he traveled to England to find people who shared his vision. There, he met Charles Lane, who decided to join him and came back to the United States.
In May 1843, Charles Lane bought a farm in Harvard, Massachusetts, for $1800. It was about 90-acre (36 ha) of land with an old house and barn. Even though Alcott had the idea, he didn't buy the land because he didn't have much money. On June 1, the community officially moved in. They optimistically named it "Fruitlands," even though there were only ten old apple trees on the property!
The people at Fruitlands believed that land shouldn't be "owned" by anyone. They thought it should be used for good purposes by everyone. About 14 people joined the community, including the Alcott and Lane families. By July, they had planted 8 acres (3.2 ha) of grains and other crops.
Famous writer Ralph Waldo Emerson visited Fruitlands in July. He was impressed by how peaceful it seemed and how hard everyone worked. But he also wondered if they would succeed, saying, "We will see them in December."
Alcott and Lane wrote an article explaining their goals. They wanted to improve society by living simply. This meant eating plain food, wearing simple clothes, taking pure baths, and keeping clean homes. However, the community struggled with food shortages. The harsh New England winter was too difficult for them. Fruitlands ended after only seven months, in December 1843 or January 1844. Alcott was very sad about the failure. Later, Ralph Waldo Emerson helped his family buy a new home.
What They Believed: The Philosophy of Fruitlands
Many of the ideas at Fruitlands came from Transcendentalism. This was a way of thinking that focused on a "world spirit" rather than traditional religious views. Alcott believed in connecting with this spirit by living a simple life and letting go of worldly things.
The people at Fruitlands thought that being healthy in their bodies helped them grow spiritually. They believed that "outward abstinence is a sign of inward fullness." This meant that living simply on the outside showed a rich inner life. Even though they worked as a community, they also wanted each person to improve themselves. Alcott also believed that children had a special, pure understanding, so education was very important. He hoped their innocence would inspire the adults.
How They Lived: Economy and Lifestyle
The Fruitlands residents called themselves "the consociate family." They wanted to live completely separate from the outside world's economy. This meant they didn't trade goods, didn't own personal property, and didn't hire anyone to work for them. Alcott and Lane thought that true freedom came from not being involved in money or trade at all.
They aimed to be completely self-sufficient. This meant growing all their own food and making everything they needed themselves. By doing this, they hoped to avoid buying anything from outside the community. They were inspired by the Shakers, another community that shared property. However, the Shakers still traded for some things like coffee and milk. Fruitlands went even further, cutting out all animal products and stimulants from their diet. In the end, Fruitlands didn't change the outside economy, but it allowed its members to live by their strong beliefs.
Daily Life and Diet
Life at Fruitlands was very strict! Residents started each day with a cold-water shower. Their diet was very simple, with no stimulants like coffee or tea, and no animal products. They were vegans, meaning they didn't eat meat, milk, cheese, eggs, or even honey. Lane wrote, "No animal substances neither flesh, butter, cheese, eggs, nor milk pollute our tables, nor corrupt our bodies."
Their food was mostly fruit and water. Many common vegetables like carrots, beets, and potatoes were forbidden. This was because they believed these vegetables grew downwards into the earth, which they thought showed a "lower nature."
Fruitlands members wore only linen clothes and canvas shoes. Cotton was not allowed because it was often produced using slave labor. Wool was also banned because it came from sheep. Alcott and Lane believed that animals should not be used for their meat or their labor. This was because they thought humans should protect animals, and that using animals would "taint" their work and food. As winter approached, they did make a small compromise and allowed an ox and a cow for a short time.
Who Lived There: Fruitlands Residents
There were no official rules for joining Fruitlands, and no records were kept. Many people only stayed for a short time. Most of what we know about the residents comes from the journals of Alcott's wife, Abby May. The people who lived at Fruitlands were sometimes called "consecrated cranks." They believed strongly in being simple, honest, and kind to each other.
Here are some of the people who lived at Fruitlands:
- Amos Bronson Alcott – Born in 1799, he was a famous educator and Transcendentalist. He believed in teaching without physical punishment and including field trips, exercise, art, and music in school.
- Abigail Alcott – Bronson Alcott's wife and a reformer herself. She was one of only two adult women at Fruitlands. She was mainly responsible for taking care of the house, the farm, and her four children.
- Louisa May Alcott – The Alcotts' second daughter, who later became a famous author. She wrote a short story called Transcendental Wild Oats about her experiences at Fruitlands.
- Charles Lane – He met Bronson Alcott in England. His very strict ideas about living a "pure" life were part of why Fruitlands eventually failed. His son also lived there.
- Joseph Palmer – He joined Fruitlands in August 1843 and stayed until the community ended. He later bought the farm and started another community there. He was known for wearing a full beard, even though it was unusual at the time. He even went to prison for defending his right to have a beard!
- Isaac Hecker – Hecker was a baker who explored many spiritual paths. He lived at another Transcendentalist community called Brook Farm before coming to Fruitlands. He stayed for two months, looking for a "deeper" spiritual life. He later became a Roman Catholic priest.
- Samuel Larned – Like Hecker, Larned also lived briefly at Brook Farm before Fruitlands. He was known for using strong language, believing that if said with a pure heart, it could uplift others.
- Abraham Everett – Also known as Abraham Woods, he changed his name to Wood Abram when he arrived at Fruitlands. He had been in a mental asylum before joining the community.
- Ann Page – Besides Abby May Alcott, Ann Page was the only other adult woman at Fruitlands. She and Mrs. Alcott did most of the household chores and often had to work on the farm. Ann Page was eventually asked to leave Fruitlands, supposedly for eating a piece of fish, which was against the community's rules.
Why Fruitlands Ended and Its Legacy
The biggest problem at Fruitlands was farming. The community arrived at the farm a month late for planting, and only about 11 acres (4.5 ha) of the land was good for growing crops. Their decision not to use animals for farm work was a major reason for the community's failure. Also, many of the men spent their time teaching or discussing philosophy instead of working in the fields. Without animal help and enough human labor, the Fruitlands residents couldn't grow enough food to last through the winter.
Fruitlands also struggled because of its strict rules. Alcott and Lane had almost complete control and set very tough ways of living. Alcott's wife, Abby May, wrote that she felt "almost suffocated in this atmosphere of restriction and form."
The Fruitlands experiment lasted only seven months. The residents left in December 1843 or January 1844. Bronson Alcott was very upset by the failure. He refused to eat for several days. Later, Ralph Waldo Emerson helped the Alcott family buy a home in Concord.
Even though Fruitlands was short-lived, it left a mark. After it ended, the land was bought by Joseph Palmer, one of its former members. For 20 years, he used the site as a place for other reformers. In 1910, Clara Endicott Sears bought the property. She opened the farmhouse to the public as a museum in 1914. Today, the Fruitlands Museum also has a museum about Shaker life, an art gallery with 19th-century paintings, and a museum of Native American art and crafts.
