Shaker Village Work Group facts for kids
The Shaker Village Work Group was a special summer camp and learning program for teenagers. It was located on old Shaker land and used their buildings in New Lebanon, New York. Jerome (Jerry) and Sybil A. Count bought the property from the Mount Lebanon Shaker community in 1946. The camp first opened in 1947 for young "villagers" and was called the Shaker Village Work Camp. Around 1960, its name changed to the Shaker Village Work Group.
This program ran until 1973. It was special because it gave young people from cities a chance to learn hands-on skills through traditional crafts. It also helped save Shaker buildings and culture. The camp played a big part in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 60s. It even influenced the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
For 26 years, the Shaker Village Work Group showed many American ideas about work and community. It combined the Shakers' focus on hard work and living together with the idea that manual labor is important. It also included ideas of being self-sufficient and independent.
How It Started
The Shaker Village Work Group was built on land that once belonged to the Mount Lebanon Shaker Society. The Shakers lived and worked at the Mount Lebanon Shaker Village from 1787. Over time, their community became too small to use all the land.
The Shaker Village was divided into "Families," which were groups of buildings. The Church Family site is now home to the Darrow School. The North Family site is owned and being restored by the Shaker Museum. Jerry and Sybil Count bought the South Family and West Family land in 1946 for their youth work camp.
The idea of a "work camp" came from the 1930s. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created. It trained young, unemployed men in useful manual labor skills. It also gave them jobs on public projects. These large projects sometimes had "work camps" where up to 200 workers lived together.
During World War II, some work camps were used by the Civilian Public Service. They offered an alternative to military service for people who objected to fighting. After the war, many new "progressive work camps" were created for teenagers. These camps let young people "visit and labor in fields and factories." They offered "work experience for youth under expert counselors." The goal was to help children understand democracy and respect manual labor.
The Counts opened the Shaker Village Work Camp as one of these new progressive camps. City teenagers learned manual skills to build character. They also celebrated the crafts and work ethic of the Shaker culture. Some early campers felt the Village had a strong focus on community and shared work. One former camper said it was "unabashedly idealistic."
Work at the camp included both manual labor and creative activities. The work was organized very democratically. Everyone was treated equally. Tasks were given out weekly. Morning chores kept the camp running. Afternoons were for cultural or artistic work. Campers signed up for tasks freely and were encouraged to try different things.
There were also general meetings under a big tree. A "mayor" was chosen, probably each week. All problems and decisions for the group were discussed there. A unique thing about the Shaker Village Work Group was how much freedom the campers had. They could even vote as a group to decide their bedtime.
Saving Shaker Culture
The Shakers, also known as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, were a small Christian group. Today, they are mostly known for their music, furniture, and folk crafts like baskets. They believed that hard work was a way to show religious devotion. One of their founders, Mother Ann Lee, said, "Put your hands to work, and your heart to God."
The Shakers' traditions made them a great example for the Counts' youth work camp. The Counts learned about the Shakers' high standards for work and their beliefs. These included giving up personal belongings, treating everyone equally, and being peaceful. The Shakers approved of the Counts' plans for the camp. The Shaker Village Work Camp opened in 1947 with the Shakers' blessing. Shakers who could still travel often visited the camp.
Robert Paul Wolff, who attended the camp in its first three years, said it "celebrated labor, along with folklore and the arts." He remembered helping to restore an old Shaker building. He learned to use a wood turning lathe to make new pegs for the walls. He said the camp was very idealistic in its celebration of manual labor and community.
A 1962 article described the camp's activities. Campers restored the village, repaired buildings, and brought back old American crafts. These included weaving, growing herbs, and woodworking. The "villagers" also raised animals, farmed, worked in the forest, and kept bees.
The Shaker Village Work Camp produced two songbooks of Shaker songs. They also made two albums of Shaker songs sung by the teenage campers. One album even had an introduction by a Shaker Brother. The camp also released a book of Shaker recipes. In 2004, a book of Shaker songs and the camp's history was released by two former campers. The Shaker Village Work Group was also shown on a TV show called Tony Saletan's What's New in 1966.
Impact on Folk Music
In the 1950s, some folk musicians looked to summer camps to introduce folk music. They spent their summers visiting camps and festivals. For example, the famous folksinger Pete Seeger often came to play at the Village.
In 1954, Tony Saletan was a folk song leader at the Shaker Village Work Camp. He was looking for songs to teach the campers. He found the song Michael Row the Boat Ashore in an old songbook. He changed it to create the popular version we know today. He added harmony and a simple chorus. He also changed the verses to make them more interesting for teenagers. Saletan's version was included in the camp's 1954 songbook.
That summer, Saletan taught Michael Row the Boat Ashore to Pete Seeger. Seeger later sang it with the Weavers, a very important folk group. In 1961, the Highwaymen had a number one hit song based on Saletan's version. Joe Hickerson, another folk musician, learned the song Kumbaya from Saletan in 1957. The first album recording of Kumbaya was released in 1958. Folksinger Peggy Seeger also learned songs from Saletan and recorded them.
Tony Saletan later hosted a children's TV show called Let's All Sing with Tony Saletan. The show and its album featured many American folk songs. These included songs he found and developed for the young campers. He also released other folk music albums throughout his career.
The End of the Camp
Jerry Count passed away in 1968. His wife, Sybil, kept the Shaker Village Work Group running for four more years, until the 1972 season. Bill and Cornelia Cotton helped direct the camp in its final years. In 1975, the South Family and most of the West Family land were sold. It became a spiritual community called the Abode of the Message. Sybil Count died in 1996.
Even after the New Lebanon camp closed, some of the Counts' work continued. The T.E.E.N.S. Global Democracy Project of the Shaker Village Educational Work Foundation, Inc. carried on parts of their mission. Former campers of the Shaker Village Work Group still keep in touch today.
