The Farmer's Museum
The Farmers' Museum has deep roots in New York State's rural past.
The land has been part of a working farm since 1813, when it was
owned by James Fenimore Cooper. Jusge Samuel Nelson, whose office
is part of the Farmers' Museum Village, bought the farm in 1829
and raised sheep there. Fenimore Farm, as it came to be known,
changed hands again in the 1870's, when it was acquired by the
Clark family.
In 1918, Edward Severin Clark built a modern, fully-equipped complex
at Fenimore Farm for his prize herd of cattle. The barn, creamery,
and herdsman's cottage are still standing today and are part of
the museum complex. Designed by architect Frank Whiting in the
Colonial Revival style, these buildings were constructed of local
stone. Today, they house museum offices, exhibition spaces, and
public areas. The structures are listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
The Farmers' Museum opened its doors to the public in 1944. At
that time, the museum had 5,000 tools and objects, including important
collections amassed by the Otsego County Historical Society; William
B. Sprague, founder of the Early American Industries Association;
and the Wyckoff family, one of Brooklyn's oldest farming families.
Today the museum's collections number more than 23,000 artifacts.
The museum is physically organized into three general exhibition
areas: the Main Barn, an 1845 Village, and Lippitt Farmstead.
Each area serves to illuminate varying aspects of the common story
of people making a living from the land and building a nation
with their own hands. The exhibits provide a forum for understanding
19th century trades, agriculture, and rural life and the importance
of their economic interdependence. Wherever possible, a hands-son
component encourages visitors to make comparisons with their own
lives.
The Farmers' Museum is a private, non-governmental educational
organization. It is closely affiliated with its sister organization,
Fenimore Art Museum, the museum showcase of the New York State
Historical Association.
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