![Farmers Museum village green](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Farmers_Museum_village_green.jpg)
The Farmers' Museum is located in
Cooperstown
Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, and is one of the best-known attractions in the town.
Just north of Cooperstown, it overlooks
Otsego Lake and recreates rural life from the 19th century through exhibits and interactive workshops. There are more than two dozen authentic, historic buildings on the grounds, including a tavern, a farmstead, a printing office, a pharmacy, a blacksmith's shop, a doctor's office and a general store. There are also exhibits of nineteenth-century games, a children's barnyard and the
Cardiff Giant
The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous archaeological hoaxes in American history. It was a , 3,000 pound purported "petrified man" uncovered on October 16, 1869, by workers digging a well behind the barn of William C. "Stub" Newell in Cardi ...
.
The Farmers' Museum is home to the
Empire State Carousel, a hand-crafted
merry-go-round
A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
which celebrates
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
's history, culture and environment, built on a vintage 1947 36-foot Alan Herschell carousel mechanism. The carousel is the result of efforts made by carver Gerry Holzman of
Islip, NY
Islip ( ) is a town in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the south shore of Long Island. The population was 335,543 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous city or town in the state.
The Town of Islip also contains a ...
and over 1,000 volunteers from across New York State. The entire production took over two decades. Its artwork incorporates 25-hand carved animals that represent the agricultural and
natural resources
Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. O ...
of New York State.
History
The site of The Farmers' Museum has been part of a working farm since 1813, when it was owned by
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century, whose historical romances depicting colonist and Indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries brought h ...
, author of ''
The Last of the Mohicans
''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826.
It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinde ...
''. Judge
Samuel Nelson
Samuel Nelson (November 10, 1792 – December 13, 1873) was an American attorney and appointed as judge of New York State courts. He was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1872. He concu ...
, 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 1870s, 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 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
The Farmers' Museum opened its doors to the public in . 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 Farmers' Museum is a private, non-governmental educational organization. It is closely affiliated with its sister organization,
Fenimore Art Museum
The Fenimore Art Museum (formerly known as New York State Historical Association) is a museum located in Cooperstown, New York on the west side of Otsego Lake. Collection strengths include the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian ...
.
Exhibits
The museum has more than 23,000 artifacts reflecting 19th century farm life in central New York. They are housed in over two dozen buildings across the campus.
The museum also includes working exhibits. There are skilled workers printing real documents, such as the rules of baseball, at the print shop, and weavers producing cloth at looms. The smithy works to produce hinges, tools and other products ordered by local farmers. At the pharmacy, insect repellent is produced. The skilled craftspeople are available to answer questions about their trades.
There's Opera, And Art, Too, In Cooperstown
The New York Times May 15, 1988
See also
*Open-air museum
An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum.
Definition
Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere†...
References
{{Reflist
External links
The Farmers' Museum's web page
Museums in Otsego County, New York
Agriculture museums in the United States
Farm museums in New York (state)
Open-air museums in New York (state)
History museums in New York (state)
Museums established in 1944
1944 establishments in New York (state)
Tourist attractions in Otsego County, New York
Blacksmith shops
Clark family