Sarah Jane Farmer (1847-1916) was the founder of the Greenacre Conferences in Eliot, Maine, U.S. After her death, Greenacre became the

Green Acre Baháʼí School Green Acre Baháʼí School is a conference facility in Eliot, Maine, in the United States, and is one of three leading institutions owned by the Baháʼí Faith in the United States, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United ...

Biography

Sarah Jane Farmer was born in Dover, New Hampshire, July 22, 1847, the only child of Professor Moses G. Farmer and Hannah Tobey (Shapleigh) Farmer. She was raised in the

Unitarian Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present ...

religion in this New England family. She graduated from Salem, Massachusetts High School, 1868, followed by instruction by private tutors, 1868-81. In young adulthood, she lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Newport, Rhode Island. Having moved to Eliot, Maine with her parents, in 1887, she worked on the establishment of a public library in that city. Swami Vivekananda in Green Acre August 1894

Swami Vivekananda in Green Acre August 1894

After attending the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893 with her father, Farmer decided to establish Greenacre, with the support of her acquaintances in the

New Thought The New Thought movement (also Higher Thought) is a spiritual movement that coalesced in the United States in the early 19th century. New Thought was seen by its adherents as succeeding "ancient thought", accumulated wisdom and philosophy from ...

, women's clubs, and women's suffrage movements, as well as several Ralph Waldo Emerson societies. In 1894, she founded Greenacre Conferences at Eliot, Maine, which resembled a Chautauqua. The Greenacre Conferences were anchored by two annual schools, the Monsalvat School of Comparative Study of Religion (established by Farmer in 1896) and the revived Concord School of Philosophy. In addtiion, the Greenacre Conferences offered lectures by instructors in various fields. These afforded annual assembly for lectures by leaders of advanced thought, American, European and Oriental. The Greenacre Colony attracted wide attention because of its free discussion of religious subjects. Many clergymen and writers were identified with her organization. It was almost disrupted, however, by factional differences. Farmer engaged in European travel in 1886, 1893, 1900. It was during her trip in 1900 that she met

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian language, Persian: ‎, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later C ...

, and became a member of the Bahá’í faith. Sarah Farmer made her home at Green Acre, Maine. In 1910, she was declared insane and sent to an asylum. Since that time, her mental condition was the subject of litigation. She died at the family homestead in Eliot, Maine on November 23, 1916, age 70.

Selected works

* "The Abundant Life", ''The Spirit of The New Thought'', by Sarah J. Farmer, edited by Horatio W. Dresser
text

References

External links

Sarah Jane Farmer (1844-1916) Founder of Green Acre Bahá’í School
via bahai.us
"The Battles of Sarah J. Farmer"
Jonathan Menon, August 22, 2012, via 239days.com
"Sarah J. Farmer: One of America’s Great Religious ..."
Jonathan Menon, August 23, 2012, via 239days.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Farmer, Sarah Jane 1847 births 1916 deaths People from Dover, New Hampshire People from Eliot, Maine American founders Women founders 20th-century Bahá'ís American Bahá'ís Founders of American schools and colleges