Groveland Shaker Village

Groveland Shaker Village was a settlement of Shakers in Groveland, New York under the bishopric of Groveland.[1]

In 1826, a Shaker group was organized that would become the Groveland Shaker Village, Groveland.[2] They moved from Sodus in Wayne County, New York to escape worldly influences. When the membership of the sect declined, the Shakers sold the land to the state after they were assured it would be used for good purpose. Several of the Shaker buildings are still used today. The armory and church are of Shaker origin.

At the end of the 19th century, the state opened a facility for people with epilepsy here. While it is sometimes claimed that the name Sonyea is an acronym for "State of New York Epileptic Asylum," other authorities hold that the word is actually from the Seneca language and means "a warm and sunny place."[3] Later the building was taken over by the state prison system. It is now owned by the Groveland Correctional Facility.

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  Groveland Shaker Village, New York., 1890s. The photograph includes an 1842 meetinghouse (right), shops, and a four-story, late 1850s brick East Family building. New York State Museum, Albany.

References

1. Stephen J. Paterwic. Historical Dictionary of the Shakers. Scarecrow Press; 11 August 2008. ISBN 978-0-8108-6255-5. p. 18.
2. • Andrews, Edward Deming. The People Called Shakers: A Search for the Perfect Society (1953) p. 291.
3. Hall, Marty. Dying for Something: Graveland. XLibris Corporation; 20 November 2010. ISBN 9781456816315. pp. 52-53.