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Oneida Community Mansion House
170 Kenwood Avenue
Oneida, New York
Phone: 315-363-0745 --
TTY:
Statement of Purpose:
Using its historic site
and collections, the non-profit Oneida Community Mansion
House shares the story of the Oneida Community – one of the
most radical and successful of the 19th century social
experiments – to explore pressing social issues that still
confront audiences today.
Highlights:
The 93,000
square foot Oneida Community Mansion House built in stages between
1862 and 1914, was the home of the 19th century utopian Oneida
Community, founded in 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes as a
communitarian experiment. For thirty three years, the
religiously-based Perfectionist Community challenged contemporary
social views on property ownership, gender roles, child rearing,
monogamous marriage, and work. From their insistence on
lifelong learning and vigorous health, the abandonment of the self
for the good of the whole, they developed a work ethic and well of
industriousness so deep it flowed into one of the most impressive
manufacturing companies of the 20th century.
Although growing to more than 300 members at
its peak, the Community succumbed to external and internal
pressures, disbanded, and formed a joint-stock corporation, Oneida
Community Ltd., in 1881. Eventually changing its name to
Oneida Ltd., the company achieved world-wide recognition for the
silverware it produced in Sherrill, NY.
The Oneida Community Mansion House is a
National Historic Landmark that houses a museum with permanent and
changing exhibitions, residential apartments, overnight lodging, a
gift shop, Kenwood and Vine restaurant, and banquet and meeting
space. The wheelchair accessible site is open 365 days a
year, excluding major holidays. A variety of activities are
available for children and adults including guided and self-guided
tours, workshops, lectures, concerts, and other special events.
Tours reveal an interior key to Community life
such as the Big Hall with its exquisite trompe l’oeil ceiling; the
Upper Sitting Room that most defined their idea of home; the
Community Library where lifelong education was encouraged and more
than 100 newspapers, magazines and journals subscribed; and the
Vestibule and its Cabinet of Curiosities.
The property encompasses 200 acres including
the Oneida Community Cemetery, historic gardens and grounds, and
the country's first corporate golf course. A Black Walnut tree and
a Tulip tree are New York State champions.
Permanent Exhibits:
Orientation Exhibit .
Exhibition features photographs, text, artifacts, a timeline and
more to provide visitors with a thorough introduction to the
Oneida Community prior to touring the Mansion House.
The Braidings of Jessie Catherine Kinsley. This permanent exhibit
traces the roots of Kinsley’s art to childhood experience with
textile work in the Oneida Community and to formal art training
from Kenneth Hayes Miller, an influential figure in
twentieth-century American art. The presentation featuring
exquisite silk braidings and paintings explores Kinsley's themes
and the significance of her achievement. What began as rug
decoration evolved, during the 1910s, into a new painterly art
form and her fusion of tapestry and illustrated manuscript
exemplified the American Craftsman aesthetic (ca 1910-1925).
(Suggested donation $2)
Oneida Game Traps, 1852-1925: The Edward J. Knobloch Collection. A
permanent exhibit featuring a representative selection of traps
sold by the Oneida company under the names Newhouse and Victor and
still considered the world's best. The exhibit contains more than
fifty types of traps and illustrates how local trap-making began
with the Oneida Community (1848-1880), a famous experiment in
utopian living.
Period Rooms include the Oneida Community Library, the Upper
Sitting Room, the Nursery Kitchen, and a woman’s Sleeping Room.
Also period
rooms; photo exhibits; and art events.
Hours:
Open year-round except major holidays.
- Monday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 12:00 pm to 4:00 p.m.
Admission:
- Adults: $5
- Children Under 12: Free
- Family Unit (one set of parents and their children): $15
- Students: $3
Museum is wheelchair accessible
Elementary School/Camp/Scout Program, by reservation
Regularly scheduled guided tours are conducted Wednesday –
Saturday, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sunday, 2 p.m. Groups of eight
or more are welcome by reservation,
315-363-0745. Self-guided tours with audio narration may be
taken during business hours.
Direction:
New York State Thruway (90)
from the West:
Take Verona Exit No. 33 and turn left onto Route 365 (West).
Follow it to Route 5. Turn left onto Route 5 East.
At the first light - West Hamilton Ave.in Sherrill - turn right.
Turn right at the next light - Sherrill Rd.
When you cross over Oneida Creek, Sherrill Rd. becomes Kenwood
Ave.
You will pass large stone Oneida Ltd. Administration Building on
your left.
Look for the circular drive entry to the Oneida Community Mansion
House on your right.
Parking is available on the driveway between signs.
New York State Thruway (90) from the East:
Turn onto Route 365 West and follow to Route 5.
Turn left onto Route 5 East and follow the directions above.
For more information (315)363-0745 or visit the web site:
www.oneidacommunity.org
Misc
Comments:
The Oneida Community Mansion House is available for
overnight lodging, weddings, meeting, and banquets.
The Oneida Community Mansion House is also the location for
Kenwood and Vine farm to fork restaurant. Menu and hours are
available at www.kenwoodandvine.com.
Images.
John Humphrey Noyes
Photo Courtesy: BobShear@SBH.org
Oneida Community Mansion House
Photo Courtesy: BobShear@SBH.org
Key Personnel:
Patricia A. Hoffman, Executive Director
• Anthony Wonderley, Curator
• Gwendolyn Smith, Business Manager
• Michael Colmey, Building and Grounds Director
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