SOUTH UNION SHAKER VILLAGE

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Furniture Friday: Chair Comparison - This week we are taking a look at two chairs that are similarly crafted, though one has a unique distinction—the “barrel” finials. Both of these chairs were made at South Union but show how different craftsmen implement their own style.

Furniture Friday: Chair Comparison

This week we are taking a look at two chairs that …

Furniture Friday: Franklin Stove - This new installation in our Nurse’s Room exhibit helps to complete the story of the nurses who lived in the Centre House. In the late 19th century, they requested to have a cook stove installed, just like the one featured here.

Furniture Friday: Franklin Stove

This new installation in our Nurse’s Room ex…

Furniture Friday: Wood Box - This firewood box was donated to the museum just this week. It has strong history relating to South Union, so we are pleased to have it in the collection. Many thanks to Ernie and Elaine Ezell for donating this piece.

Furniture Friday: Wood Box

This firewood box was donated to the museum just t…

Furniture Friday: Work Table - This ca. 1850s work table is another example of a piece that is more decorative than Shaker furniture from the East. The table is walnut and has classic South Union features, such as the cut corners and turned feet.

Furniture Friday: Work Table

This ca. 1850s work table is another example of a …

Furniture Friday: “Worldly” Settee - While this settee certainly is not Shaker, we know it was used here at South Union. It is another example of “worldly” furniture that was likely brought in by new converts upon joining the community.

Furniture Friday: “Worldly” Settee

While this settee certainly is not Shaker, we know…

Furniture Friday: Child’s Chair - This unique child’s chair was recently donated to the museum. It has some characteristics that we find in other chairs in the collection, such as the finial.

Furniture Friday: Child’s Chair

This unique child’s chair was recently donat…

Furniture Friday: Cherry Work Table - This week we are taking a look at a ca. 1840s cherry work table that has features typical to South Union furniture. One exception is the set of glass knobs, which appear to be original to the piece.

Furniture Friday: Cherry Work Table

This week we are taking a look at a ca. 1840s cher…

Furniture Friday: Ca. 1830s Corded Bed - This corded bed is an excellent example of furniture with classic South Union features. The bottle-turned foot and use of lambs-tongue turnings are features that we see throughout the collection and building.

Furniture Friday: Ca. 1830s Corded Bed

This corded bed is an excellent example of furnitu…

Furniture Friday: Classic South Union Table - This week we are featuring a work table that has classic South Union features, such as the pear foot and turned legs.

Furniture Friday: Classic South Union Table

This week we are featuring a work table that has c…

Furniture Friday: Linen Press - This week we are looking at another fine example of a linen press. This cherry and walnut piece was purchased at the 1922 sale, and was later sold back to the museum in 1961.

Furniture Friday: Linen Press

This week we are looking at another fine example o…

Furniture Friday: Maple settee and matching chairs - This week we are looking at another settee, but what makes this unique is the matching chairs.

Furniture Friday: Maple settee and matching chairs

This week we are looking at another settee, but…

Furniture Friday: Settee - This week we are looking at an early settee that was purchased at the 1922 auction. While we do not know if the Shakers made this or if they bought it, we do know that it was used here in the village.

Furniture Friday: Settee

This week we are looking at an early settee that w…

Furniture Friday: Washstand - This newly acquired piece is only one of two washstands from South Union known to exist. It is also unusual because it is constructed of decorative figured maple.

Furniture Friday: Washstand

This newly acquired piece is only one of two washs…

Furniture Friday: Unique Cupboard - This piece is unlike any other in the museum, though it has an identical mate in an unknown private collection.

Furniture Friday: Unique Cupboard

This piece is unlike any other in the museum, thou…

Furniture Friday: Yellow Built-In - This built-in is unique in many ways, in that it retains much of it’s original color, seems to have had porcelain knobs from the time it was made, is the only example of raised panels on a built-in. We are unsure of which building this came out of, though it can probably be dated to the middle of the 19th century.

Furniture Friday: Yellow Built-In

This built-in is unique in many ways, in that it r…

Preservation Month: Room in Progress - Continuing on with #NationalPreservationMonth, we are taking a look at a room in progress as part of an ongoing project to restore each room in the Centre House. This project started because of a generous donation from Jack and Betty Kesler.

Preservation Month: Room in Progress

Continuing on with #NationalPreservationMonth, we …

Furniture Friday: Dated Drop Leaf Table - This drop leaf table is unique in that it is the only table in the collection with this style of turning on the legs. It is also dated “August 1839” on the underside.

Furniture Friday: Dated Drop Leaf Table

This drop leaf table is unique in that it is the o…

Furniture Friday: New Child’s Chair - This week we are glad to feature a recent acquisition to the collection, this ca. 1830s child’s chair. It is nearly identical to two other chairs in the South Union collection.

Furniture Friday: New Child’s Chair

This week we are glad to feature a recent acquisit…

National Preservation Month - As we continue to celebrate National Preservation Month, we are highlighting the progress of the 1854 Wash House window restoration. Thank you to our many generous donors who have supported this on-going project!

National Preservation Month

As we continue to celebrate National Preservation …

Furniture Friday: Worldly Wardrobe - This wardrobe that belonged to Elder Harvey Eads is an example of the Shakers buying worldly furniture, especially in the later years. We know this piece belonged to Harvey Eads because he painted his initials on the inside door.

Furniture Friday: Worldly Wardrobe

This wardrobe that belonged to Elder Harvey Eads i…

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South Union Shaker Village

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Auburn, KY 42206

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