December 1, 2022
EXPANDING STORIES: OUR ANNUAL APPEAL
Have you ever compared images from the Hubble Space Telescope and the new James Webb Space Telescope? Take a close look sometime. Hubble’s images show a remarkable slice of our universe. But images from Webb show so much more. While they do not displace the photos from Hubble, they reveal a depth and complexity that we have never before confronted.
We who support the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse engage in a parallel quest. Instead of space, we look at images of history. And, just as Webb’s photos reveal the depth and complexity of space, we confront the depth and complexity of time, full of interwoven, multi-dimensional stories that together make up the tapestry of human history on the beautiful landscape of the Finger Lakes and upstate New York that we call home.
In particular, we focus on people from all backgrounds who worked to make this a place of respect, safety, and community for everyone. Our special focus is on movements for equal rights (and we might also say mutual responsibilities) before the Civil War for people of African descent, Indigenous people, and women, asking us all to think about what these movements mean for us today.
We are an all-volunteer group. Our operating expenses come entirely from individual donors. We do pay for speakers and restoration of our historic 1816 Meetinghouse, with help from grants from Humanities New York, the National Park Service, and others. If you would like to support our continued outreach to the hundreds of people who attend our programs and visit our site each year, we would be very grateful. For more information about what we have done this year, see the attached annual appeal letter, which some of you may already have received.
Donations are welcome through PayPal or credit cards on the yellow button at the top right corner of our website or with checks made out to the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Museum and mailed to P.O. Box 25053, Farmington, New York 14425.
We are immensely grateful for all your support.
HAUDENOSAUNEE EDUCATION: MARISSA CORWIN MANITOWABI SPEAKS TO ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE AT GANONDAGAN
In a program co-sponsored with the Seneca Art and Culture Center at Ganondagan and funded by Humanities New York, Seneca museum educator Marissa Corwin Manitowabi spoke to an enthusiastic audience of about seventy people, including teachers from area school districts such as Rochester, Pittsford, and Irondequoit. She reviewed New York State elementary school curricula relating to Haudenosaunee people and then discussed current practices, with specific and practical ideas for student engagement. Her talk will be available shortly on video through the 1816 Meetinghouse website (www.famingtonmeetinghouse.org). We look forward to working with her on future projects.
EAGLE SCOUT COMPLETES INSTALLATION OF BENCHES ON 1816 NATURE TRAIL
Our deep thanks to Owen Binder, Eagle Scout from Troop 50 in Farmington. Owen has just completed construction of three benches, modeled on the historic benches in the 1816 Quaker Meetinghouse. These new benches are made of pressure-treated wood, so they will withstand outside weather conditions. They are now installed along the 1816 nature trail, which we are calling a Walk of Freedom Trail and Serenity Peace Park. All are welcome to enjoy! Thank you, Owen!
