White Eagle Conference Center - Americana Village

The Center - Americana Village

Lawrence A. Appley Center	Americana Village
The Grove	Mitchell Point

Americana Village
1850-1914

The Americana Village is commonly used for:

Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies at the Gazebo in the Park
Indoor Wedding Ceremonies in Ketchum Church (1848)
Craft Fairs
Graduation Parties
Family Reunions
Tourism

Created in 1967 by the Americana Foundation for Management Research, Americana is historical research of a source from which many great American values have come. This village is a restoration and, in a few cases, a copy of buildings and environment that contributed much to American culture and civilization.

Within the early American Village are the roots of many of our modern institution and certainly of some of our basic principles and philippics. This restoration is for the purpose of making available for study, a continuing reminder of that from which we have come as a nation.

Most of the buildings were moved to the Village from within a 35 mile radius. Each one has a historical background pertaining to this particular section of the country. There are 17 buildings containing some 30 displays. Each exhibit shows some art or craft particular to the 1850 thru 1914 era.

The American Village was created with the idea of giving people a chance to see and become part of an environment that has had so much influence on the society we live in today, demonstrating the fundamental human values that are a significant part of our heritage.

Since management plays such an important part in all our lives, it is only fitting that the American Management Associations create such a Village in order to depict the early stages of management in this country. In each of the buildings throughout the Village, certain types of management were required. From these various types of management came the principles that are actually applied and studied today. By viewing the early “mama and papa” concept of management and all the principles involved, we are better able to understand how it all evolved into the more intricate forms of management we have today.

AMERICANA is a place where we study the person in management – in the store, in the livery stable, in the blacksmith shop, in the hotel, in the old mill, in the church, and in the home. The more we come to understand those real values that make people good people, the more we will understand the essentials of good management.

	Gate House - 1800 This building was originally part of another house in the Americana Village. It has been located near the main gate so that we might have some place from which to begin our tours. Inside there is a place for the guests to register, plus a few exhibits and public rest rooms.
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	Appleford House - 1813 Donated by George S. Dively, Chairman, Harris – Intertype Corporation AMA Director and Michael A. Dively, his son. The building was originally built in the Village of Hamilton, New York in 1813 and later purchased by Elisha Payne, the founder of Hamilton. It was used for many years as a Boarding House. After being cut into seven sections, it was moved to the present site and restored as an 1880 Boarding House. Three rooms presently display a Barber Shop, a Dentist’s office, and a Doctor’s office. These normally would not be found in a Boarding House, but present a representative picture of these professions in the 1880's.

	Barber Shop - 1890 The items in the Barber Shop are from the collections of Clarence H. Wood, Hamilton, New York; Mrs. and the late Dr. Frederick Sabin, Little Falls, New York; and Mr. Rocco Cacianese, Canasota, New York.
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	Dentist's Office - 1885 The Dentist’s equipment is from the collection of Dr. Charles Fowler, Rome, New York. It is typical of the Dentist office in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

	Doctor's Office - 1895 The Doctor's equipment is from the collection of Mrs. and the later Dr. Frederick Sabin, former President of Early American Industries, Little Falls, New York. Dr. Sabin, a medical doctor, spent many years collecting the early tools of the medical profession.

	Collester House - 1793 The center section of this house was originally built by James D. Collester. Located in Madison Center Just two miles east of the Americana Village, it was used for many years as a Tavern and Stage coach stop. When in operation, it was known as the “Bull’s Head Tavern”.
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	Town Meeting Hall - 1844 Donated by Don G. Mitchell Chairman of the Board American Management Associations, Albert J. Nickerson, Chairman Mobil Oil Corporation, Saul Poliak, President Clapp and Poliak, Inc. This building was built in Stockwell, New York in 1844. It was originally built on land donated by Elijah Conger, a prominent citizen of Stockwell at that time. In the early nineteen hundreds, it was abandoned by the Church Council and taken over by the townsfolk to be used as their Town Meeting Hall.

	Rebeccah Cemetery - 1803 The cemetery is a reproduction of a private burial ground for the Sylvester Woodman family from 1803 to 1861. At that time, due to the increase in population, persons outside the family wished to be buried in the cemetery. An association was formed called the Rebeccah Cemetery Association, named after Rebeccah Woodman who was the first person to be buried there in 1803. The site continued to be used until the early 1900's. The original site was directly across the road from the Americana Village. Only the headstones were moved.

	Ketchum Methodist Church - 1848 Donated by Lawrence A. Appley Chairman Emeritus American Management Associations The church was named after a traveling preacher known as Elder Ketchum. He came to the Pittsfield, New York area in 1845 and spent some three years traveling from home to home preaching the Gospel and collecting items that could be turned into cash to finance a church he wished to build. As a result of his hard work and dedication, the church was built in that area in 1848. After the church was erected, a small community sprang up around it which became known as Ketchum, New York.
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	Cobbler's Shop - 1880 The building that houses this display is a reproduction. All the original tools that were used by the shoe and boot maker in the 1800’s can be seen inside. The artifacts are from a collection of the late Dr. Fredrick C. Sabin, Little Falls, New York.

	Sap House - 1810 Donated by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mangano Johnny Cake Hill Farm - Hamilton, New York This an early 19th century barn converted into a "Sap House"” It houses evaporating equipment typical of the 1880's, used in the making of, maple syrup. This equipment includes a wood fired stone arch with flat pans, incorporating the early siphon method of conveying the sap from one pan to another, and wooden storage tanks. Wooden sap buckets and wooden spigots were used to “tab” the maple trees. A horse drawn wooden gathering tank was used to collect the sap and bring it to the sap house to be boiled. The building was moved from Johnny Cake Hill, which is located about one mile from the Village. Some of the early settlers who came to this area were partial to johnny cake, hence the name "Johnny Cake Hill".
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	Saw Mill - 1890 This building is a reproduction built with lumber taken from old houses and barns torn down in the immediate vicinity. The equipment on the inside is authentic, consisting of a complete mill with a circular saw blade, a moveable log carriage, and an endless chain which carries the sawdust outside while the mill is in operation. Earlier mills were all operated by water and had a vertical saw blade. These were known as "muley saws." Also, some early carpenter tools consisting of planers, joiners, and a "cut-off" saw are in the building.

	Carriage House - 1890 This building is a reproduction built from lumber sawed in our own mill. On the inside can be seen carriages and sleighs dating from 1870, and also an 1840 horse drawn hearse.

	Harness Shop - 1880 This building is an original. It was formerly located on land owned by Adon Smith, a prominent citizen of Hamilton, New York in the 1800's. The building dates somewhere between 1875 and 1895 and was used as a carriage house. We have converted it to a late 1800 harness shop. In a shop such as this, the harness maker would spend long hours each day stitching and sewing the leather by hand to fashion the harnesses worn by the many horses in the area at that time.
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	Hop Kiln - 1953 This building was located in a small settlement known as “Puckerville, - near North Brookfield, New York. It was on a large hop farm operated by the Alfred Moore family until the early 1900's. During this era, numerous buildings such as this one dotted the countryside. Inside can be seen many of the tools used to harvest the hops, plus the kiln and a press used to bale the hops. Hops are used in the making of beer and yeast. From 1850 up to the early 1900's, this particular section of the country was noted as the leader in hop production.

	George A. Peck General Store - 1890 Donated by Lee S. Bickmore, former Chairman of the Board National Biscuit Company. Paul C. Cupp, Chairman of the Board Acme Markets This building is a reproduction of a typical country store of the late 1800's. The front part of the building houses all of the items familiar to a country store of that era. In the back, an Apothecary shop plus the old soda fountain can be found.

	Lucy's House - 1800 This house was built around 1800 in a small settlement near Brookfield, New York, called Puckerville, located on the edge of the Nine Mile Swamp. At this time, it served both as living quarters and a place to make hand drawn shingles. At a later date, more rooms were added and the owners started a hop farm which was operated until the early 1900's. The house is named after Lucy Usher, an employee of AMA since 1955. The building was acquired from her mother's estate and Lucy was born in one of the upstairs bedrooms. It was to this farm that a young Russian lad by the name of Maurice Hindus came to live and work. After graduating from Colgate University, he went on to become a noted author and authority on Russia. One of his books, The Green World, vividly describes this house and the people in it at the time he resided there.
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	School House - 1800 This building was built and organized in 1880 in Hubardsville, New York as District No. 15. It later became known as the "Black School District". The building was used until 1943 when the District became part of the Hamilton Central School system. Education being a most important part of our society, the one room school house is a masterpiece of Americana memorabilia. A high degree of concentration had to be practiced by each student because grades one thru eight were taught by one teacher in one room. Also, with the extreme difference in age plus the variety of subjects, strict discipline had to be maintained.

	Still House - 1871 This building was originally located on Madison Street in Hamilton, New York. Built in 1871, it served as a private residence. It has been restored to living quarters for persons residing in Americana Village.
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	Frederick House - 1800 This building was located in Madison Center, New York some three miles north of the Americana Village. Built in 1800, it was used over the years as living quarters. After moving it to the Americana Village in 1968, it has been reported to living quarters for persons residing in the Village. Our Gate House, located near the front gate and this building were originally all one house.

	Cover Bridge - 1840 This bridge is a reproduction of the many bridges that dotted the landscape during the 1800's. There are many stories about why the bridges were covered. The reason has to do with preservation. They were constructed entirely of wood and would deteriorate very rapidly if exposed to the elements.
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	Livery Stable c1811 Donated by Charles E. Spahr Chairman of the Board, The Standard Oil Company(Oil) This building was originally built by the David Hitchcock family who were early settlers in Hamilton, New York, It was used to house their horses and carriages.

	Blacksmith Shop - 1814 This building was built in 1814 in South Brookfield, New York, and was operated well into the 1900's. During the 1800's the village smithy was a very important man in the community. It was he who fashioned in his shop all the items made of metal which were used both in the home and in the field. It has been recorded that the "Loomis gang" frequently had their horses shod in this very building. The notorious "Loomis gang" lived near the Nine Mile Swamp which is located a few miles east of Americana Village. They used the swamp as a place to hide their stolen horses and cattle.

	Bandstand - 1880 Donated by Mr. & Mrs. William C. Treuhaft, Chairman, The Tremco Manufacturing Company This structure, known as a "Gazebo", is a reproduction of an original located in Veron Center, New York. A bandstand like this located on the village green, provided much needed entertainment for the residents of isolated villages like Americana. The mode of travel being what it was in those days, recreation was limited to local participation. The Saturday night band concert and ice cream social helped to break the monotony and provide enjoyment to all persons living in the small villages during this era. This practice was actually carried on by many small communities into the mid 1900's.

	Smoke House Two types of smoke house are to be found within the Americana Village. The first structure is built entirely of wood and dates back to the early 1800’s. It was constructed over a pit in the ground which served as a place for the fire. Inside the building, a rod would be suspended from side to side and meat would be hung on "meat hooks" over the fire.
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