January / February / March, 2018 1

The White WaterRecordJan./Feb./Mar., 2018 • Volume 5, Number 1

The newsletter of the Friends of White Water Shaker Village, Inc.

The Annual Gathering is an enjoyable event that includes Shaker related presentations, a silent auction, a pie raffle, and camaraderie over lunch. The programs then adjourn for a tour of the White Water Shaker North Family buildings and exhibits.

Date – Saturday April 14th, 2018 Location – Fernald Preserve Visitors Center and White Water Shaker Village North Family Site Time – 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

We are pleased to have Bob Menker and Ed Creighton to give presentations. Bob will talk about a very important early Union Village Shaker in “Richard McNemar – Guiding Light of the Western Shakers”, and Ed will share his extensive historic farming

Calling for raffle donations by Susy Spence, email to <susybskt@cinci.rr.com> In preparation for this year’s annual meeting, it’s time to pull together some fun items for our Shaker Raffle.

Look through your stash and see if you don’t have two of the same book or a Shaker treasure you would like someone else to enjoy. All donations are appreciated. Preferred are Shaker related items.

Please send an email to <susybskt@cinci.rr.com> describing your item for donation by Friday April 8, 2018.

The Friends of White Water Shaker Village kindly invite you to join us for our 2018 Annual Gathering.

knowledge in “The White Water Shakers: Life Down on the Farm”.The Fernald Preserve Visitors Center is located at 7400 Willey

Road in Southwest Ohio, approximately 18 miles Northwest of Cincinnati between Ross and Miamitown on Route 128. Get directions and a map to the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center at <www.lm.doe.gov/Fernald/Visitors_Center/Directions.pdf>

The 2018 Annual Gathering is open to members and non-members who are interested in learning more about our organization. Fill out the registration form on the return envelope and mail it to reserve a spot. Seating is limited so reserve early.

Please register early to guarantee your attendance! Registration deadline is Wednesday April 11th, 2018. We look forward to having you join us as we celebrate this exciting event!

Just before the start of the 2017 gathering, members, friends, and those interested in Shaker happenings exchange knowledge and stories of the White Water community. Coffee and snacks are shared while all can tour exhibits, bid on items in auction, and get to know more about the community of 100 years ago.

New members and those interested in joining us are always welcome. Above, new members and guests are introduced at the 2017 Annual Gathering.

Below, Susy Spence arranges the display of items for the auction that is always a fun highlight at the meeting.

2 The White Water Record

Our website address is<www.whitewatershakervillage.org>

Our mailing address isFriends of White Water Shaker Village

North Family Dwelling11813 Oxford RoadHarrison OH 45030

Our email address is<friendsofwwsv@gmail.com>

Look for us on Facebook. Searchfor White Water Shaker Village.

Our Mission Statement“To preserve, restore, and open the

Shaker buildings and adjacent grounds known as the North Family of White Water Shaker Village; to collect and

exhibit artifacts related to the site for the cultural enrichment of the public;

to educate the public about this unique part of our nation’s heritage.”

OfficersPresident

Richard SpenceVice PresidentEd Creighton

SecretaryDavid KilgoTreasurer

Jeff Werner

Board of DirectorsPatrick Allen

Christy ConnellyEd CreightonScott HooverDavid KilgoKaren Kilgo

Lois MaddenCarol MedlicottBruce PoynterLinda PoynterPatty Schultz

Richard SpenceJeff Werner

The Friends of White Water

Shaker Village, Inc.A 501(c)(3) corporation

190th Meeting House Anniversaryby Karen KilgoOn December 3, 2017, the glow of candlelight illuminated the attentive faces of members who attended the 190th Anniversary of the first Meeting House service. Soft shadows transported attendees’ imaginations back to that first service in the Meeting House on December 4, 1827.

On December 3, we celebrated our second annual commemoration of that service. Guests were greeted with cheese, crackers, cookies, hot cider, wine and good conversation. The program included music by the Western Shaker Singers, a reflection on that first service in the Meeting House by Carol Medlicott, historical events at the Meeting House by Tom Sakmyster and 2017 White Water Shaker Village activities by Bruce Poynter.

The program concluded with a question and answer session. Then, more cookies,

cheese, cider, wine and conversation after which our guests departed into the quiet evening.

January / February / March, 2018 3

Our 2017-2018 RaffleFundraiser continues!

The winner will be drawn at the 2018 spring Annual Gathering.Tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20.

New memberssince November 2017

Jerry & Joyce Bradley FamilyGerald Branditz SingleElizabeth Hansen FamilyJohn Kemper SingleJane S. Link SponsorIrene Mele SingleStephen Greene &Craig Richard Nelson Sponsor Chris Pack SingleLarry & Nancy Smith Family

Renewing memberssince November 2017 Record

Mary Abbott SinglePat & Mary Allen Sponsor Don & Teri Becker FamilyPatricia Bertsch SingleMartha Boice White Water Shaker SocietyJennifer Bornemann SponsorLarry Brown & Cheri Beck FamilyDebbie Brunner SponsorDavid & Karen Budd FamilyJohn & Sue Buescher FamilyMarjorie Burress FamilyBob & Jan Campbell FamilyMichael & Christy Connelly SponsorDale Covington FamilyRoxanne Dieffenbach FamilyElaine Disch SponsorJeanne Doan FamilySharon Edwards SingleFrank Elsner SingleJ, Wilson & Winifred Ferguson SponsorGayle Ficken-Clarke FamilyRichard Fisher SingleFred & Chieko Fisk FamilyBruce & Charlotte Gibson SponsorJoe Grittani SingleDeborah Hall SingleBeth Harnist SponsorMary Hinton SingleClayton & Ethel Hock FamilyCharles Hungate SingleJim Innis SponsorCarl & Anne Jantzen SponsorJames Jenny SingleClare & Roland Johnson SponsorR Dennis & Lonetta Kelly SponsorM. Jean Knollman SingleLarry Leslie &

Stephen McClanahan FamilyIrene Light FamilySusan & Kevin Lindsey FamilyJanet Lockwood SingleRobert Martin FamilyPaul & Elizabeth Mattingly Family

Margaret McGee SingleBruce Metzger SingleMark & Beth Parker Miller FamilyBill Mooney SingleAl & Regeana Morgan FamilyLarry & Marsha Orcutt FamilyBruce & Linda Poynter FamilyElizabeth Riorden SponsorPaul Ruffing SponsorTom & Diane Sakmyster PatronMayo & Suzanne Sanders SponsorDavid Savage SingleDeborah Schakel SinglePat Scharf SingleJon & Jacqueline Seymour FamilyMarvin Shrimplin FamilyJulie Smith FamilyRich & Susy Spence FamilyDale Spencer White Water SocietyClara Staunton SingleAntonio Torres FamilyBob & Pat Wagner FamilyRoberta Warndorf SingleW Hollis Weaver & Annette Miller SponsorPeggy & George West FamilyJoyce Wiseman SingleSherry Wittry Single

Donationssince November 2017

AnonymousJohn & Sue BuescherGerald & Gail ChuckCincinnati Cycle ClubMichael & Christy ConnellyElaine DischElaine Disch (in honor of the marriage of

Barbara Murphy and Dale Covington)Kathe DoughertyFrank ElsnerDavid & Kathleen FeatherstoneKay GreeneJoe GrittaniDeborah HallSteve & Michelle HancockElizabeth HansenScott & Elaine HooverCharles HungateMidge KingGeorge & Darlene KohrmanIrene LightJanet Lockwood Bill MooneyMary MedlicottRegeana & Al MorganBruce & Linda PoynterPaul RuffingDavid SavageDeborah SchakelDeborah Schakel (in memory of Diana)Pat ScharfShaker Farms Garden ClubMarvin ShrimplinJulie SmithRich & Susy SpenceBob & Pat WagnerRoberta WarndorfW. Hollis Weaver & Annette MillerHedda Windisch von GoebenJoyce WisemanSherry Wittry

Pat & Mary Allen microwave ovenEd & Kathy Creighton dehumidifierScott Hoover toolshed organizer

Ohio craftsman Steve Foley has reproduced a c 1860 Mount Lebanon walnut table with two apron drawers.

Dimensions:27½ʺ wide19¼ʺdeep24½ʺ high.

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Wood HouseTool OrganizerThe Wood House has become a storage place for gardening supplies and tools, and “storage” has meant leaning these tools up against the wall.

Scott Hoover came to our rescue, fabricating two rows of hangars, on which the location of each tool is marked.

Very Shaker-like!

Above, garden tools hung and numbered in Shaker-like order.

Below, Scott Hoover making final adjustments.

The “before” picture of the Wood House and some of its tools.

Meeting House second floor jacuzzi hole. The staircase is not original and was removed.

Ten years ago at theWhite Water Meeting HouseThe winter of 2008by Scott Hoover

It was in the fall of 2007 and the winter of 2008 that work began on the interior of the Meeting House second floor. Some work had already been done on the exterior of the building – mostly painting – after the last Great Parks employee-tenant had moved out. The second floor needed extensive work to bring it back to its original Shaker footprint.

The effort was begun by removing the plywood from the original poplar floor, which was held on with spiral nails that were difficult to remove. Shims had been put under the plywood to level out the floor. The center of the floor had a six-foot by 4-foot hole with a banister around it. We were told that the last owner needed the hole to move a hot tub to the second floor and pinball machines into the attic! He also removed the original stairway to the attic and put in a new, wider stairway in a different location.

Additional walls had been added and closets built in. One of the closets had a built-in safe. A bathroom was added where a storage room was located and a large Shaker closet held the elevated hot tub. All of the windows had been replaced and many did not have the finish work done.

It was in the winter that Jim Innis, Scott Hoover and his friend Chuck Adrian began much of the demolition. The bathroom fixtures and hot tub were removed. The plywood flooring was torn out and many of the walls came down. By spring, the second floor retained much of its original appearance except for the big “Jacuzzi hole”. A few years ago, Joe Grittani and Dave Coleman were able to replace the flooring where the hole was and fill in additional holes made for electrical outlets and plumbing.

Today some of the walls have the framing ready for drywall, much of the peg rail needs to be replaced and a new stairway needs to be built to the attic. The second floor is usually open during open houses, but according to architect’s concerns, only ten people are allowed to be on the second floor at one time and less if snow is on the roof.

January / February / March, 2018 5

MH 2nd floor – railing removed from hole in the floor.

Chuck and Jim removing hot tub platform.

Chuck Adrian and Jim Innis removing nails from floor.

Built in safe – not Shaker. Jim removing pieces of floor.

Rich Spence on second floor. Frank Elsner , Jim Innis, Tommy Hines, Rich Spence, John Campbell.

6 The White Water Record

Furnace Woes, Againby Bruce PoynterThe cold spell after Christmas brought some bad news from the Meeting House. A security check on December 28 revealed that the furnace was not running; the first floor was at 35° and the cellar was at 38° at the water lines (it would drop to 28° before this adventure was over).

The usual methods of restarting the aging 27 year old furnace failed, and a service call the next day determined the furnace’s heat exchanger was shot and the unit was no longer repairable. A replacement furnace was ordered but could not be installed immediately due to the holiday weekend.

The unusually cold temperatures – the high on January 1 was 10° – prompted quick action. Several board members wrapped almost 90 feet of heat tape to prevent the line to the dwelling and new restroom from freezing until the new furnace could be installed on January 2.

We would like to thank Rob, from Huff Heating and Cooling, for braving the below freezing temperatures in the basement to install the new furnace. This, however, is a major unexpected expense. Donations to help defray this cost will be gratefully accepted. More information can be found on our website at <www.whitewatervillage.org>.

Rob hooking up the new furnace. It was cold down there!

The White Water Meeting House in the snow waiting for its new furnace to be installed.

Out with the old, in with the new, right as the year changes.

Our new restroom in the snow on January 2, 2018. Fast action saved the pipes to this new facility from damage by the freezing weather.

January / February / March, 2018 7Be sure to register quickly for the White Water Annual Seminar for the fun, learning, and good food. Then plan to join us afterwards for a tour of the White Water site as it works to opening to the public.

Shaker ShopRecent AdditionsWisdom’s Voice is a CD recording of Shaker Music. Artist: Carys Kunze. 19th century music written at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill KY. Recorded onsite in the Shaker’s 1820 Meeting House.

CD retail is $15.00.

Shaker Book: Mr. Lincoln’s Chair, The Shakers and Their Quest for Peace by author Anita Sanchez. Relates to the Civil War and American Shaker communities and their interaction with President Abraham Lincoln.

Book retail is $17.95.

Wish List updateThanks to the generosity of our members, we have received a

microwave for the kitchen in the dwelling and a dehumidifier for the meeting house cellar. Thank you!

Here is an updated Wish ListNew or gently used:

• Various sized tarps for painting and general use• Garden hoses – 50ʹ lengths, sprinklers and nozzles, new or used• Gift cards from Lowe’s or Home Depot• Battery operated candles and lanterns for evening programs

Please contact <lindap@whitewatervillage.org> if you can help. Thanks!

There’s Valuein Membershipby Linda PoynterMemberships to the White Water Shaker Village are significant and important in maintaining and saving the village and its buildings. While the village is dependent on the income from memberships in order to provide basic needs (such as propane for heat, electricity, water, and the phone line for the security system), a membership has value for the holder as well.

Members of the Friends of White Water Shaker Village enjoy a 10% discount in the gift shop, free or reduced admission to special events (such as the Annual Gathering, Anniversary Celebration, and workshops), and issues of our quarterly newsletter, The White Water Record.

As we continue to work to preserve and restore the historical Shaker buildings left in our care, we hope you continue to enjoy your membership and remain Friends with us for many years to come. We encourage you to visit often and help us share the Shaker story.

A Shaker MomentWe want to honor & remember our dear Mary Helen Beimesche

for assisting with Shaker events these past years. Mary Helen passed away on January 19 after a long illness. She taught school for 45 years at St. Ursula Academy, volunteered at the Miami Whitewater regional park visitors center, and helped the Friends out during events, assisting Christy Connelly in our gift shop. Memorials may be made to St. Ursula Academy; 1339 East McMillan St; Cincinnati OH 45206.

We Thank you & rest in peace.

42nd annual Shaker SeminarHancock Shaker Village’s 42nd annual Shaker Seminar will convene this summer on Wednesday June 27 to Sunday July 1 to explore the Shaker legacy in Ohio. For the base in Cincinnati, the Seminar will spend a full day at White Water on June 28, followed by Friday at Union Village and Lebanon, and Saturday at Watervliet and Carillon Historical Park.

A preliminary schedule and registration form can be found at <www.hancockshakervillage.org>.

We are pleased that the seminar is coming to Ohio and will enjoy our magnificent meeting house and the North Family site.

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The Friends of White WaterShaker Village, Inc.North Family Dwelling11813 Oxford RoadHarrison OH 45030

First Class Mail

JFM18

Notice toFW WSV membersIn accordance with the Friends of White Water Shaker Village, Inc. Code of Regulations, a meeting of members will be held at the Annual Gathering on April 14, 2018 to elect Directors.

Nominations for Directors areScott Hoover, David Kilgo,Ed Creighton, Linda Poynter,

Patrick Allen

Rich Spence, President

Please...

Register for the Annual Gathering

Become a member

Renew your membership

x Purchase raffle tickets

Make a donation to FWWSV

by completing the form on the return envelope

that came with this newsletter.

If you are registering for the Annual Gathering,

please be sure to include your email address.

Thank you! This helps us greatly.