Syracuse University Library
Department of Special Collections
Oneida Community Collection

Oneida Community Photographs: A Finding Aid to Selected Images

Digital Edition.

This digitization project was supported by Regional Bibliographic Databases and Interlibrary Resources Sharing Program funds, awarded by the New York State Library.

Images scanned by Department of Information Systems and Peter Verheyen
Text encoded by Peter Verheyen
First edition, 1997.
ca. 19K
Department of Special Collections
Syracuse University Library
2000.
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Call number: Uncataloged

2000 - 03 - 28
Peter D. Verheyen, Project Manager
Enhancement of document header
1997 - 12 - 18
Peter D. Verheyen, Project Manager
Completion of inventory and encoding process.
Scanning and image conversion by Peter D. Verheyen and Department of Information Systems staff.

Oneida Community Photographs

A Finding Aid to Selected Images

These photographs are protected by U.S. Copyright and reproduction of any image presented in this collection requires the written permission of the:
Executive Director
Oneida Community Mansion House
170 Kenwood Ave.
Oneida, NY 13421
(315) 363-0745
ocmh@dreamscape.com

Entries #1-242 were reproduced from originals in the William A. Hinds Album (1906) held by the Oneida Community Mansion House, Inc. and include photographic images of "the Oneida Community, Wallingford Community, Niagara Falls, Groups, Buildings, and Old Members." Many of the photographs were by the Community's photographer, D. Edson Smith; others were done by commercial photographs. When possible, photographers are identified in the list below. Annotations and identifications used here appear in the original album and are by William A. Hinds, George E. Cragin, Hope Emily Allen, Carrie Bolles Cragin, and others.

#5 "Oneida Community,---The Dwellings" (Oneida: O. A. Hollenbeck, photographer, ca. 1863)

"This was taken on June 25, 1863. On left is seen the roof of old Francis House (also called "The White House"). On right is concrete building, Greenhouse and a bit of the old "Tool" House. Taken from top of old Livery Barn"

#6 Entrance lamp post and rustic bench.

"On seat: E. H. Hamilton, Mary Prindle. Leaning against post: H. W. Burnham."

#8 Mansion House Front Portico.

"Taken from the North Tower. It shows the butternut tree, a triangular grass-plot, a lamp-post, a group of cedars, and a circular roadway."

#9 South Side of Childrens House, ca. 1861-1869?

"A School room on lower floor of wing. Childrens House was built in 1849. Wing was added about 1857 or '58"

#10 Rustic Summer House with Group of Community Members.

"Charles Ellis - builder. Mr. Ellis was an Englishman accustomed to thatching."

#11 Between Mansion and Childrens House Looking West to Tontine and Concrete.

#12 North Lawn, ca. 1865?-1870?

#13 South Side of Old Mansion, before 1870-Court

#14 East Front of Mansion, ca. 1870.

"Showing the North Tower, 40 feet high. The North Tower was the highest structure in the world to most of us. A stairway and trap-door led from the fourth floor room to the top."-Gertrude H. Noyes.

#15 Croquet on South Lawn, ca. 1865-1870.

"South end of old Mansion House - Bath Hose on left. Albert Kinsley in center, Mr. Underwood, W. H. Woolworth. 1^st floor dining room; 2^nd floor meeting room. Sunday services where neighbors were welcome and also used for theatricals. 3d floor south end was used for a tailor shop, making cloth mittens, etc. out of old clothes as well as mens and boys suits. Mrs. Cornelius Higgins in charge until Mr. O. L. Aikan came. Attic was tent-room sleeping quarters. Annie Kelly joined March 20, 1865, house demolished 1870, hence picture between those dates.

#16 Old Tool House.

"About 1857 fruit canning was started in the lower floor of the main building. The upper floor contained two large bedrooms and a schoolroom for advanced studies. Originally this building was built for tools (farming and garden) and the upper floor drying seedcorn, peas, beans, etc. The extension was in two parts-the first for making both hard and soft soap and wood-ash lye. The 2^nd section was a pig pen with large yard on north side."

#17 South & West View of Tontine (Oneida, NY : Richardson & Clark, n.d.)

"The main part of this building became the family dining room and the back was the kitchen. Called the "Tontine" … a Boston hotel of that name.

#18 East Front of Mansion.

"J. H. Noyes, Jonathan Burt."

#19 Door to North Tower Room.

Below: "Jonathan Burt, William Kelly, Harriet Worden. Above: Charlotte Leonard, John Hutchins?" Note that there was originally no balcony.

#21 Upper Sitting Room.

#22 Tontine Dining Room - Showing round tables with revolving center invented by the O. C.

#24 Show Case in the Vestibule.

"This case was filled with curios - old coins, rare autographs, Chinese books, the jaw bone of a mastodon, etc. - a never-ending source of joy to children. At the left, door into Aunt Julie Ackley's room."

#25 Horse Barn.

"This building was originally the Horse Barn across the road and directly in front of the Mansion. The Cow Barn was where Girard Wayland-Smiths house now stands. What is now the Arcade or Office building was built for a Cow Barn. At this time were made many changes - The horses were moved to Old Cow Barn and the abandoned Horse Barn was fitted for a Store on ground floor of main building, the South wing for the Business Office, the North wing for a Tailor shop, Shoe shop, Post-office, etc. with sleeping rooms above, many changes following later."

#27 Horse Barn, South Side View.

#28 Quadrangle, ca. 1870?

"Old Reservoir removed. Before New House was built. Tulip tree planted in 1852."

#29 South View of Main Dwelling, 1870.

"J. H. Noyes on South porch in white coat."

#33 West Side, 1870.

#36 North Side.

#37 Corner of the Quadrangle, 1870.

#38 Group on the East Lawn.

#40 Quadrangle.

#41 South Front of Mansion.

"Corner of Playhouse 'Crooked Stump.' Where all children loved to play."

#42 Group on East Lawn.

#43 East Front of Mansion.

#44 Group on East Lawn.

#45 East Front of Mansion, showing drive-way and both South and North Towers.

#46 North View of Mansion, 1878, showing the newly built "New House"

#47 Corner of Quadrangle.

From left: " 'Concrete' [and] Unfinished 'New House' "

#48 Quadrangle, showing 'New House', 1878.

#50 South View of Mansion.

" 'Crooked stump.' Cedar tree where children climbed."

#53 Tontine, Ice House, Concrete in foreground.

#56 Looking East from New House.

#58 Gardens.

#59 Post Office Building.

#60 Seminary.

#61 From North Tower showing Post Office and Seminary.

#62 Looking South East from North Tower.

"Note rustic furniture"

#64 O & W Railway Station.

"Note that the station name is Oneida Community."

#70 Allen House at Wallingford, Conn., 1876.

"… built in 1832 … became the home of the Wallingford community from 1851 to 1877."

#71 North Tower.

"John H. Noyes & C. M. Leonard."

#76 Old Allen House, Wallingford, Conn.

"New Mansion building, 1876."

#78 Printing Office at Wallingford.

"Members slept in the upper rooms (being much cramped for space in Wallingford Com.)"

#79 Wallingford.

#80 Wallingford Factory.

#82 Wallingford Factory, 1878?

"Note Mr. E. H. Hamilton and other Community members and how much "child labor" appears."

#84 "The Arcade".

"... which after many vicissitudes became the first "Sales Office."

#85 Turkish Bath in the Arcade

#95 North Side of Trap Shop, 1865.

#99 Trap Shop, 1869.

#100 Stone Cottage, Niagara Fall, Canada.

"In this charming old English house at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Mr. Noyes spent the last years of his life, from the break-up of the Community in 1879 until his death, April 13, 1886. A loyal family surrounded him - Mother Noyes (H. A. Noyes), H. H. Skinner, Miss Jane Kinsley, Mrs. Ellen Miller, Miss Chloe Seymour, Mr. Herrick, Mr. Seymour, and a group of young people in their early teens, Humphrey, Pierpont, Holton, George, and Gertrude. The work of the house and barn and garden was divided among the members of the family. Open house was the rule and there was a constant flow of visitors from Oneida and from Community families living across the river. The long dining-room table usually seated a dozen or fifteen people. A meeting was held every Sunday afternoon with thirty or forty persons present, when Mr. Noyes usually talked, and often home-made wine and cake was passed. After Mr. Noyes' death, the Stone Cottage was rented to various families for some years, among them Pierpont Noyes, and Deming Smith, and finally was sold to the Oneida Community, Ltd. for a Canadian silver ware factory in 1890? In 1925 it was torn down and a fine modern factory built on its site."

#104 Oneida Community,--Group No. 1.

#105 O. C. Orchestra, 1863.

#107 Visitors Eating Strawberry Shortcake in Quadrangle, after 1870?

#111 Bag Bee in Quadrangle, before 1868.

#112 Community Bee to Clear the Lawn.

#113 Community Group.

#148 Anna Bolles with O. C. mop-wringer.

#149 Lily Hobart with mop-wringer invented by John Leonard.

#150 Vegetable-washer invented by John Leonard.

#169 Group of Children by Rustic Summer House, ca. 1870s.

#172 Group of children by Rustic Summer House, ca. 1870s.

#191 John Humphrey Noyes, ca. 1851.