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| John Humphrey Noyes, (1811-1886) American utopian socialist. He founded the Oneida Community in 1848. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| East Lawn & Portico, by Oneida Community (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The Christian" family" encompassed the definition of the whole group.
Women in the Oneida Community, over the age of 14, were considered equal to men and they were not restricted to domestic chores. A communal nursery and a belief in birth control; allowed women to be free from the burden of child rearing. Many worked beside the males in the community.
Even the dress of the women reflected this equality. Women wore pants the resembled bloomers under short dresses to be able to more easily engage in what were seen as "male" jobs. Noyes also discourage women from wearing fancy dresses as he taught that it lead to females becoming vain and materialistic. Some women in the community had to be forced to wear the bloomer uniform.
Children raised in the community were generally separated from their mothers when they were one and reared in the community nursery. Parents visited their children, but close bonding was discouraged. Every child was considered to be a child of all the adults in the community. In 1869 the community started a program of selective breeding among its members.
By Oneida Community -- Publisher [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Members who wished to breed were brought before a committee to decide if they were most likely to bring forth "moral "children. There were 53 children born by these unions and nine were believed to be fathered by Noyes himself. It should be noted that the children raised at the community were viewed as exceptionally talented and artistic. Works of art made by many of the older children of the commune can be viewed on exhibit at the Mansion House.
Internal and external pressures brought on by the increasing number of rules instituted by Noyes, and then by Noyes son lead the community to dissolve as a commune in 1879. By the 1881, those who remained in the community broke into more traditional family units and formed the company of Oneida Limited .They focused on silversmith work. The commune had learned to craft silverware as one of its many business ventures to raise funds to remain a self contained community.
In 2005 the company ceased manufacturing silverware and cutlery but still serves as a distributor of silver products imported into this country and sold under the Oneida brand name. The last member of the Oneida community Ella Florence Underwood (1850-1950), died on June 25, 1950 in Kenwood, New York near her childhood home at Oneida.
The most notable building left from the Oneida community is the large communal home where the majority of the members lived at least part of the time called The Mansion House which is an astounding 93,000 square feet. The home was continuously occupied by at least some of its members from 1862 -1914 and then occupied by residents connected to Oneida Limited up until 1965.
Today it houses 35 apartments, a restaurant, museum, and meeting rooms. It also has 9 rooms for guest who wish to visit over night. The museum part of the Oneida Mansion offers self guided and guided tours for groups. It is open year-round except major holidays. The hours are as follows:
Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 12 to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 12 to 4 p.m.
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| English: Oneida Community, Home Building, Oneida, Ny. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Some of the more interesting doctrines of the religious commune at the Oneida were as follows;
Complex Marriage: This was the idea every adult man in the community was married to every adult women. Those who wished could pursue a sexual relationship with a member of the opposite sex as long as both parties consented. Romantic and emotional attachments were strongly discouraged and could result in forced separation by the larger community.
Male Continence" This was the rule that males would not create unwanted pregnancies during intercourse by mastering the ability to not ejaculate during sex.
Ascending Fellowship-This was the practice of older godly members of the group mentoring young male and female virgins into understanding and mastering the groups birth control, sexual, and breeding practices. It was designed to discourage romantic attachments between boys and girls of the same age and was instituted when children reached the age of 14.
Young men were encouraged to engage in sexual activities with post menopausal women until the mastered the ability to control their ejaculation and therefore not risk unplanned pregnancy in younger female members.
Mutual Criticism - Those who broke the policies of the community were brought to be reprimanded for the errors of their ways many times in front of the whole community. All members of the community were subject to this 'mutual criticism" except the top male leaders of the community. It was believed by Noyes that allowing criticism of the leaders of the community would lead to schism.
Ironically, the communal mansion built by the man who did not believe in traditional marriage is now a popular site for weddings and wedding receptions.
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