| bio | Shaw, Levi (1819-1908), trustee of the North F., Mt. Lebanon, NY, was born in New Holland, PA. He lost his mother,
when he was six. His father, John, was a member of the shortlived Valley Forge community, whose members joined
the Shakers in 1826 and 1827. Levi, together with others, joined next year, in 1828, and was placed at Upper
Canaan, NY, where he signed the sacred roll in 1842, at the age of 24. During his eighty years as a Shaker he was
boys' caretaker, trustee, business manager, and elder. More specifically, he was appointed 2nd elder at Upper
Canaan in 1841, but in 1846 he moved to the North F., Mt. Lebanon, NY. He was listed in the 1860 US Census as a
gardener, and in 1870 and 1880 as a trustee, which he remained until 1906. In that capacity he advertised as
manufacturer of, and wholesale dealer in, Shaker carpet and rug whips, and also as manufacturer of wire and rattan
goods, in 1902 and 1903, respectively, from Mt. Lebanon. In 1906 he became overseer at the North F., Enfield, CT,
where he died.
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