SOUTH FAMILY


The South Family was established as the "Gathering Order" or novitiate order
\r the purposeof housing the new converts tdthe

the bell house, which still stands today, wa^is built on a lot southwest of and
adjoining the Church Family property, latod deeded to the Shakers by Benjamin Youngs Sr.
By 1810 the South Family had outgrown therestof the Society and the "Second
Family" (later to be called the West Family) was organized across the road tothe
north. The "gathering gift" remained with the South Family, but they were subject
to the direction and counsel of the eldership of theSecond Family.
In 1822 the South Family was released from the temporal and spiritual connec-
tion with the West Family and on June 22, 1823 they executed theiijown covenant.
In 1800, on November 24th, there had been eight sisters and eight brothers
Cjjnder the direction of Seth Y Wells & Benj. S. Youngs,
who had moved into the new South Family house./ By 1845 there were 3f males and
^syhject to Elder Ebenezer Cooley "for Young Believers at New Lebanon & WatervlietT
3^ females j/^heir assets for the year included 200 acres of improved land, six
rSprfa-H^ l &U^/fa*^t/J*^.&Lrt*J_l /^W>> j&ts^rK^r^

acres of peas cultivated, ^acretf of t^^^lj acres of potatoes ,**#acres of
corn, 3^-acroc of wheat -l^-aejresof-Tyeand-H^^er^e-ol^eates. They made 1000
pounds of butter, 450 pounds of cheese, and got 200 pounds of wool from their 76
sheep.
A Second House was built in 1822 which was later used as the Trustees' Office
and canning building. This still stands.
The first death at the SF was that of Philana Carter who died March 20, 1803
at the age of 33.

Elder Ebenezer was released and went to the CF in April of 1806 and Henry
Markham took his place. Henry was released and also went to CF in July 1807 and
the care of the Young Believers at Watervliet now was given to the elders of the
Watervliet CF. Seth Y. Wells was appointed Elder, with Joseph Hodgson; Hannah
*A^
Wells was Eldress, with Elizabeth Youngs.

When the Second Family was opened in 1810, Seth Wells and Joseph Hodgson were

now the Elders there, and Calvin Wells was in charge at the SF.