Alasa Farms, building in New York, United States
Alasa Farms is a historic farm property covering about 710 acres near Sodus in Wayne County, New York. The site includes original wooden houses built in the 1830s with sloped roofs, several barns with gambrel designs, a granary built in 1932, worker housing from 1926, and farm office buildings from around 1930.
The Shakers purchased the property in 1826 and established a settlement there until 1838, building homes and structures that still stand today. After changing hands several times, including a brief period with the Fourier Society in the mid-1800s, Alvah Strong and Asa McBride acquired it in 1924 and named it Alasa Farms as a model farm operation.
The farm was home to the Shakers, a religious community known for their craftsmanship and communal way of life from 1826 to 1838. The buildings and layout reflect their values of simplicity and shared responsibility that shaped daily activities here.
The farm is located on the south side of Sodus Bay and features nature trails that pass by historic buildings and open fields. Visitors should arrange tours in advance through the nonprofit organization that manages the site to learn more about the history and current animal care operations.
The farm may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, with local stories describing hidden passages and nearby creeks used to help enslaved people escape to Canada. The Shaker community here was also deeply involved in the abolitionist movement, actively working against slavery.
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