Environmental Assessment Program

FAIN: PG-271583-20

Shaker Heritage Society (Albany, NY 12211-1004)
Johanna Grace Batman (Project Director: January 2020 to January 2023)

A preservation assessment by the Landmark Facilities Group to recommend improved environmental control for the main collection storage area of the Shaker Meeting House, a clapboard structure dating from 1848, along with the purchase and installation of dataloggers. The collection encompasses 600 to 700 objects (furniture, textiles, archival material, and household objects and workshop tools), postcards, ephemera associated with the Watervliet community from the mid-nineteenth century through the 1930’s, organization records, and historical photographs. The project would significantly improve problematic storage conditions, allow staff to reorganize the entire collection in a more stable environment, and make it more accessible to themselves, members, visitors, researchers, and educators.

Shaker Heritage is requesting PAG support to hire a consultant to conduct a two-part evaluation. The first phase will encompass an onsite visit and evaluation of our HVAC system, thermal envelope, and associated pipes and ductwork on the third floor adjacent to our collections storage space to identify deficiencies and develop a prioritized list of recommendations for implementation. The second phase will involve the purchase and programming of dataloggers for installation throughout the historic building to allow us to monitor conditions. The work will conclude with an annual report prepared by the consultant that charts and summarizes temperature and humidity trends.