The Ruins at Sassafras
B y L a u r a M a r s
LAURA BURKE , COURTESY OF THE RUINS AT SASSAFRAS
PAST AND PRESENT COMBINE TO ENSURE THE FUTURE
“ DON ’ T CALL IT ‘ RUINS ,’ they said . No one wants their wedding to start in ruins ! They were wrong ,” says Carol Reichert . From weddings to classical concerts , high school graduations to Shakespeare plays , The Ruins at Sassafras provides the perfect setting for special events .
In 2020 , Reichert and her husband , Jerome Shereda , bought the 85-acre site of what was once the Shaker Second Family settlement on Mount Lebanon . They had renovated an 1800s farmhouse in Newton , Massachusetts , and wanted another shot at bringing a historic property back to life . What they found on top of the mountain that straddles New York and Massachusetts was not only extraordinary views and dilapidated structures , but a surprising affinity to the Shakers . As they renovated the buildings and cleared the land , they discovered artifacts — from medicine bottles to oxen yokes — that revealed its past . Thinking that the buildings and unburied artifacts were treasures too important to keep to themselves , they opened a museum and created a place to host events that would bring people to the mountain . Fires in 1875 and 1923 left nearly a dozen buildings in ruins , several that Reichert has yet to uncover , and sassafras trees were planted by Shakers for their medicinal value — The Ruins at Sassafras !
“ We are not trying to be a historically accurate restoration , but to preserve what ’ s been here and reinterpret it for
more modern day ,” explains Reichert , who also gives historic tours of the property . She ’ s grateful to Jerry Grant , Shaker scholar and director of collections and research at the Shaker Museum , for his help in identifying found objects and support of how she is reinventing the site .
As we walk the grounds — a cross between history and wonderment — Reichert says that she felt chosen to be the keeper of this property , a sentiment reminiscent of how Shaker founder Mother Ann Lee felt when a vision directed her to bring Shakerism from England to America .
“ We tried to find a place for every historic artifact we found ,” Reichert says . They discovered stone lintels ( beams placed above windows and doors ) throughout the property that are now staircases . A Shaker sink holds beer and wine during parties in the remnants of the hay barn . What was once the barn ’ s ramp is now the stage for wedding ceremonies . And Reichert created a garden of quilt-patterned grass on the ruins of the Sisters Workshop , where fabric work was done .
“ It ’ s very Shaker to repurpose ,” Reichert continues , pointing to a Shaker cauldron that she is turning into a fire pit . A low stone wall that was part of a water trough is becoming a sparkly mosaic forest as high school art students get creative with bits of excavated medicinal glass bottles .
Indeed , the property has been repurposed several times . Mary Chess , founder of the multi-million-dollar perfume company , the eponymous Mary Chess , lived there from 1940 to 1964 with her husband , Avery Robinson . Chess created perfumes using all natural ingredients and likely tapped into the 90 lilac bushes that were on the property back then to create her first perfume , White Lilac .
The Darrow School bought the property in 1964 . Reverend Parkman Dexter Howe , Jr ., chaplain and assistant headmaster of Darrow , lived there from 1965 to 1974 . Donald MacDonald bought the property in 1976 , making sheepskin coats in the Chair Factory with skins sent from Scotland . His business thrived until the early 1980s , when down coats became the rage . He sold the site to Shereda and Reichert in 2020 .
The buildings continue to retain their Shaker quality , but with a few twists . Weddings are celebrated in the Chair Factory , whose windows were enlarged to take advantage of the view . The bar mixes Shaker style with Moroccan design . The Brethren Workshop sleeps 14 . Bathroom floors are tiled in seed and flower patterns , a nod to the Shaker seed industry .
It ’ s a perfect place to hold a special event , with the natural beauty blending with the past and present . Or , inquire about taking a historic tour . sassafrasruins . com