Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont
There are “museum villages” across the country. They can be wonderful places to learn about local history, culture, and lifestyles. The Shelburne Museum , in Shelburne Vermont, goes a step further than most of its contemporaries, it offers excellent artwork on view for its visitors. The Shelburne Museum was founded by Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888-1960). Webb was the youngest child of Henry Havemeyer, president of the American Sugar Refining Company, and Louisine Elder Havemeyer. Her parents were collectors of impressionist art, filling their apartment in New York City with paintings from that era. As an adult, she began collecting New England furniture and craftwork, which she used to decorate a farmhouse belonging to her in-laws. Electra Havemeyer Webb by Shelburne Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons In 1947, Electra Webb decided to form a museum to house her collection of horse-drawn carriages. She quickly realized her potential to create a “collection of ...