My Father’s House

My Father's House is a remarkable and unique memoir—the intimate account of a childhood that could have occurred at only one time and place in American history. Pierrepont Noyes was born in 1870 into the Oneida Community, one of the most radical and successful utopian experiments in American history.

For over thirty years, approximately 300 people lived together in the "Mansion House" at Oneida, New York, under the leadership of John Humphrey Noyes (the author's father). The community practiced Christian communism, sharing all property and income in common. Most controversially, they practiced "Complex Marriage"—a form of free love in which exclusive romantic attachments were discouraged and sexual relationships were arranged by committee. Children were raised communally in the Children's House, deliberately separated from their biological parents to prevent "sticky" emotional attachments.

Pierrepont Noyes was one of the eugenically selected children of the community—his birth was the result of deliberate "stirpiculture," the community's program of planned breeding. Despite being the founder's son, he was raised apart from his father and mother, living first in the East Room and then graduating to the South Room of the Children's House.

What makes this memoir extraordinary is its warmth and affection. Rather than recounting a story of deprivation or brainwashing, Noyes describes a deliriously happy childhood filled with adventure, mischief, passionate friendships, and a genuine sense of security. He writes with the freshness and immediacy of childhood itself, bringing to life the daily routines, the games, the "scrapes" he got into, and the complex social dynamics of this unique society.

The narrative then follows the dramatic breakup of the community in 1880, when Pierrepont was ten years old. Suddenly thrust from a world of communal harmony into one of individual struggle and selfishness, the young boy faced ridicule for his unconventional birth and background. The book traces his journey through this difficult transition, his developing relationship with his father, and his eventual emergence as an individual ready to make his way in the conventional world.

The Oneida Community represents one of the boldest social experiments in American history. Founded in 1848, it was based on the perfectionist Christian theology of John Humphrey Noyes, who believed it was possible to achieve a sinless state through communal living and mutual criticism. The community was economically successful, operating various businesses including the manufacture of steel traps and, eventually, silverware.

When the community abandoned its religious and sexual practices in 1880 and reorganized as a business, it became Oneida Limited, which grew into one of America's most successful silverware manufacturers. A graduate of Colgate University, Pierrepont Noyes became president of the company in 1894, leading it for decades, developing progressive labor policies including profit-sharing and voluntary salary reductions for management during difficult times.

Binding: Hardcover in attractive red cloth
Dust Jacket: Not present
Condition: Very Good. Tight binding, clean interior, light rubbing to cloth, no significant flaws. An excellent reading copy.
Illustrations: Illustrated with photographs