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Community, Equality, Simplicity, and Charity the Hancock Shaker Village

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Community, Equality, Simplicity, and Charity the Hancock Shaker Village Community, equality, simplicity, and charity Studying and visiting various forms of religion gives one a better insight to the spiritual, philosophical, physical, cultural, social, and psychological understanding about human behavior and the lifestyle of a particular group. This photo program is about the Hancock Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The Village includes 20 historic buildings on 750 acres. The staff provide guests with a great deal of insight to the spiritual practices and life among the people called Shakers. Their famous round stone barn is a major attraction at the Village. It is a marvelous place to learn about Shaker life. BACKGROUND “The Protestant Reformation and technological advances led to new Christian sects outside of the Catholic Church and mainstream Protestant denominations into the 17th and 18th centuries. The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers, was a Protestant sect founded in England in 1747. The French Camisards and the Quakers, two Protestant denominations, both contributed to the formation of Shaker beliefs.” <nps.gov/articles/history-of-the-shakers.htm> “In 1758 Ann Lee joined a sect of Quakers, known as the Shakers, that had been heavily influenced by Camisard preachers. In 1770 she was imprisoned in Manchester for her religious views. During her brief imprisonment, she received several visions from God. Upon her release she became known as “Mother Ann.” “In 1772 Mother Ann received another vision from God in the form of a tree. It communicated that a place had been prepared for she and her followers in America. So, in 1774, Mother Ann and eight followers set sail for New York. Their goal was to establish Shaker communities based on the tenants of community, equality, simplicity, and charity.” “At their peak in the mid-19th century, the Shakers had about 6,000 followers in 19 communities.” <nps.gov/people/ann-lee.htm> The name “Shaker” came from the Wardley Society in Manchester, England. The Society had left the Quakers. Ann Lee joined the Wardley Society in 1758. Part of the religious practice involved singing, dancing, and shaking body movements. They became known as the “Shaking Quakers,” later Shakers. Those who emigrated to America became known as “United Society of Believers in the Second Coming of Christ,” and were known as the “Believers.” <home.shakerherittage.org> The American Shakers began their religious life in a place called “Niskayuna,” today’s Watervliet, NY. The communal settlement went through tough times during the early years. Mother Ann Lee died in 1774. Other men and women assumed the leadership role and in time other Shaker communal groups were found in Indiana, Kentucky, New England, New York, and Ohio. This religious group’s belief included pacifism, celibacy, and communal living. Shaker sites in the United States: Shaker Heritage Society, Watervliet, NY; Sabbathday Lake, Maine; Enfield, New Hampshire; Canterbury Shaker Village, New Hampshire; Chatham, NY (Old Chatham and New Lebanon); North Union Shaker Village, Cleveland, Ohio; Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, Kentucky; South Shaker Village, Shakertown, Kentucky. The Hancock Shaker Village “The Hancock Shaker Village was founded in 1783 and was active through 1960. The Shakers have made important contributions to American culture in their art, architecture, craftsmanship, music, government, agriculture, and commerce. They are renowned today for their plain architecture and furniture. The Hancock community, the third of nineteen major Shaker villages established in New England, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, grew under the leadership of Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright, with land donated by converted farmers. At the peak of its success in the 1840s, the Hancock community had more than 3,000 acres and 300 members. The community gradually declined, in part due to the urban migration that followed the Industrial Revolution. By the early 1900s, only 50 members remained, most of them children. Eventually, excess land was sold, and many buildings were destroyed.” <hancockshakervillage.org/history> Concerned citizens stepped in to preserve the Village in the 1960s. Today, the 750-acre Hancock Shaker Village operates as a living-history museum open to the public with 20 authentic Shaker buildings, rich collections of Shaker furniture and artifacts in rotating exhibits, a full schedule of activities and workshops, a mile-long hiking trail and picnic areas, store and cafe, and a working farm with extensive gardens and heritage-breed livestock.” <hancockshakervillage.org/history> The Hancock Shaker Village was the Shaker community that developed the round barn. “The Round Stone Barn, the most notable Hancock building, is the only Shaker barn of its kind. The circular barn was built in 1826 and was a curiosity to Shakers and "the world's people" alike - such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. Hay was unloaded from wagons into a wooden lined central storage area on the top floor spanning 95 feet in diameter. One level down, 50 or more cattle were kept in stanchions. Finally, at the bottom level lay the manure pit, accessible by wagon. Unfortunately, the original barn burned 1864 and was quickly rebuilt. The building underwent a complete restoration in 1968.” <nps.gov/places/hancock-shaker-village.htm> “Shaker style furniture is characterized by clean lines, tapered legs, and minimalist designs. It’s known for being practical and simple down to the very last detail. Originally designed in the late 1700’s by followers of the religious group the Shaking Quakers, shaker furniture has become a staple in interior design known for being timeless and elegant.” <vermontwoodsstudios.com/content/shaker-furniture-101> Food at the Village represents their cultural belief. Some of the many buildings at the Village. Some of the animals in the barn The Necessary Room The Laundry Room The Village’s unique waterpower system Note: This acuri.net program also has three YouTube programs associated with this article. The first two YouTube programs pertain to the religious service and the music. We were told that there are over 10,000 songs that Shakers had in the religious music repertoire. Ruth Burday, Lead Interpreter and Volunteer Coordinator allowed acuri.net to record her presentation. YouTube addresses: “Shaker Worship” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlHk2lFQ8nU “Shaker Music” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ScMReABZjE The third program is a presentation by Jeff regarding the Village’s unique waterpower system. It utilizes a reservoir not far from the village that uses gravity to pipe water to water turbine in the laundry and machine shop to run various machines for craft and carpentry purposes, other buildings, plus providing running water in the kitchen. YouTube address-Shaker Waterpower Ingenuity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3OpLrPPdbs Sources: https://home.shakerheritage.org/history-shakers/, https://hancockshakervillage.org/home/history/, https://hancockshakervillage.org/shakers/history/, https://hancockshakervillage.org/shakers/shakers-hancock/hancock-shaker-list/, https://www.nps.gov/places/hancock-shaker-village.htm, https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Shakers, https://www.nps.gov/articles/history-of-the- shakers.htm, https://www.nps.gov/people/ann-lee.htm, https://shakervillageky.org/history-and-restoration/, https://vermontwoodsstudios.com/content/shaker-furniture-101, https://hancockshakervillage.org/shakers/shaker-sites-in-the-us/, and https://shakermuseum.org/learn/shaker-studies/who-are-the-shakers/. acuri.net John R. Vincenti Hancock Shaker Village .
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