The Shakers of Pleasant
Hill
Photos and story by Kathleen Walls
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A Shaker docent pets one of the
village cats |
Long ago and far away, a simple peace loving people were
searching for a place they could live in harmony with nature and their
fellow man. In 1779, a few of their number had sailed from their
homeland in search of a place to settle. Many settled in New York and
founded a colony there. In 1805 some of the group moved down into
Kentucky. They found a beautiful land of rolling hills and streams. The
soil was rich. They put down roots in a rural area they called Pleasant
Hill.
Mostly things were peaceful in spite of a few disputes with their
neighbors. That was to be expected. After all, they had such radical
beliefs: racial equality, gender equality, land held in common by the
entire community and, strangest of all, celibacy. They also believed the
veil between life and death was gossamer thin and that the dead could
and did often communicate with the living.
In the nineteenth century, the idea of a woman making decisions in
business and all aspects of life was unheard of. So, too, the idea of a
black man and a white man considering themselves equal. Yes, many of the
ideas of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing
are strange even today. At first people mocked them and called them
Shakers but as they saw the craftsmanship of their builders, the good
stewardship of their farmers and the honest dealing of the group as a
whole, they were left alone to work their land, build their homes and
furniture and live their life.
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One of the Shaker buildings |
The Shakers came by their beliefs through the teachings of Ann
Lee who was born in Manchester, England on February 29, 1736. She was a
member of the group called the Shaking Quakers. While she was imprisoned
for trying to spread these beliefs, she had a vision that she was the
second coming of Christ and when she was released she founded the new
religion in 1772.She taught her followers that God was a dual personage,
male and female, rather than the masculine orientated traditional belief
of all male trinity.
They interpreted the passage in Genesis that stated "So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female, created he them." To mean that both man and woman were in God's
image therefore God was both male and female; father and mother. They
did believe Jesus was the first coming of the messiah but unlike
traditional Christians, they believed the second coming had already
occurred with a female incarnation, Ann Lee, based on her vision. Thus
they felt we were living in the last millennium and since all were
humans were brothers and sisters should not marry as they felt the world
as we knew it was ending there was no longer a need to procreate.
Instead they believed people should live communally as one family of
brothers and sisters.
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Travel inside the village is still done by
wagon |
By the latter part of the nineteenth century, the industrial
revolution and changing lifestyles caused a decline in the Shakers. The
last Pleasant Hill Shaker died in 1923. Their village passed into
private hands and was called Shakertown. The people and their beliefs
were almost forgotten. The beautiful buildings they had raised were
being used as gas stations, auto parts stores and worse. There was no
protection for the finely crafted old buildings: they could have been
torn down and replaced with McDonalds or even subdivisions at will.
Then in1961, a non-profit corporation was formed to restore the old
village and offer a historic teaching facility for the public to learn
about this little known historic and religious phenomena. Today, they
preserve and interperate 34 buildings. The Inn at Shaker Village is
spread out between 15 of the restored buildings.You can put yourself in
the heart of this unique community for a day trip or, if you really want
to experience the feeling of their simple lifestyle, for several days.
Along with the Inn, there is a restaurant that serves mouthwatering
traditional Shaker and Kentucky classics. If you only have room for one
dish, have some of the corn pudding. The beautifully crafted Trustee's
Office Building is now the dining hall. You can't help but be awestruck
by the craftsmanship of the graceful twin staircase in here.
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Phillip Mulhall singing in the Meeting Hall |
The Meeting Hall is especially interesting both for its
archeticture and the music and dancing that did -and still does, thanks
to interperters- happen there. I had the good fortune to be there when
one interperter, Phillip Mulhall, was preforming some of the Shaker
songs. That man has a beautiful voice, he makes the simple music live
again.
Craft shops will offer you a chance to own a peace of this almost
lost heritage. The cookbooks tempted me as did many of the hand-crafted
items. For the animal lover, don't miss the barnyard animals. I spoke
with Billy Pruitt. His official tittle is "Ag Interpreter" but he said
he is actually the "animal's slave." He showed me the baby goats and
other barnyard inhabitants. While we spoke, one of the tiny goats and a
huge tom turkey had a slight disagreement. It was so cute to see that
little goat butt the big turkey with his tiny nubs of horns. Throughout
the village, you will find interpreters working on the crafts and
everyday life tasks that the Shakers performed. It is so easy to slip
back in time even if only in imagination.
When I visited I spent the night in a pleasant room in West Family
Dwelling. The room was furnished with simple yet beautiful Shaker
reproduction furniture. A large living room area was to the rear of the
building. I could imagine many of the Shakers gathered in that room on a
cool evening, discussing the latest crops or perhaps the newest baby
goats. Just beyond was the game room and kitchen, which still had the
old, baking oven built into the wall. It was so easy to feel in touch
with the spirits of these simple people who once created these buildings
as a part of the "new heaven on earth" that was so much a part of their
lives.
For more information about Shaker Village:
www.shakervillageky.org
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