Hancock Shaker Village

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hancock Shaker Village
(U.S. National Historic Landmark District)
Shaker barn
Shaker barn
Nearest city: Hancock, Massachusetts
Built/Founded: 1790
Architect: Unknown
Architectural style(s): Other
Added to NRHP: November 24, 1968
NRHP Reference#: 68000037

[1]
Governing body: Private

Hancock Shaker Village is a National Historic Landmark District in Hancock, Massachusetts that was established by Shakers in 1790.

Contents

[edit] History

The Shakers were a religious order which believed in pacifism, celibacy, and communal living. Worship could take the form of singing and ecstatic dance, which is why they were called the "Shaking Quakers," or "Shakers." The utopian sect is renowned today for its plain architecture and furniture.

The Hancock community was started in 1783 with the consolidation of land donated by converted farmers. Land acquisition and conversion continued for decades, with the acreage peaking at 3,000 and the population rising to over 300.[2] It was the third of nineteen major Shaker villages established between 1783 and 1836 in New York, New England, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana under the leadership of Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright.[3]

One of the most notable buildings constructed was the "Round Stone Barn" built in 1826.

After reaching peak membership in the 1840s, the Shaker movement gradually dwindled, partially due to the population shift to urban areas that followed the Industrial Revolution. By the early twentieth century, the population of the village had fallen to around 50, most of which were children. Excess land was sold, and many buildings were destroyed.[2]

[edit] Museum

The round barn at Hancock Shaker Village
The round barn at Hancock Shaker Village

In 1960, the Hancock community was closed by the Shaker Central Ministry, and both its buildings and land was sold to the public. Purchasers formed the not-for-profit Hancock Shaker Village, Inc. to preserve the historic site.[4] The museum opened on July 1, 1961,[4] and was added to the National Historic Register in 1968.[1]

Hancock Shaker Village was featured in Bob Vila's A&E Network production[5] Guide to Historic Homes of America.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2008-04-15).
  2. ^ a b Life at the Village | Hancock Shaker Village
  3. ^ Learn About the Shakers | Hancock Shaker Village
  4. ^ a b About the Village | Hancock Shaker Village
  5. ^ Bob Vila (1996). Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of America. (html). A&E Network.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Park Service logo
This article about a Registered Historic Place in Massachusetts is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.