Hancock Shaker Village

Infobox_nrhp | name =Hancock Shaker Village
nrhp_type = nhld


caption = Shaker barn
nearest_city= Hancock, Massachusetts
locmapin = Massachusetts
area =
built =1790
architect= Unknown
architecture= Other
added = November 24, 1968
governing_body = Private
refnum=68000037cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

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

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. [http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/page.php?PageID=350&PageName=Life+at+the+Village Life at the Village | Hancock Shaker Village ] ] 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. [ [http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/page.php?PageID=321&PageName=Learn+About+the+Shakerse Learn About the Shakers | Hancock Shaker Village ] ]

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.

Museum

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. [http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/page.php?PageID=320&PageName=About+the+Village About the Village | Hancock Shaker Village ] ] The museum opened on July 1, 1961, and was added to the National Historic Register in 1968.cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service}]

Hancock Shaker Village was featured in Bob Vila's A&E Network productioncite web |url= http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/AE/America.html |title= Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of America. |author= Bob Vila |format= html |work= A&E Network |date= 1996 |quote= ] "Guide to Historic Homes of America."

References

External links

* [http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/ Home page of Hancock Shaker Village, Inc.]
* [http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/shaker/han.htm Page from National Park Service]