The Elderhostel also featured a visit to the restored Shaker village of Pleasant Hill, near Harrodsburg, KY. Settled in 1825 by a group calling themselves The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, the village is indeed on a beautiful pleasant hill. This group believed that Christ had already come the second time, and that they had the duty of creating the kingdom of heaven on earth. Led by their visionary and prophetess Ann Lee, the group had all things in common, practiced celebacy and openly confessed sin in their meetings. Given the name Shakers because of their dances which were designed to shake off sin, the group met ridicule. However, they led the state in scientific farming, experimenting with livestock breeding and improving agricultural inplements. They sold brooms, preserves, garden seeds and herbs all over the country and made a name for themselves. There were almost 500 residents at Pleasant Hill in its heyday, but the last resident died in 1923. After the industrialization which followed the Civil War, the Shakeers could not compete and the community began to fail. The settlement fell into disrepair; but in 1961, a group of private citizens raised money to restore the village to its 19th century appearance.
It was interesting to me that a few of the Shakers came to Kentucky as missionaries during the Cane Bridge Awakening and converted some of the leaders of that movement right under the nose of Barton W. Stone. The Shakers believed in immersion, they believed the people were the body of Christ, the church, so they called their place of worship the meeting place. Men and women were kept strictly. Most buildings had separated entrances and stairs for men and women. They were not allowed to eat or work together lest they fall into temptation.
The Shakers composed 26,000 songs to be sung while they danced. Their most famous song is Simple Gifts, used by Aaron Copeland in his work Applachian Spring.
It was a pleasure to sit in the simple settings and listen to the birds, take deep breaths of fresh air and imagine the serenity of the Shaker life.
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