On the 2nd I was blessed with the opportunity to meet a Colorado Springs teaching colleague in New Hampshire. Let me clarify that. Carli is more than a colleague and I am thankful she initiated a meeting. She flew to NH to visited a friend. I had invited her to drive with me, but she preferred to use more modern means to get here.
I drove to Gilford, NH, which is south of Lake Winnipesauke. Amidst majestic trees and off the winding road, I found the beautiful home of Kris and Derek, Carli's friends. Did I mention that it has been raining here? Well, it rained for the entire two hour drive to and from Gilford. It also rained and drizzled throughout the entire day. Despite the soggy weather, Carli and I decided to visit a Shaker Village in Canterbury, NH. It was a good call.
Upon our arrival, a tour of the grounds was beginning. We paid our entrance fee and joined the group. It was fascinating to learn about this chosen lifestyle and their religious beliefs. Many of us are probably aware of Shaker crafts and furniture, but have little knowledge of their choices and behaviors.
The Shakers are an offshoot of the Quakers. The Shaker nickname comes from the term Shaking Quakers. When they were in a religious service, they would dance and stomp as the Holy Spirit moved them. They felt that being stoic and reserved was not the proper way to respond to God, so as the presence of God filled them, they shook and danced. This activity in services was supported by the example of King David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant. These services would be held at a meeting house such as the one shown below. The interior was painted blue to reflect heaven. There were no posts from ceiling to floor in order to have a more open space. There were always two entrances, one for the brothers and the other for the sisters. Everyone held an equal voice in the community.
In England, this extension of the Quakers was started by a married couple. They built communities to separate themselves from the world and to live a life that was self-sufficient.
Ann Lee, a single woman, gathered a total of 8 followers and they immigrated to the US. Here they built communities and established their way of life. The one element of their lifestyle that really stands out is that they were celibate. This was a change from the English Shakers. They supported this choice through the example of Christ. Yet, they did not expect the entire world to follow such a practice because the new testament expresses such a life is not for every one.
So, how would such a community survive for over 100 years? They were, in essence, the first orphanages. Should a parent find they could not support their children due to sickness or finances, a Shaker community would take the children into their fold. If a child was homeless and without parents, they would be sheltered by the Shakers. Another way the Shaker population would grow was through the conversion process. If a family wanted to become a Shaker, they would join a part of the community of "wannabes" , if you will, to see if the setting was right for them. To be a full member of the community, husbands and wives became brothers and sisters and children lived with the other children. The only possession an individual would have would be the clothes they owned. Any worldly possessions owned by a convert were given to the church and a detailed record of the acquired possessions was kept. Should a convert change his/her mind and leave the fold, they were compensated for the possessions they had brought to the community. At one time, the community of Canterbury had over 1,000 acres of land and 300 members. This started from the 8 Ann Lee brought over from England.
Here is the dwelling house. There were two stairways separating the male and female sides of the house.
Children went to school on the property. Again, two equal entrances for the genders. This was the same in all other buildings. The members were separate but equal. This particular school house was initially a one story building. But as the community grew and more children arrived, there was a need for more room. So, a second floor was added. Always resourceful, this community decided it would be wasteful to remove the roof, therefore they raised the building and added four walls below the established building.
School House
The other interesting thing about the Shakers is they were quite inventive. If there was a need for a more efficient manner in which to complete a task, they would invent it or bring the new technology to their community. For example, washing 300 members' clothes by hand did not foot the bill. Industrial washing machines and gigantic drying rack were created to meet the needs of the growing community. There improved washing machines were purchased and used in dormitories at college campuses. Shakers were not opposed to their jobs being easier should the right machine be available.
Very interesting history lesson. I jokingly told Carli that I could very well be a Shaker at this point in my life. I'd have no trouble meeting the celibacy expectation. =)
Here is the website.
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