| Enfield
Shaker Village & Museum Enfield, NH |
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To answer these questions, we stopped in at the once active Enfield Shaker Village, founded in 1793. The Shakers called the area "Chosen Vale" and lived in traditional Shaker "families"--Brothers, Sisters and children--because of their celibate lifestyle. There was nearly complete separation of the sexes and they lived in equality. Shakers strove for perfection. Their industry and cleanliness were a form of worship and they were dedicated to the goals of discipline, joy, and craftsmanship. Their formal worship meetings included rigorous dancing, yet still separated men and women. At Enfield, there was a sacred spot on a hill were spiritual "feasts" were held. The Enfield Shakers were mostly gardeners and survived by selling garden seeds and medicinal herbs. The settlement was deserted in 1923 when the last eight Shakers left. The only active Shaker community is at Sabbath Day Lake in Maine. |
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Most Shaker children were orphans given to the church. They were raised and schooled by the Shakers in separate boy/girl groups. |
A
Shaker Family Album : Photographs from the Collection of Canterbury
Shaker Village |
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Harrison was intrigued by this machine. "The Socker is a sock weaving machine that made knitting socks WAY faster than by hand. All you have to do is turn a crank to turn yarn into a tube. Then stitch up the toe, and you have a sock! I think it would be fun to have two Sockers and make a pair of socks at the same time." |
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Amanda said, "There was a sample of how to braid a rug and I braided some of it. So did Harrison. It was kind of hard to keep the edges turned in, but it looked pretty afterwards." Harrison was interested in all the different patterns into which rugs can be made. "I noticed the many patterns of rugs, including stars, circles, chains of circles and ovals. You can use any color or pattern of fabric. The different colors make the designs very interesting. Making a rug can take many months." |
The
Earth Shall Blossom : Shaker Herbs and Gardening
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building on the right is the Great Stone Dwelling, the largest ever built
by a Shaker community. It had separate entrances and staircases to divide
the building into male and female living quarters. Today, the building is
an inn with 24 rooms for guests and a dining room serving Shaker-inspired
meals. |
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 Faces
(Click Here
for more faces) |
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| Enfield Shaker Museum is located near Lebanon, New Hampshire on the west-central border of the state. |
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Who
are the Shakers? Are they associated with the Amish or Quakers? What
are their beliefs and practices?
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Shaker Boy
Shaker Communities, Shaker Lives
The
Shaker Legacy : Perspectives on an Enduring Furniture Style
Basketry
: The Shaker Tradition : History, Techniques, Projects