Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, New Gloucester, Maine

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village

New Gloucester, Maine

http://maineshakers.com/

Unlike the other Shaker Villages we have visited, this is the only one that has  active members. Brother Arnold Hadd and Sister June are the only remaining Shakers living in a Shaker village anywhere in the United States. The most recent to pass away was sister Frances, at age 89. (See newspaper obit. towards the end of the post).

I was very fortunate to have some of Brother Arnold's fresh strawberry jam, purchased last June (2017). Because this is an active village, 12 of the buildings are closed to visitors.

Above and below photos taken different years and seasons.

This Shaker village, located in New Gloucester, Maine was established in 1783 by a group of Shaker missionaries, is the only active Shaker village in the world. This village has 17 historic structures, which date from the 1780s through the 1950s, located on 1,800 acres of farm and forest land.

We have been here three times, and never took a tour, for various reasons. But, we intend to on our the next visit. I really want to see the library. I will say, there are always a lot of workshops going on, check out their program, so you can't go into those rooms.

From their webpage, "Six of the 18 existing structures at Sabbathday Lake are open to the public. Throughout these buildings there are twenty-seven exhibit rooms which explore a continuum of over 200 years of Shaker heritage in the Maine Communities."

The Village is on both sides of the roads. The houses on the right are, what I call, upper buildings (including church); to the left are lower buildings.

Below six photos are upper buildings.

The lower side of the road, showing four photos. Parking is behind these buildings.

Back street. Parking is on this road, as well as the restrooms, the store and other buildings, including the barn and animals.

This is where we park, unfortunately, the lot always seems full, probably for the classes.

  

Museum store and gift shop.

Shaker store, on the main road (where the first photo was taken).

Unwanted farm animals without homes are taken care of in the barn. They live out their lives here.

One of the last remaining Shakers dies at 89, leaving just 2.  January 3, 2017

Other Shaker Villages I visited:

http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2018/07/hancock-shaker-village-pittsfield.html     Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA

http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2018/07/enfield-shaker-village-enfield-new.html     Enfield Shaker Village, Enfield, New Hampshire

http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2016/10/canterbury-shaker-village-what-lovely.html     Canterbury Shaker Village, Canterbury, New Hampshire

and

http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-shakers-of-canterbury-nh-in.html

I have decided not to use the Comment feature for my blog. If you would like to leave a comment for me or ask a question, please write me at my email: BarbaraPoole@Gmail.com. Thank you.

My reason is because since November 2017 to May 2018, I received no comments, but upon investigating I found that I had indeed received 167 legitimate ones and 1,000 were in the spam folder. Google Blogger had made some changes that I was unaware of. Please be aware that I do not know who reads my blog, I may know who subscribes, but that is all.

Enfield Shaker Village -- Enfield, New Hampshire

 Enfield Shaker Village

https://www.shakermuseum.org/

We  have visited this village several times, and the photos are from the fall of 2017 and June 2018. Toward the end, there is a 2018 program guide showing things to do for August, and that is what prompted me to post this now, should you wish to take a class.

The Enfield Shakers

"Founded in 1793, Enfield Shaker Village was the 9th of the original Shaker communities established in the U.S. At its peak c. 1850 some 300 Shakers lived, worked and worshipped here, practicing equality of the sexes, celibacy, pacifism, racial equality, and communal ownership of property. This self-contained community farmed 3,000 acres and maintained more than 50 buildings along four miles of highway. Surviving Shaker buildings include the 1837 Great Stone Dwelling, one of the largest Shaker structures ever built. The Shakers left Enfield in 1923."  Note: They left Enfield to join the Shakers at Canterbury Shaker Village and 2nd post.

Great Stone Dwelling porch.

Looking toward the Stone Shop, above and below.

In the 1800s more than 300 Shakers lived here.

Visitors can watch a video about this Shaker Village.
https://www.shakermuseum.org/history.htm
https://www.shakermuseum.org/shakervillage.htm


First floor.



The first floor has a large dining room, and the second floor has a large meeting room, and additional rooms.

Per their webpage, there are 20 guest rooms (singles, doubles and triples) available for overnight guests. Prices are very reasonable, and I would love to spend a night. They are always booked in June for a music camp. As it was, on my recent visit last week, it was filled with young adults. I would not have been able to take the below room pictures, so fortunately, I took them last year.

West Brethern's Shop and East Brethern's Shop. (above and below)

September 2017 photo above.

June 2018 photo above.

Laundry and Dairy buildings.


1859 Cow Barn.

Dried flowers.

From across the street, standing by the sign.

Map

I have decided not to use the Comment feature for my blog. If you would like to leave a comment for me or ask a question, please write me at my email: BarbaraPoole@Gmail.com. Thank you.

My reason is because since November 2017 to May 2018, I received no comments, but upon investigating I found that I had indeed received 167 legitimate ones and 1,000 were in the spam folder. Google Blogger had made some changes that I was unaware of. Please be aware that I do not know who reads my blog, I may know who subscribes, but that is all.