Preservation The Nation's Last Shaker Community

"In many ways, life has changed little in this pastoral patch of southern Maine, where the Shaker community has toiled for more than two centuries. That's why Brother Arnold winces when he is told they are vanishing... This is the last populated Shaker village in the country. The other 17 have disappeared or become museums.

...The conservation plan might seem a first step toward turning the property into a museum. Under the agreement, the Shakers will sell their development rights to the land trust to preserve the historic status of the site. But for the Shakers, it is a way to safeguard their property for future generations."