Preservation The Nation's Last Shaker Community

Final four members of America's only populated Shaker village, in rural Maine, agree to a preservation plan to protect the enclave from subdivisions.

1 minute read

December 21, 2005, 5:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"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."

Read the full story: Backstory: These Shakers won't be movers

Monday, December 19, 2005 in The Christian Science Monitor

History / Preservation Maryland

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