Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky., near Harrodsburg, is the site of a Shaker religious community that was active from 1805 to 1910. Many of the structures in the village have been restored and are now used as an inn for lodging.
The site, a National Historic Landmark, features unique Shaker architecture.
Architecture
Shaker architecture can be described as balanced. Buildings typically include separate, identical, side-by-side doors and staircases — one for men, one for women. The balanced architecture is best shown by the twin staircases and doors in the Centre Family Dwelling.
The Trustees’ Office has side-by-side spiral staircases, a unique example of amazing craftsmanship that separates Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky., from other Shaker villages around the country. The twin spiral staircases have been photographed thousands of times and are used as the identifying feature of the village.
Every structure in the village provides a lesson in history and architectural ingenuity as well as an opportunity for photo hobbyists to capture interesting images.
The grounds
The grounds at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky., include 34 original-19th century buildings, a working farm and a nature preserve spread across than 3,000 acres. The ground can be toured easily by foot or by riding in a horse-drawn wagon.
Crafts
Local craftsmen and women, dressed in clothing suitable for the period and using tools available in the 19th century, create furniture and other items while visitors watch. The items are sold in the shop at Shaker Village, with proceeds from sales used to help sustain the historic village.
Photos in this collection were taken in June 2008 while we were attending my wife’s family reunion. We spent two nights in the inn and enjoyed excellent breakfasts in the Trustees’ Office Dining Room.
All the photos were taken with the camera hand held and using available light, although I did supplement the lighting with some fill-in flash on a couple of the images. Photographers are welcomed at Shaker Village, but tripods are frowned on.
Credits:
All photographs and text: © Copyright - Pat D. Hemlepp