Friday, August 18, 2017

Last Shaker Farm

is the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village near
New Gloucester Maine.
Sadly, only 2 shakers are left - one man, one woman.
 At one time this was a booming commune where
men and women lived as equals, but were celibate.
 They did foster children and the girls would live
in this house with the women who became their mothers.
 The elders and eldress house.
No photos were allowed inside and that was disappointing
because they had such beautiful furniture.
Front of the house where the foster girls lived.
 The elders and eldresses lived in this house.
There were 4 total - 2 of each sex.
  The meeting house where they would dance and sing
after the Old and New Testaments and the Gospels were read.
 The old school house.
Young girls would do samplers of cross stitch
doing the alphabet and numbers and when
it was deemed acceptable work they were then
allowed to stitch their names on their sewing projects.
 We called this a snowball tree in Pennsylvania

 Another home.
 Cattle.
 And sheep - were he found the grass was greener
on the other side of the fence.
 Hanging in the barn.

I believe he's sticking his tongue out at me.
The guided tour was absolutely fascinating.
This did become a National Historic Landmark so hopefully
it'll continue.

2 comments:

Holli said...

this made me swoon great story love it...

Lisa Rukin Swift said...

Fabulous photos and story, Lynn!