Would you expect to find a water turbine, round barn, and
state-of-the-art ice house in a community occupied by a religious group that
was devoted to worship and the purging of sin?
The Shakers, who are such a group, built and lived in such a community at Hancock Shaker
Village in Pittsfield,
Massachusetts from 1783 to 1960. Another one
of the Shakers' beliefs was to create a Heaven on Earth, which they did in part
by implementing as many technologies as possible to aid in their work.
In this two-part series, TechnoTourist will walk you through
part of Hancock Shaker Village. In Part 1, we'll learn about the Shakers and
some of the buildings located on their property. In Part 2, TechnoTourist will
show you some of the technology in the village, such as how a water turbine was
used to power a band saw!
Who Are the Shakers?
Although you may not have heard of the Shakers, you've
probably heard of a related religious group called the Quakers. Like the
Religious Society of Friends (as some Quakers prefer to be known), the Shakers
are also known for their enthusiastic religious services, which include singing,
shaking, and whirling around.
The Shakers live in religious communities where work and
benefits are shared. One of their main religious tenets is celibacy. Men and
women live separately and perform separate work. The community stays alive by
the adoption of children or the addition of converted worshippers. The Shaker
religion originated in England and spread to several communities in the U.S.,
but today just one community remains (in Maine).
The Architecture of Hancock Shaker
Village
The Hancock
Shaker Village
is a National Historic Landmark. It consists of about 30 buildings used by the
Shakers. Although most of
the buildings are furnished with original Shaker artifacts, not all are from
the original community that lived there.
 Architecturally, the round stone barn is the most beautiful
building on the property and is with a favorite of photographers. This design
was popular from about 1889 to 1936. One major advantage was the ease of moving
hay from the loft above to the cattle below. The loft was designed like a wide
catwalk around the perimeter of the "second floor", with a very large hole in
the center of the building. Many round barns, including the one at the village,
were built so that a hay wagon could be driven right into the second floor for
easy unloading.
 The ice house is also an amazing building. From the outside, it looks like a small house
built on the side of a hill that can be accessed from both the "basement" and
the ground floor. If you look closely, you'll notice that the windows look a
little odd. There are actually three panes of glass used for insulation. Other points
of interest inside the ice house include double sets of doors, lattice work
along the walls so that water melting off blocks of ice can drain, and ceiling
vents for air circulation.
But that's not all the Shakers had up their hand-stitched
sleeves! Check back soon for Part 2, where TechnoTourist will show you the
water turbine, windlass, and some of the Shaker-made goods.
Resources:
http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_barn
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Re: Making Work Easier – Hancock Shaker Village (Part 1)
