• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

SHAKER VILLAGE MUSEUM

April 12, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Canterbury, New Hampshire

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

The Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire is probably the best surviving Shaker community in the United States.  Founded in the late 18th century, it was one of several idealized religious communities to be established at the time.  It is undoubtedly one of the best preserved, with over two dozen of its original buildings still standing and in use.  The last permanent resident of the old Shaker village passed away in the 1990s, and the entire site is now preserved as a museum and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in central New Hampshire.

History

The sect known as the Shakers emerged in England in the mid-18th century.  Essentially a Protestant sect, it espoused some previously unheard of ideas, including communal living and the equality of the sexes.  It was championed by Ann Lee who immigrated to the American colonies in 1774, where she began to establish Shaker communities over the next two decades.

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

In the 1790s, Shaker villages sprang up all over New England, including at Canterbury in New Hampshire.  Several prominent families of Canterbury were among the early converts, and donations of land were used to house the initial community.  It grew quickly, and by the mid-19th century the Canterbury commune was a thriving village of over three hundred people.

The Canterbury Shaker Village reached its peak at the turn of the century, when modern communications and transportation systems began to integrate the community more closely with the outside world.  It slowly waned over the course of the 20th century, until the last surviving Shaker resident, one Ethel Hudson, passed away in 1992, exactly two hundred years after the village was founded.

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

This waning was typical of all Shaker communities. There is now only one remaining in Maine, and that has only a handful of members.  About a half-dozen of these were maintained as museums and historical sites, with the Canterbury Village by far the best preserved and most popular.  Over two dozen of the community’s buildings are still in existence and can be toured.  The village is one of the most visited religious historic sites in New England.

Visiting

The Canterbury Shaker Village was essentially a commune, with collective housing, working and worshipping facilities.  There are over thirty buildings on the site. Some are recreations, and some are privately owned and not open to the public.  The visitor center, which is a recreation of a 19th century stable, is found on the main road between the community trustees office and the horse barn.

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

Other buildings on the site are the meeting house, schoolhouse, infirmary and several workshops, some of which are open and host crafts demonstrations.  The largest and probably most interesting building on the site is the Dwelling House, an early 19th century building which served as a communal residence.  It includes the dormitories and kitchens, as well as the community chapel.  Also nearby are additional residences at the Sisters House and Brethren House.

The Canterbury Shaker Village is located among scenic farms, forests and rolling hills approximately six miles west of the town of Canterbury and ten miles north of the capital of Concord.  The village itself is technically an open site, but the buildings are only open when the museum is open.  Hours vary widely throughout the year, but the museum is generally open on weekends year round.  The cost of admission is $17.00.  Web: www.shakers.org (official website).

Other Sites

There are about a half-dozen Shaker Villages in various states of preservation, most of which are located in the northeast.  These include the Enfield Shaker Museum, also in New Hampshire; the Hancock Shaker Village in nearby Massachusetts; and the New Gloucester Shaker Village Museum in Maine.

Filed Under: Museums and Libraries, Protestant Tagged With: US-New England

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.