Harvard Shaker Village Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Harvard Shaker Village Historic District
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South Family Dwelling
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Harvard, Massachusetts |
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| Architect | Johnson, Enfield Shaker Moses |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001871 |
| Added to NRHP | October 30, 1989 |
The Harvard Shaker Village Historic District is a special historical place in Harvard, Massachusetts. It was once a lively community of people called Shakers. This village was the second oldest Shaker settlement in Massachusetts and the third oldest in the entire United States.
Contents
History of the Shaker Village
How the Shaker Village Started
The Shaker community in Harvard began in the early 1780s. It started with people who disagreed with the local church. They decided to leave their church and join Mother Ann Lee. She was the founder of the Shaker religion. Mother Ann Lee visited the Harvard area and helped these people.
Together with Mother Ann Lee, they bought a building called "Square House." By 1791, the community was officially organized. The Harvard Shakers divided their village into four main groups, which they called "families." These were the North, East, South, and Church families. The Church family was where the Shaker leaders lived. Today, only buildings from the South and Church families remain within the historic district. One building from the North family, the North family office, still stands but is outside the main historic area.
The Village Changes Over Time
The Harvard Shaker community grew to about 200 members by the 1850s. However, by the early 1900s, only a few members were left. Because of this, the community closed in 1918. The buildings and land were then sold to a businessman from Boston named Fiske Warren.
Soon after, a wealthy author and collector named Clara Endicott Sears bought the old Shaker office building. This building was built in 1794. She moved it to the nearby Fruitlands Museum. In 1922, it opened as the first Shaker Museum in the United States. It is still the only Harvard Shaker building that is open for people to visit. Most of the other Shaker buildings are now private homes. Much of the land around them is protected from development. The Harvard Shaker Village was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
Music in Shaker Life
Music was a very important part of daily life for the Shakers in Harvard. In the 1780s, some songs were even said to come from their spiritual leaders. These included "Mother Ann's Song" and "Father James's Song." One of the most famous early Shaker hymns, "The Humble Heart," came from Harvard. The words were written by Eunice Wyeth, and the music was by Thomas Hammond.
Notable Members
- Simon Atherton
- Tabitha Babbitt
Images for kids
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Harvard Shaker Village (around 1905)
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Old Stone Barn (around 1915), in Harvard Shaker Village
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Shaker Building (built in 1794) moved to the Fruitlands Museum grounds in Harvard
