Whitewater Shaker Settlement facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Whitewater Shaker Settlement
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Meeting house at the settlement
Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	New Haven, Ohio
Area	384 acres (155 ha)
NRHP reference No.	74001518
Added to NRHP	January 21, 1974

The Whitewater Shaker Settlement was once a busy village where a group called the Shakers lived and worked. It was also known as White Water Shaker Village. This special place is located near New Haven, in Crosby Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The Shakers started this settlement in 1824, and it closed its doors in 1916. Because of its important history, the Whitewater Shaker Settlement was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This means it is a special historic district that is protected and remembered.

The Story of Whitewater Shakers

How Did the Whitewater Shaker Village Begin?

The story of Whitewater began around 1822. A small group of people in southern Butler County, Ohio decided to live together as Shakers. By 1823, more families joined them. This growing group moved to a bigger farm.

A Shaker named Miriam Agnew helped them get support from the main Shaker community, Union Village. In 1824, Union Village bought land for the Whitewater group. Soon after, Shakers from another community called Darby Plain also moved to Whitewater.

Early Challenges and Growth

The first few years were tough for the Whitewater Shakers. Their land was mostly forest and not good for farming. One Shaker even wrote that "It was Lent with them nearly all year round," meaning they often went without.

But things got better in 1825. The Shakers bought 215 acres (0.87 km²) of good land near the Dry Fork of the Whitewater River. This new spot was perfect for building a mill. The community then moved to this new location, which became the White Water North Family.

In 1826, Shakers from Union Village came to help build the new community. A brick Meeting House was finished in 1827. This was a very important building for their worship. That same year, their sawmill on the Dry Fork started working. More Shakers joined when another community, West Union, closed down. By 1835, there were 42 females and 35 males living there, including children.

Who Were the Millerites and How Did They Join?

Another group that joined the Whitewater Shakers were followers of a preacher named William Miller. Miller believed that Christ's Second Coming would happen at a specific time in April 1844. His followers, called Millerites, prepared for this day. When his prediction did not come true, they were very disappointed.

The Shakers invited the Millerites to join them. They explained that the Shakers had already experienced a "Second Coming" in a spiritual way. Many Millerites decided to become Shakers.

What Industries and Activities Did the Shakers Have?

At its busiest time in 1846, the White Water village was very large. It covered 706 acres (2.86 km²) in Hamilton County and 190 acres (0.77 km²) in Butler County. About 200 Shakers lived there in two families. They worked on a big farm and had many different businesses.

The Shakers later bought more land and started a third family in the 1850s. They were a strong community until the 1880s, when their numbers slowly began to decrease.

The Whitewater Shakers were known for many things:

• They ran a grist mill (for grinding grain) and a sawmill.
• They grew broom corn and made brooms.
• They sold packaged garden seeds, earning a lot of money from them.
• They had large apple orchards and sold applesauce and cider.
• They also made sorghum molasses, honey, and preserved fruits like currants, grapes, and strawberries.
• They even raised silkworms to make their own shawls, scarves, and handkerchiefs.
• In their later years, they were famous for raising fish in two ponds they built. They also sold turkey eggs.

How Did the Civil War Affect Whitewater?

The Civil War also touched the Whitewater community. In April 1863, a group of soldiers known as Morgan's Raiders passed through. A mill worker quickly warned the Shakers, and they managed to hide most of their horses. Only two horses were taken by the Raiders. However, the next day, Union cavalry troops arrived while chasing the Raiders. They also took some horses from the Shakers.

The End of the Whitewater Shaker Village

After about 30 years of fewer and fewer members, the Union Village Shaker leaders decided to lease out the farms in 1911. The remaining Shakers lived in the Office building until 1916. That year, the farms were sold.

Over its 94 years, the community owned a lot of land: 1,128 acres (4.56 km²) in Hamilton County, 664 acres (2.69 km²) in Butler County, and 972 acres (3.93 km²) in Clinton County. This was a total of 2,764 acres (11.19 km²).

On December 4, 1916, the last piece of land was sold. The last two Shaker leaders, Elder Andrew Barrett and Eldress Mary Gass, left the community. Elder Barrett went to Hancock, a Shaker community in Massachusetts. Eldress Mary Gass went to Mount Lebanon, New York, which was the main Shaker community in the East.

After the Shakers left, the South and Center farms continued to be used for farming. But the North Family land was divided up. The brick Meeting House and Dwelling House were sold to different owners.

What Remains of the Whitewater Shaker Settlement Today?

In 1991, the Great Parks of Hamilton County District bought much of the remaining land and buildings of the White Water Shaker Settlement. The Park District now owns 23 original buildings that the Shakers built or used.

These include:

• The two-story brick meetinghouse built in 1827. This is the only brick Shaker meetinghouse still standing.
• The North Family dwelling, built in 1832-1833.
• A brick Trustee's Office with a stone showing the year 1855.
• A brick shop.
• A wooden broom shop.
• Many barns and other farm buildings.

This collection of buildings is the largest group of Shaker buildings in Ohio. It is one of the most complete Shaker villages still in existence today.

Images for kids

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  Meeting house at the settlement