Canterbury Shaker Village

By -
Header image with striped background reading, "Canterbury Shaker Village"

Do you like historic homes, woodland trails, traditional gardens, handmade furniture, and charismatic religious cults? Canterbury Shaker Village is the destination for you.

The Village was by the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, also known as the Shakers. This religious organization was established by Mother Ann Lee, an English woman claiming to be the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In 1792, the Shakers constructed the Village in the rural town of Canterbury, New Hampshire, and it became one of the most successful communitarian centers on the 19th and early 20th century. Now a National Historic Landmark>, the Village is open for visiting from dawn to dusk and provides a unique look into a nearly vanished culture.

A white, wooden sign set in green grass beside a stone wall near a grove of trees and underneath a blue sky. The sign reads “Welcome to Canterbury Shaker Village”, with an apple tree logo. A metal sign embedded in a rock reading in part “Canterbury Shaker Village National Historic Landmark”

Here’s a quick primary on the Shakers for those unfamiliar with the sect:

  • Shaker religious beliefs evolved over several distinct periods, including the founding of the sect in the mid- to late-18th century, a revival period in the mid 19th century, and the decline of the religion from after World War II to the present day.
  • Shakers believed in gender equality, taking a “separate but equal” approach to their villages, with men and women living in separate dormitories, eating separate meals, and working separate jobs.
  • Shakers believed in racial equality. People of any background were welcomed in their communities. Shaker Villages sometimes served as stops on the Underground Railroad.
  • Shakers were inventors, but individuals rarely took personal credit for their achievements. Their inventions included an improvement on the circular saw, seed packets, round barns, and a distinct style of furniture.

If you want to learn more about the Shakers, besides reading this blog and visiting Canterbury Shaker Village, I encourage you to visit Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA, watch the documentary The Shakers by Ken Burns, listen to recordings of Shaker music, or read the juvenile fiction book Hope by LouAnn Gaeddart, which describes the lives of children adopted by the Shakers.

A visit to Canterbury Shaker Village can be divided into four sections:

  1. Visitors Center & Admissions building with an introductory film
  2. Self-guided tour of the grounds and trail
  3. Guided tour around the grounds and inside several buildings
  4. Marcia and John Cooper Hubbard Visitor Education Center

Visitor Center & Admissions

The ground floor of this building hosts the front desk, gift shop, and introductory film, while the top floor holds furniture built by the Shakers. The film Holy Ground was created by SALT, which describes itself as “an Emmy Award winning, not-for-profit production company dedicated to the craft of visual storytelling”, with a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. It combines music, old photographs, narration, animation, and modern video to tell the stories of the Shakers and Canterbury. While I would have preferred a slightly longer explanation of the Shakers’ beliefs and history, the artistry of the video was of the highest quality.

A black wooden sign with gold lettering reading ’Visitor Center & Admissions’ attached to a rough wooden door Posterboard leaning against a wall describing the accolades of the short film ’Holy Ground’ A rough interior barn wall splattered with many decades of paint A long white and yellow timeline depicting periods of history as related to the Shakers A 19th century wooden buggy A paper sign reading ’Deny Thy Temptation’ in a gothic font A white sign with plain black text describing the history of the Carriage House at Canterbury Shaker Village A shingle sided wooden building with a large opening acting as a door to allow carriages to pass through. The building stands on the edge of a dirt parking lot.

The upstairs furniture collection, though small, contains remarkable pieces and stories. My favorite is the desk built by Elder Amos Stewart at Mount Lebanon Village in New York, now the home of the Shaker Museum. After Stewart lost his left hand in a woodshop accident in 1865 at age 68, he created this new desk by himself with one hand in 1877. While the Shakers’ contributions to disabilities awareness is not as recognized as their ideas of gender and racial equality, this is a noteworthy example of their support for people with physical limitations.

A shiny wooden desk with an opening for the user’s legs and drawers on either side. An interpretive sign describing the story of Elder Amos Stewart who built the desk with one hand after losing his left hand in a woodshop accident. A set of tiny Shaker Furniture like what would be seen in a dollhouse A pair of free-standing Shaker cabinets, one in a red stain and one in a yellow stain.

Touring the Grounds and Trail

Pick up a map of the grounds at the front desk in the Visitors Center or in the kiosk outside. Self-guided tours are free, but donations are appreciated. The buildings are clearly labeled with additional information available on the map. An audio tour is not available at this time.

The front of a massive, four-story white wooden building with a dark shingled roof, three red brick chimneys, a red painted cupola, and many large windows.  A single story white wooden building with a shingled roof A sign reading ’Brethern’s Shop 1824’ A single story white wooden building with a shingled roof in front of a red building A white sign reading ’The Creamery 1905’ A three-story, white, wooden building with a shingled room and many windows. Angled view of a white wooden building with a long ramp and red painted cupola Another view of a white wooden building with a long ramp and red painted cupola

Buildings at Canterbury Shaker Village include a creamery where the Shakers produced their own dairy products, a Brethren’s Shop where the male members of the village built furniture and tools by hand, a Ministry Shop for evangelism, a Chapel for worship, a Syrup Shop to make sweet treats, a Firehouse and Power House to fight fires and generate their own electricity, a Laundry for cleaning clothes, several dormitories, and other buildings.

A sign reading ’Power House 1910’ attached to a red, metal building A sign reading ’Fire House 1908’ attached to a red, metal building A pair of red metal buildings with white doors and white trimmed windows viewed from an extreme side angle A large white wooden building with many peaks and gables A sign reading ’Chapel 1837’ affixed to a white, wooden wall A short building painted dark yellow with red trim and a red door to the left corner A short building painted dark yellow with red trim and a red door underneath an overhang at center A sign reading Syrup Shop 1785/1847 A whitewashed two-story wooden building A dark blueish-green front door set into a white alcove in a bright yellow-painted wooden building A bright yellow building with two stories of windows with white trim and green shutters A sign reading ’The Ministry Shop 1848’ affixed to a bright yellow wall A four-paned window with white trim and green shutters on a bright yellow wooden building A tan wooden two-story building with the front door on the right side as an addition Red antique tractors underneath a wooden protective structure A red woodshed filled with chopped wood

The Shaker gardens are being restored through University of New Hampshire’s Master Gardener Volunteers. Past the village is “Turning Mill Pond Trail”. A standard information sign containing a map of this trail is located near its entrance, and a paper copy of the map can be picked up at the front desk. The trail may be the least travelled section of the Village. While the paths in the village are highly accessible, the trail has both uneven terrain and a steep hill to return to the Village. However, the views from across the pond and down the hill from the buildings is spectacular, especially on a sunny day. Be aware that seasonal wildflowers such as goldenrod bloom near the trail, creating beautiful photo opportunities but possibly triggering allergies.

View across a still pond with several buildings atop a golden grassy hill in the background A weeping willow behind a low wrought iron fence View of several 19th century wooden buildings from across a mowed hayfield A blue sign describing the work of the Master Gardener Volunteers from UNH A two part informational sign. On the horizontal plane is a map of Turning Mill Pond Trail. On the vertical plane is the history of Turning Mill Pond Trail. A white sign with black letters reading 'Turning Mill Pond Trail’

Guided Tours & Inside Buildings

Canterbury Shaker Village offers a variety of guided tours hosted by knowledgeable docents. I took “Shaker Stories: History & Legacy”, which costs $25 for adults, while visitors age 25 and under are free. Tours meet in front of the Visitors Center and last about an hour. Buildings include the Meeting House (1792), Laundry (1816), Dwelling House (1793), and Schoolhouse (1823/1863). During the tour, the guide told stories about the Shakers’ lives at Canterbury while sharing photographs.

A room with pale green walls and red, wooden floors filled with Shaker furniture, including chairs, tables, and a writing desk. Laces for woven chair seats and backs hang from green wooden pegs built into the walls. A pile of branded containers from the late 19th or early 20th century set on a wooden counter. A wide view of a kitchen, including the pile of containers on the wooden counter, a stone-topped island with baking supplies, and a whitewashed built-in cupboard filled with jars.  A dining room with three wooden tables each with four chairs set with floral plates. A low dining room table with five low chairs on each side set with plain plates and plain silverware

The lower floor of the Dwelling House contained the kitchen and dining area. One side of the room was set up to show an early to mid 19th century dining table, with low chairs and plain dishes. The other side of the room showed an early 20th century dining room, with higher chairs and fancier dishes. In the chapel on the upper floor of the Dwelling House were many instruments, including an 1887 Hook & Hastings Organ purchased by the Shakers in 1929.

A parlor organ with golden organ pipes to either side and above the wooden case and matching bench. The organ sits beneath the floor level to accommodate the size of the ornate pipes. A phonograph with a black metal body for holding a wax cylinder and a metal horn for projecting sound, all set atop a wooden case. A tall, wooden case grandfather clock stands in the corner of a room. Hung on the wall in a black frame to the left of the clock is a portrait of the Shakers in front of the organ during the early 20th century.

As a communal village, the Shakers’ laundry was cleaned in a building by the same name. Shaker women took shifts on laundry duty, a great job in the winter and a miserable job in the summer. The Shakers made good use of early industrial washing machines, spin dryers, wringers, and drying rooms. They dedicated an entire room to darning and ironing, and another room to weaving on early industrial looms. While the Shaker women employed many of the skills familiar to other 19th century women used at home or in a textile factory, the Shakers were in control of their own work.

A full wall of thin, floor-to-ceiling wooden sliding drawers with wooden handles. Each drawer has metal racks for hanging clothes.  A green painted, metal, belt powered loom in a wood building with a low ceiling Three shelves with three or four woven baskets against a gray painted wall. A set of three, double sink, slate washtubs which draw water from a pipe running across the ceiling A large wooden and metal staved barrel lipped on its side and supported by metal legs. An opening with a metal door hinges on top of the barrel A set of three washing machine barrels with belts and pulleys attached to a gear shaft on the ceiling. A black metal apparatus with a spinning cylinder at the center Hanging from a wooden wall with vertical slats are four rows of foot-and-leg shapped wooden sock stretchers in different colors A cylindrical metal bucket with a motor in the middle. The inner part of the machine spins. Four rows of brown foot-and-leg shaped wood sock stretchers hanging from a wall with vertical wooden slats Hanging from a metal hook embedded in a wooden wall with vertical slats is a light gray implement with a long handle and a head shaped like a Celtic knot  

Because of their plainclothes and religious beliefs, Shakers are sometimes confused with Anabaptist Christians: Amish, Mennonites, Brethren, and Hutterites. In contrast to these groups, who are stereotyped as eschewing modern life, the Shakers embraced education and technology. They provided education to all adopted children through eighth grade, which was the standard at the time. They updated the school to accommodate the students, raising up the original school to become the second floor of a new building in 1863. Besides encouraging lifelong learning, they were early adopters of new technology, including the sewing machine, washing machine, power loom, vacuum, electricity, tractors, and automobiles.

Inside a plexiglass case atop a red pedestal is a blue-and-chrome cylindrical vacuum with Electrolux on the size. A view of the front of a one-room school house, complete with a teacher’s desk, globe, and bookshelf, while seated at a student’s desk. The tourguide sits to the right of the desk. A classic sewing machine made of wrought iron metal legs, a wooden surface, and a black metal machine.

Marcia and John Cooper Hubbard Visitor Education Center

On display at the education center was the solo art exhibit Wilderness: Light Sizzles Around Me by Lesley Dill. Combining oversized outfits with avant-garde calligraphy and informative signage, Dill describes the lives of Americans both historical and fiction who impacted the enduring ideologies of the United States. More simply put, it’s clothes and words about important people. Visitors can watch a fairly long introductory video explaining the artist’s intention behind the exhibit. However, if you are not familiar with the jargon associated with modern liberal arts education and academic-artist circles, the video might further confuse you. Regardless of how you approach the exhibit, the giant dress and ink designs are fun and eye-catching, providing great photo opportunities for family photos.

On the left affixed to a wall is a banner with calligraphy describing Mother Ann Lee. To the left is a ten-foot-tall yellow dress decorated with a gift tree An exhibit sign reading ’Wilderness: Light Sizzles Around Me’ A ten-foot-tall blue dress with calligraphy covering the fabric. Two figures appear on either side of the dress in the background.

Conclusion

Canterbury Shaker Village is a fun and educational day away for a wide range of ages and interests, including families and school groups, historians and theologians, and outdoors enthusiasts. The small herd of calves near the parking lot of the Village is an added bonus for animal lovers. If you plan on visiting, check ahead to make sure the tour you want to take is offered on the day you arrive, and keep an eye out for different events that happen at the Village throughout the season.

A herd of red calves grazes on green grass near a patch of white wildflowers underneath a bright blue sky with puffy white clouds A single large granite headstone reading 'SHAKERS' in the middle of a grassy field A red brick building with cream trim. The building has two identical entrances with an overhang and small porches.  A white sign with a green insignia along with red and green lettering reading 'The Dewey School growing inside... out at the Canterbury Shaker Village' View from outside a building with a large glass window and door. The logo of Canterbury Shaker Village is visible in the upper right corner.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 9/10

Accessibility: 7/10



Location: 288 Shaker Rd, Canterbury, NH 03224, USA