Simplicity Experiment

Looking back at an experiment that took place a while back in our country... a life in Central Kentucky in the 1800's that was lived by what people have called the "Shakers". I have been interested in Voluntary Simplicity after reading Thoreau in my late teens. Here in central Kentucky you can see an exquisite example of that. I have recently been there to photograph the village as it is preserved for all of us to see and enjoy. I will be teaching a photography workshop in April 2008 at this picturesque location. (page still under construction, be patient)

The Shakers were nineteenth-century America's largest and best-known communal society. In 1774, nine devout Shakers sailed from Liverpool, England to New York City to escape religious persecution. By the 1840s, nearly 3,500 Shakers lived in communities from Maine to Kentucky.

The Shakers chose a peaceful way of life. They were celibate, believed in racial and gender equality and freedom from prejudice. A quest for simplicity and perfection is reflected in their fine designs and craftsmanship, and today the term Shaker-made is synonymous with excellence around the world.

In 1805, a group of Shakers came to central Kentucky and established a village they named Pleasant Hill. Although the population peaked at almost 500 in the 1820s, the community thrived well past the mid-nineteenth century, acquiring over 4,000 acres of farmland.