Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill

 community, religion

3501 Lexington Road
Harrodsburg, KY 40330
(859) 734-5411
shakervillageky.org/

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is the site of a Shaker religious community that was active from 1805 to 1910. In 1805, three Mount Lebanon, NY Shaker members embarked on a journey to Kentucky in an attempt to gain converts. Later in that year the missionaries gained influential converts in central Kentucky and southwestern Ohio.

By 1806, forty four people signed a covenant of commitment to the Shaker religion and in 1808 the Pleasant Hill Shaker community was permanently established. The commitment levels and strong will of the original Pleasant Hill Shakers helped them overcome hardships and survive against any adversity that they faced. The Shakers were skilled farmers, and over the years they expanded land holdings by acquiring adjacent farms for orchards and fields. Over time, Pleasant Hill became known for their excellent livestock engineering accomplishments, both with architecture and a municipal water system. Their location was ideal for agricultural and economic positioning. By 1816, they regularly traveled the rivers to larger cities to sell their wares: brooms, shoes, preserves, garden seeds, herbs, and other items.

The community began living together on the 140 acres farm of Elisha Thomas. Additional converts were quickly added, and the property swelled to 4,369 acres. By 1812 three communal families—East, Center, and West—had been formed, and a fourth, North, was established as a "gathering family" for prospective converts. On June 2, 1814, 128 Believers bound themselves together in a more formal covenant that established the community in the pattern of the Mother Colony in New Lebanon.

Following a preservationist effort that began in 1961, the site, now a National Historic Landmark, has become a popular tourist destination.