The Shaker religious society of Kentucky

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Comment by Colleen Hart on July 24, 2009 at 3:37pm

I have always been enthralled with the location and setting there, and the buildings, and I always loved their music. I would have to say it is probably my favorite place anywhere, other than home. You will have to share your East house experience with us!!!

Comment by Barbara Whiteside on July 24, 2009 at 11:24am

Yes...glad to know you enjoyed your stays there...my cousin and I finish up our family gathering at Shakertown, staying at the East House where our gtgtgt grandfather lived his last 20 years and quite possible the room we ask for was his last home. It is the most tranquil place ever and so beautiful. You are correct that it is the only one open for overnight stays and also on the food....Diana and I will be there for two nights the end of Sept...we call it visiting Grandpa Francis...and have had an experience at the East House we can't explain. I give talks locally on the Shakers when asked.....and with great pleasure. My gtgt grandfather was born a Shaker in Dec 1806 after his parents joined the previous March.....and left there when he was just shy of his 20th birthday..I do have a picture of him....and it appears he never talked about his life to anyone prior to the time he left in 1827...I doubt his children knew he had been a Shaker. This time Diana and I want to explore the trail to the Holy Sinai Plain across the road and down past the cemetery towards the Shawnee Run where the family first lived when they moved to Pleasant Hill....in 1807. We found the grave of our 4th gt grandmother, Charity Banta Montfort among the remaining stones in the old cemetery and can identify several others, though only initials were used according to their custom. The asst VP of Shakertown has confirmed we are right on this finding. Hope you find your way down again soon.....thanks for writing.

Comment by Colleen Hart on July 24, 2009 at 11:03am

HI. The settlement at Pleasant Hill is also open for overnight stays, the only one as I understand it. We have stayed there a couple of times and I always loved it, like going back in time, not to mention the food is good.

Comment by Barbara Whiteside on July 22, 2009 at 9:29pm

The first organized meeting of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing or more commonly known as the Shakers, was held in February of 1805 in the barn on the farm belonging to my fourth great grandfather, John Banta and his wife, Polly Riker Banta. The farm is near the small town of Pleasureville, Kentucky and is on the Shelby/Henry County line. More than three hundred men,women and children showed up at the afternoon gathering and another three hundred attended the evening meeting. From this meeting, the nucleus of the Shakers in Kentucky began and ended up at Pleasant Hill Shaker village in Mercer County, Kentucky, just east of Harrodsburg and south of Frankfort. Five family names constituted the first members of the society, Banta, Montfort, Thomas, Bruner, and Ballance. I have at hand the book by Marc Rhorer GONE TO THE WORLD, which lists the membership at Shakertown as it is more commonly called...and would do lookups for anyone who thinks they may have someone in their family history who joined the society. I'll try to answer any questions you might have and if I can't do it, will so my best to refer you to someone who may be able to help you.

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