The Tiny Shaker Town In New Hampshire That’s The Perfect Day Trip Destination
New Hampshire has some of the richest history you’ll find in New England. From crumbling old farm houses to stories passed down generation to generation, this history reveals how the Granite State came to be. One of the best places to see this history is at the only Shaker village in New Hampshire. A museum since 1992, the village has some of the best intact examples of Shaker life in America and offers a great way to spend a day.
Canterbury Shaker Village began in 1792 when followers of the founder, Mother Ann Lee, came to Canterbury to form a seventh community.
The story of the Shakers starts in 18th-century England when dissidents from religions, including English Quakers and Methodists, formed their own religious group.
They often used ecstatic dance in their worship, leading them to become known as the United Society of Believers, as well as the Shaking Quakers. This is where the name Shakers comes from.
Member like Eldress Bertha Lindsey made this one of the most thriving Shaker communities in the area.
The community was at its peak in the 1850s when a whopping 300 people called the village home, working in over 100 different buildings across 3,000 acres at Canterbury Shaker Village.
Michelle has lived in many places, but counts Maine as one of the best. In addition to the smell of ocean water in the air on rainy days in Portland, she loves puppies, photography, funny people, the Maine Red Claws, traveling, fresh tomatoes, Cambodia and filling out forms. For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
