Designated a National Historic Landmark for its architectural integrity and significance, Canterbury Shaker Village is dedicated to preserving the 200-year legacy of the Canterbury Shakers and to providing a place for learning, reflection and renewal of the human spirit.

Visitors learn about the life, ideals, values and legacy of the Canterbury Shakers through tours, programs, exhibits, research and publications.

Description:
Founded in 1969 to preserve the heritage of the Canterbury Shakers, Canterbury Shaker Village is an internationally-known, non-profit museum and historic site with 25 original Shaker buildings, three reconstructed Shaker buildings and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement.

History:
Canterbury Shaker Village was established in 1792 when followers of founder Mother Ann Lee formed their seventh community in Canterbury, NH, and remained prominent for 200 years. The Village has been exclusively an outdoor history museum since 1992 when the last Shaker resident died. At its height in the 1850s, 300 people lived and worked in over 100 buildings on 3,000 acres at Canterbury Shaker Village.

The religious group that we know today as the Shakers was formed in 18th-century England when dissidents from various religions formed a religious society based on prophetic doctrine. The group, formally called the United Society of Believers, were known as Shaking Quakers, or Shakers, because of their use of dance in worship.

The Shakers emigrated to the United States in 1774 and eventually established 19 communities from Maine to Kentucky. Canterbury Shaker Village is one of the oldest, most typical and most completely preserved of the Shaker Villages. Overall, the Shakers were the most successful communitarian society in American history.

Shakers believed in community ownership, pacifism, dancing in worship, equality of the sexes, celibacy and living simply.

According to founder Mother Ann Lee, the Shakers devoted their "hands to work and hearts to God." They were aggressive entrepreneurs, launching industries and reinvesting earnings into community enterprises to encourage growth and productivity. By the 1830s the Shakers at Canterbury were rich in buildings, land, cash, wood lots, livestock, produce, industry, community possessions and community skills. The Shaker "brand" quickly became known for quality, integrity and reliability. Shakers cared for the poor and used resources and profit for social good.
Today, the museum at Canterbury interprets 200 years of Shaker life through its exhibits, buildings, gardens, programs and lectures. The museum has a collection of Shaker objects, manuscripts and photographs, along with surviving architecture, from all periods of its history. Canterbury Shaker Village is a unique resource for learning about Shaker architectural intent and early Shaker community planning and design, as well as the many periods of Shaker life. The postcard-perfect setting hosts more than 60,000 visitors each year, making it New Hampshire's number one cultural attraction.

Contact people:

Maisie Keith Daly, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email) Betsy Baron, Education Manager, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (603) 783-9152

Address:

288 Shaker Rd. Canterbury, NH 03224 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.shakers.org

Directions:

From the South: Route 93 North to Exit 15E, Route 393 East Take Exit 3, Route 106 North. Take a left off the exit. Continue north on Route 106 for 6.6 miles. Turn left at Shaker Road. Proceed 2.7 miles to. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: n/a, n/a minute walk