Available loose (8.5"x11"), matted, or in a black wood or metal frame (11"x14")
Centre Family DwellingShaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky
National Historic Landmark
Built between 1824 and1834, the Centre Family Dwelling is located in the heart of Shaker Village, the largest historic community of its kind in America. The society began in the late 18th century, and they became known as “Shakers” because of their lively trembling or shaking during worship services. They were members of a unique American religion, the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, holding the belief that Christ had come again on earth in spiritual form, and that their community was the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. The Shakers had a reputation for producing quality products, labor-saving devices, and agricultural innovations along with advanced social principles.
The Centre Family Dwelling was home to up to eighty Shakers who formed the Centre “family. Members lived as brothers and sisters on opposite sides of the dwelling. The dwelling contained a large meeting room, dining room, kitchens, a cellar, and an infirmary. The “purist” architectural style of the buildings and interiors is a reflection of their beliefs and how purely they lived their lives.