It is rare that a house that is only 20 years old could be deemed historic, but a stunning home built in Milton by someone with an understanding and commitment to historic Shaker design principles, resulted in a unique residence that reveals authentic Shaker craftsmanship and beauty. Interestingly, as Shaker design and secular colonial design were evolving together over time, the home includes some features of each.
The Shakers were a communal religious sect founded in England in 1747. The group reached its peak of about 4,000-6,000 members in the United States in the mid 1800s, particularly in New England, New York, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky where they established 19 communes. Their population dwindled over time due in large part to their belief in celibacy. Maintaining their numbers depended on recruitment and adoption, which failed to stem the decline. By 1900 there were fewer than 1,000 Shakers, and today there are only a handful.
Georgia was the scene of their last effort to spread their ideas beyond the Northeast.
The organization’s full name is the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing.
The Shakers were an offshoot of the Quaker movement founded in England in the mid-1600s. The Quakers believed that individuals could know Christ directly without a church, Bible or priest. They were sensitive to injustice to anyone because they believed that God exists in all people. This conviction was the basis for their pacifism.
The Quaker name was derived from their worship practice involving violent trembling and shaking. They modified the practices in the 1740s; however, a group of English members maintained the original worship style and became known as the “Shaking Quakers” or “Shakers.” In 1774 the first small group of Shakers came to the United States and settled in western New York State.
Shakers…
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