Just a bit of history....a communal society who lived a very simplistic life and believed in celibacy. They established the village called Pleasant Hill in 1805. Population peaked at 500 in the 1820's and started declining in the 1860's. Now there are no existing Shakers but the village has been preserved and the public is welcome to visit and tour the beautiful grounds. There's about 3,000 acres where you can hike and they offer guided tours through the buildings. It's just a beautiful, serene setting. If you'd like to read more about it visit: http://www.shakervillageky.org/living_history_museum/shaker_history/.
The barn above displays the Tree of Life, which became their symbol of unity.
It has been 25 -30 years since I visited this place. Loved how simple and organized every room was. Still use recipes from a cookbook from here for breads.
No wonder their history was brief and their population rapidly declined... celibacy will do that! :) Ironic they chose the tree of life for their symbol! I think it is wonderful they have preserved this era of history and have it open to the public. I knew you would find a barn! The stone wall and blooming sunlit trees beautifully frame your photo!
@calm - LOL, I know. What were they thinking? And, yes, the barn was the first thing I saw! Do you think there's something wrong with me because I have such an attraction to barns? :-)
