Interest in Shakerism has not only endured but has increased in recent years . Eight of the original 19 Shaker settlements in New York , Connecticut , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Maine , Kentucky , Ohio , and Indiana are comprehensive living museums , and another seven offer limited access to the grounds and a Shaker building or two . The four remaining settlements are in private hands and not accessible to the public . Books , movies , study groups , even a Shaker-inspired restaurant in New York City tell pieces of the Shaker story , which is much more than beautiful chairs made by industrious religious folks who shake , wail , and see visions . And it is a story that Oscar ® - and Emmy ® -winning director and filmmaker Cynthia Wade is itching to tell .
Wade is a self-described Shaker nerd who lived in the Berkshires for many years and returns regularly from LA . In 2013 , looking to reset and recharge , she lived the life of a docent at Hancock Shaker Village , where she not only found her mojo but also compelling stories of Shakerism that included scandal , secrets , and conflict . She started writing .
What Wade and collaborator Nannina Gilder ended up with is an intense narrative about two young Shaker Sisters ( all Shaker women are Sisters , all men are Brothers , all members are Believers ) embroiled in a conflict between the Hancock and Tyringham settlements surrounding Gift Drawings — manifestations of visions that Hancock Believers felt were causing Shakers to become laughingstocks to the outside world .
“ We wanted to do a story based in the Sisters ’ world . There is not much written about the women ,” says Wade , calling Shakers utopians who sustained the longest-lived American experiment of equality . “ The appeal of the Shaker lifestyle is very strong for many Americans . That is what appeals to me — the social aspect , not the design .”
The film is expected to be released in 2025 , and the screenwriters hope to offer readings this year at Hancock Shaker Village , where it will likely be filmed .
While it took years after Mother Ann ’ s death in 1784 for most of the Shaker settlements in America to take hold , it didn ’ t take her long after arriving in New York City to realize that it was not the ideal place to grow Shaker roots . She found herself the target of persecution , much like back in England , so she sent Shaker Brothers northward to find a place where they could peacefully practice , guided by her three Cs — celibacy , communal living , and confession of sins .
As a result , Watervliet in Colonie , New York , became the first Shaker settlement in 1776 . Today , the site includes nine Shaker buildings , gardens , a nature preserve , and the Shaker cemetery where Mother Ann is buried . The property is sandwiched between Albany International Airport , a prison , and a Minor League baseball stadium .
Trouble continued to follow the unwavering leader , and she was arrested in 1780 for treason , her pacifist doctrine preventing her from taking sides in the American Revolution . After being released from prison in 1781 , Mother Ann , accompanied by James Whittaker and her brother William Lee , embarked on a preaching mission throughout Maine , Massachusetts , and Connecticut . They followed the religious zeal that pervaded at the time , a wave of increased religious energy — the Great Awakening that emphasized personal religious experiences over rote observance .
The sect grew despite being celibate , no doubt helped along by the widows and orphans with no place to go as a result of the American Revolution and by women looking for freedom from the demands of sex and the risk of painful childbirth . “ I don ’ t understand the fascination with the issue of celibacy ,” says Wade . “ We accept how communities of celibate nuns and monks grew their ranks , but we ’ re still asking the question about the Shakers ?”
The number of Shaker settlements increased rapidly after Mother Ann ’ s death , with more than 6,000 Believers at one point . Each village offered its own personality and strength . Shakers in Tyringham , an outpost of Hancock , lived more intuitively than the orderly Hancock Shakers . The two groups often disagreed about how to interpret the rules ( the basis of Wade ’ s upcoming film ).
According to Nini Gilder , historian , author , and mother of screenwriter Nannina , Tyringham Shakers also were met with resistance by townspeople who viewed them as strange and even tried to smoke the Shakers out by planking over their chimney — not their finest hour . Over time , the town grew to respect the Shakers and their business innovations , such as illustrated seed packets . The Seed House in Tyringham became a gallery in the late-20th century for Jean and Leonard Brown ’ s Fluxus and avant-garde collection , which included work by Yoko Ono and John Lennon , who visited the Tyringham Seed House back in the day . Today , Jean Brown ’ s art collection is
HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Women were equal to men in Shaker communities , including their responsibilities , from plowing the land to fabric work to leading services .
SHAKER MUSEUM
Spring 2024 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 39