Sustainability

A House of Dignity and Charm

Billy Rankin

Billy Rankin, Vice President of Public Programming and Marketing

This is the fifth article in an ongoing series outlining long-range planning at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. New to the series? You can visit our previous articles here:

The Heart of Hospitality

The 1839 Trustees’ Office has been the focal point of welcoming guests to Pleasant Hill since its construction was completed by the Shakers in 1841. As a center of trade and commerce, the building was arguably more “of the world” then the other structures in the community.

New construction behind and adjacent to the 1839 Trustees’ Office would encompass new kitchens, storage, offices, HVAC systems and delivery area.

Near the end of the 19th century, the building came into private ownership, and since then it has served, almost entirely, as a house of hospitality. Millions of guests have passed beneath the wondrous twin spiral staircases on their way to dine on country fare in this building, once described in a popular postcard as A House of Dignity and Charm...

At the center of all food service for Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, the 1839 Trustees’ Office is not only home to our seed-to-table restaurant, The Trustees’ Table, but also to all food preparation for catered events across the 3,000 acre property. Additionally, the building houses eight overnight guest rooms, a craft shop, and four offices for employees.

The 1839 Trustees’ Office, c. 1880s.

Shaker Village’s Long-Range Planning Committee reviewed the challenges presented by operating a commercial kitchen in the cellar of an historic building. These challenges included an inefficient layout, limited capacity and the pressures this type of activity place on the fabric of this irreplaceable landmark. We also examined outdated HVAC systems, accessibility issues and difficulties with loading and unloading inventory and catered goods to and from the cellar.

What follows is an overview of key points of consideration, and potential plans for the future of the 1839 Trustees’ Office.

Space to Grow

The Long-Range Planning Committee determined that an expansion and modernization of kitchen facilities at the Trustees’ Office is necessary to increase service capacity for both the restaurant and catered events. This expansion provides an opportunity to offer “casual fare” for guests, filling a need in current dining offerings, and to increase cocktail and appetizer sales by creating a venue to capture both unique visitation and pre/post-dining guests.

The new construction necessary to achieve these goals will also provide an opportunity to: upgrade HVAC systems for the “central cluster,” add three overnight rooms that currently serve as offices back into service for guests, use the Trustees’ cellar as a tavern or rental space, add outdoor dining to the west side of Trustees’, add a walkup service window and bar facing the Trustees’ lawn, add accessible restroom facilities on the Trustees’ lawn, and create safe and efficient access for deliveries and waste removal.

A Brief History of the 1839 Trustees’ Office

Construction on the Trustees’ Office began in 1839, and the building was completed in 1841. The overall design of the building, along with the iconic, twin spiral stairs were likely influenced by public and private buildings in Lexington and Frankfort. For decades the Trustees’ Office served as the business offices for the Shakers and was also used to house and feed guests – both visiting Shakers and those of the “world.”

In 1896, in order to pay off debts, the Trustees’ Office and 766 acres of land were sold to John Castleman of Louisville. The building changed hands several times in the 20th century, but was used consistently as a public restaurant and inn, most notably as the “Shaker Village Guest House.” The last private owner of the building was Robert Renfrew.

In 1962, the Trustees’ Office was the first building purchased by the newly formed non-profit Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, Inc. This building was unanimously considered “the vital first purchase in the Shakertown project.”  The Shakertown Committee agreed that “possession of the inn would give the committee an asset that could be improved and turned into a moneymaker.”

Robert Renfrew receiving check for Trustees’ Office
Pictured left to right: Robert Renfrew, Bob Houlihan, Earl Wallace, Hillery Boone

Earl Wallace, then chair of the board of Trustees, claimed “the first challenge to our enthusiasm came as the option on the present Trustees’ House was about to expire. We were faced with the payment of $62,500 which we did not have. The challenge came from Barry Bingham of Louisville who said that he would give $25,000 if we would raise the balance. The seriousness of our undertaking dawned on me and five other trustees when we had to endorse Shakertown’s note at a Lexington Bank to get the balance. I recall we said at that time that Shakertown would own one property if never another!”

These 1963 floor plans show an early concept for moving kitchens out of the Trustees’ Office and into a new addition, while creating an additional food and beverage venue in the cellar of the building.

By 1963, leadership at Shaker Village were drawing up plans to expand the kitchens of the Trustees’ Office, add outdoor seating and convert the cellar to a tavern. Keep in mind that Mercer County did not allow alcohol sales at that time.

While modern plans will not be identical to those from 1963, it is worth noting the continuation of this concept.

The Trustees’ Table

The Trustees’ Table restaurant opened to the public in April 1968, under the leadership of Elizabeth Kremer. Mrs. Kremer developed a menu with a few Shaker-inspired dishes and rounded out with traditional “Southern” fare. Meals were served “family style,” with the sides for each day standardized and served in shared dishes.

The aesthetics of the restaurant were based on Shaker design, with servers in costume, menus based on the look of Shaker journals, and table settings resembling those found in upscale country homes.

Dining at the Trustees’ Table, c. 1990s.

By all accounts, the Trustees’ Table has been a popular and profitable venue for almost the entirety of its operation. While experiencing some decline in the 2000s, the expansion of onsite catering, outdoor dining and dining events, along with a resurgence in overall site visitation, has once again pressed restaurant operations to high productivity.

Shaker Village has also managed overnight guest rooms in the Trustees’ Office since 1968. Currently there are 8 overnight guest rooms in the building, though 11 rooms were developed for overnight use. The 3 rooms located on the second floor, above the kitchen, have been repurposed as offices due to the disturbance caused for guests by being above a kitchen area.

Catered events at Shaker Village take place in venues across the 3,000 acre property, with all food produced in the 1839 Trustees’ Office kitchens.

The front desk for the Inn was located in the Trustees’ Office until 2017. At that time the front desk was relocated to the Welcome Center (1815 Carpenter’s Shop) and the former front desk area was converted to additional retail space.

Future Plans

  • Construct a new kitchen with space and equipment to enable an expansion of services in the Trustees’ Table restaurant and for onsite catered events
    • Dry storage, cold storage, supply storage, alcohol storage, offices, break room, dishwashing, prep cooking, baking, grill lines, salad lines, service bar, beverage stations, first aid/safety station and loading/unloading areas to be included
    • Locations and routes related to deliveries, catering and waste removal to be considered, along with staff parking and access
    • Kitchen work spaces to be designed to allow appropriate walkways and flow for prep, service and delivery
    • Kitchen operations would be removed from 1839 structure, reducing risk of loss/damage to the historic building as well as risk to employees currently navigating narrow stairs and walkways.
  • Provide additional food and beverage venues at the Trustees’ Table, with focus on casual fare and alcohol sales
    • With cellar emptied of kitchens, space can be opened up to create an accessible “tavern” with capacity of 60-75 patrons. Alternatively, this space could be used as a location for interpretation and/or group rentals
    • A walk-up bar and grill can be included in the new construction, providing service to the Trustees’ lawn
    • Additional terrace seating can be added outside the cellar entrance on the west side of the building, making a more attractive approach to the Village center while increasing casual service capacity.
  • Add public restrooms in the cellar, along with new restrooms with outdoor access from the Trustees’ lawn, as part of the new addition, resolving a bathroom capacity issue in the center of the Village.
  • Replace HVAC system for “central cluster,” installing in new addition to Trustees’. Impacts Ministry Shop and Post Office along with Trustees’ Office.
  • Increase overnight lodging capacity by providing offices in the new addition, allowing three overnight rooms currently serving as office space in Trustees (above current kitchens) to go back into service for guests.

Design Goals

Before any design will be rendered for this important projects, a number of key design topics will be discussed by a variety of experts and stakeholders, including:

  • New construction should not impede the historic viewshed from Trustees’ Office to garden
  • One outcome is to create a more attractive and obvious approach from guest parking area to the Trustees’ Office
  • The Long-Range Planning Committee is also working with historic preservationists, architects and artists to determine our approach to the following questions: Is the new construction a showpiece, or meant to be unobtrusive? Is new construction blending with Shaker architecture, or does it have a more modern design? How will landscaping tell an historic story, while also creating the appropriate aesthetic atmosphere for guests?

Follow Our Progress

As projects develop, you can expect to hear more about the progress on social media, through emails and on the Shaker Village blog. We hope you follow along!

If you have questions about master site planning at Shaker Village, or if you would like to support our efforts, please reach out to our Vice President of Public Programming & Marketing, Billy Rankin at [email protected] or 859.734.1574.

Pieces of a Puzzle

Billy Rankin

Billy Rankin, Vice President of Public Programming and Marketing

This is the second in an ongoing series of articles outlining long-range planning at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.

Diving into the Details

In our last article, we described the process of building a new long-range plan for Shaker Village. Steps in this process included a review of our nonprofit’s mission, visits to other cultural sites for inspiration, an examination of property usage data and current conditions, and interviews with architects, designers and engineers.

You may be thinking, that’s nice, but what are you actually planning to do?

Good question! It’s time to dive into the project list that makes up the bulk of Shaker Village’s Long-Range Plan.

First Reflections

Before introducing you to Shaker Village’s ten-year project list, a few notes and reminders are required!

  1. Bring an open mind. Our plans for Shaker Village are bold, but our commitment to preserving the integrity of the property, and its remarkable history, remains strong.
  2. It won’t be done overnight. This is a long-range plan. In many cases the projects we have outlined may be ambitious for even a ten-year timeframe
  3. No project stands alone. To preserve Shaker Village and make it sustainable for future generations, a multi-faceted and integrated plan is required. Each of these projects, alone, may be important, but to understand the full impact these pieces of a larger puzzle must be viewed together.
  4. Preservation comes first. There are three categories for the projects on our ten-year list: Preservation, Adaptive Reuse, and New Construction. The staff and board of Shaker Village are united in the belief that the preservation of our historic structures and landscape is of the utmost importance, and everything else we do must support those efforts, not detract from them. To that end, new construction has only been considered where the return on investment will enhance the Village, and using Shaker structures would be unsuitable or inappropriate as a solution.

The Project List

In the coming weeks and months, more details will be shared about each project listed below. Some are major projects, some are minor, but all fit into the tapestry that is the future vision for Shaker Village. In addition to the list below, the preservation of every historic structure on the property will be ongoing.

  • 1850 West Lot Wash House – Preservation, add overnight suite to the 2nd floor, preserve 1st floor for archaeological interpretation.
  • 1816 North Lot Dwelling – Preservation, convert space to “bunk style” overnight lodging with full kitchen and laundry.
  • 1839 Trustees’ Office – Construct an extension on the back of the building to encompass new and expanded kitchens, storage and office spaces. Remove kitchens from the building’s cellar to create a new, accessible venue for guests. Add a walk-up bar and grill and restrooms to the exterior of the new construction, facing the garden lawn. Replace HVAC systems for Trustees’ and surrounding buildings.
This site plan is for a children’s playscape that will be constructed along the south edge of the garden area, and was developed in partnership with the Children at Play Network.
  • Children’s Playscape – Create an “intentional landscape for children” along the south edge of the vegetable garden so children can climb and play near the heart of the Village.
  • Shaker Landing – Add a canoe/kayak launch, expand the dock system on the Kentucky River, purchase and operate a new touring boat, outfit the 1866 Timber Frame Stable for events and receptions. Add a parking area off Hwy 68 along the Village’s River Road to shuttle guests to and from events at the landing.
  • Nature Center – Construct a nature center along the West Lot Road, near the Centre Trailhead, to host hikers, field trips, receptions and environmental research.
  • Relocate West Trailhead – Move trailhead and kiosk to the large parking lot behind the West Lot Dwelling, build a connector trail from this location, add restrooms at new trailhead.
  • Rebuild sections of trail system that have had washouts, and continue efforts to prevent erosion, provide drainage and reinforce all trails.
The Believers is a permanent exhibit set to open on the second floor of the 1820 Meeting House in fall 2023. One room of the exhibition will explore the architecture and construction of the Meeting House.
  • Complete all the exhibit plans for the 1824 Centre Family Dwelling, 1820 Meeting House, 1809 Farm Deacon’s Shop, 1847 Cooper’s Shop and 1835 East Family Wash House.
  • 1824 Centre Family Dwelling – Convert 3rd floor bedrooms (currently storage) into additional staff offices.
  • 1821 Ministry’s Offices – Convert from staff offices to overnight lodging.
  • 1821 West Family Dwelling – Remodel the facilities in the “Winter Kitchen.” Construct a ramp to create an accessible entrance to 1st floor overnight rooms, remodel these four rooms to be ADA compliant.
  • 1820 Meeting House – Construct an accessible ramp to the first floor on the east end of the building.
  • East Family Area Sidewalk – Add an accessible sidewalk, parallel to the current historic sidewalk, connecting the Turnpike to the 1845 East Family Brethren’s Shop, 1847 Cooper’s Shop and loading zone behind the 1817 East Family Dwelling.
  • West Family Area – Replace current boiler/chiller HVAC system with a geothermal system.
  • 1855 East Family Sisters’ Shop – Convert 1st floor room that is currently storage to a new workshop space for public programs and field trips.
  • 1811 Old Stone Shop – Replace sitting room furniture and kitchen fixtures, upgrade overnight rooms.
  • Upgrade the meeting rooms in the 1828 West Lot Dwelling with new audio/visual components, furniture and sound buffering ceilings.
  • Meadow View Barn – Run water lines to the site, construct restroom facilities adjacent to the silo, hardscape and landscape around the barn to create additional outside seating for events, construct a permanent kitchen extension on the back of the barn.
  • Expand climate-controlled storage for Shaker artifacts, with new construction hidden inside a current agricultural barn.  
  • Greenhouse and Gardens – Replace current greenhouse and replot adjacent area to include both public programming space and secure storage.
  • Administrative Offices – Replace carpet, frame permanent offices in the basement and repaint interior.
  • Buildings & Grounds Department Shops – Expand storage space, add climate-controlled and ventilated room for painting and staining in cold-weather.
  • Resurface all current asphalt roads and parking lots.
  • Replace the bridge on the West Lot Road to have capacity for busses and trailers.
The dam on Shaker Pond had become overgrown, compromising its integrity and blocking a viewshed that had historically been open. As part of a greater, property-wide initiative, this area was cleared and the dam was rebuilt.
  • Clear and maintain historic viewsheds, removing woody invasives that are currently obscuring cultural elements like dry stacked stone fences, foundations and archaeological sites.
  • Additional Sitewide infrastructure upgrades to include: new fiber lines to all buildings with corresponding hardware and access points for increased Wi-Fi service; additional electrical service along West Lot Road, enhancements to current water treatment facility.

Where Do We Start?

Many of the “smaller” projects on this list are already underway, while the more intensive projects are still being planned. Our mantra has been: One job at a time, one success at a time. As stewards of this property, we want to leave it better for the next generation, which means we will be scrutinizing every detail of the projects as they progress.

Follow Our Progress

As projects develop, you can expect to hear more about the progress on social media, through emails and on the Shaker Village blog. We hope you follow along!

If you have questions about master site planning at Shaker Village, or if you would like to support our efforts, please reach out to our Vice President of Public Programming & Marketing, Billy Rankin at [email protected] or 859.734.1574.

Preserving the Past, Planning for the Future

Billy Rankin

Creating a New Long-Range Plan for Shaker Village

Billy Rankin, Vice President of Public Programming and Marketing

For most visitors to Shaker Village, the typical conversation is framed in the “past tense.”
Who lived here? How were these buildings used? What did this look like in the 19th century? What did the Shakers believe?

As Kentucky’s largest National Historic Landmark, this makes perfect sense, of course. It has been over 200 years since Shaker missionaries first came to our state, and the rich and vibrant stories of Pleasant Hill’s rise, decline and restoration have attracted millions of visitors since our nonprofit opened the Village to the public in 1968.

There are a committed few, however, that have recently been framing their conversations about Shaker Village in the “future tense.” With these conversations come a very different set of questions.
How will we use this building? What will happen in this space? What infrastructure is needed to support higher visitation? What will our guests need, that we don’t already provide? How do we ensure Shaker Village will be healthy for generations to come?

After 55 years of sharing Pleasant Hill with the public, Shaker Village is creating a new Long-Range Plan.

Building on Success

So, what has prompted this new planning process, and what are the intended outcomes?

Over the last decade, Shaker Village has tackled a number of major challenges and celebrated many successes. We have made great strides in historic preservation, exhibit installation, care of the grounds, upgrades to infrastructure, growth of our endowment and increases in annual visitation, passholders and individual donors. There is still much to be done to preserve and care for the buildings and property at Pleasant Hill, but we have turned an important corner. Our successes have built momentum, and with this momentum comes the opportunity for continued growth.

Shaker Village staff meet with representatives from Bernheim Forest to discuss initiatives to increase youth engagement at the Village.

In late 2021, the Shaker Village Board of Trustees, recognizing this pivotal moment in our nonprofit’s history, created a Long-Range Planning Committee (LRPC) and commissioned it with developing a new Master Site Plan for the property.  The committee, chaired by Centre College President Emeritus Dr. John Roush, is comprised of a select group of architects, preservationists and business people from the Board of Trustees, joined by members of the Village’s Senior Leadership staff.

Doing Our Homework

The LRPC wasted no time getting started with their assignment. In the last 18 months this committee has conducted studies of Shaker Village’s operations and identified key challenges and opportunities.

Shaker Village Curator Becky Soules speaks with an interpreter during a site visit to Colonial Williamsburg.

Members of the LRPC have made site visits to nearly 20 other cultural sites to draw comparisons and learn from shared experiences. These visits, to organizations including Colonial Williamsburg, Conner Prairie, Bernheim Forest, Yew Dell Gardens, and the Kentucky Historical Society, have inspired the team at Shaker Village not only through learning of successes, but by also learning of mistakes made by each organization along the way. 

The LRPC also conducted a series of interviews with architects, landscape designers and master site planning specialists to prepare for the questions and inevitable hurdles Shaker Village will face when implementing its own Master Site Plan.

Staying on Mission

One bit of wisdom the LRPC has taken from their study has been: “just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do something.” Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is an incredibly special place, and always has been. As our team works to enhance guest experiences, grow visitation and increase accessibility, it is incredibly important that nothing we do detracts from what the Village already is.

Shaker village staff and board members visited many other cultural sites over the last 18 months, including Conner Prairie in Indiana.

This perfect balance of preservation and hospitality is where the magic of Shaker Village is found.

To guide our team’s efforts, every idea and concept is run through a series of “strategy screen questions” and ultimately viewed through the lens of our mission, to inspire generations of guests through discovery, by sharing the legacies of the Kentucky Shakers.

As our team examines needs for additional overnight rooms, kitchen space, programming areas and more, coming back to our strategy screen and mission ensures that future projects are in line with the spirit and identity of Shaker Village, and only augment the overall experience of the site.

What Comes Next?

In the coming months, the LRPC will select and partner with a firm that specializes in master site planning for large, diverse properties. Together, they will refine a list of projects and initiatives that help to preserve the property, while enhancing guest experiences. At the end of this process, the leadership of Shaker Village will have drawings, site maps and other renderings to share this vision for the future to the public.

According to Dr. Roush, “Shaker Village is going to be here, as an organization and as an historic site, for a very long time. We are taking our time to plan for the long-term. Some tasks we discuss may be accomplished relatively soon, while others are years away, but the important thing is that we have a thoughtful plan that provides a playbook for the success and longevity of this incredibly unique place.”

Follow Our Progress

As plans develop, you can expect to hear more about the progress on social media, through emails and on the Shaker Village blog. We hope you follow along!

If you have questions about master site planning at Shaker Village, please reach out to our Vice President of Public Programming & Marketing, Billy Rankin at [email protected] or 859.734.1574.

2022: A Year in Review

Billy Rankin

Melissa Williams, Development Coordinator

2022 has been an incredible year at Shaker Village. There is so much to celebrate and none of it would have been possible without your support as a guest, a passholder, or a donor.

Major Milestone Achieved

Five years ago, William Updike joined the Shaker Village staff as the Vice President of Natural & Cultural Resources. His goal was to secure each of the 34 historic Shaker structures on the site. The first step was to replace aging (and failing) roofs.  William says, “A dry building starts at the top!” Realizing this ambitious vision required significant resources and funding, and it happened.

The 1844 West Family Sisters’ Shop was one of six historic buildings at Pleasant Hill to receive a new roof in 2022.

When you take a stroll down the historic turnpike and throughout the Village you will notice new roofs have been installed on nearly every building over the past five years. Six roofs were replaced just this year.  This is a quite an achievement!

Water poses the biggest threat in historic preservation. When a roof reaches the end of its useful life, it starts to let water in which can damage the building’s structure. Preventing leaks and deflecting water away from the building helps to preserve these original Shaker structures for future generations.  And that is precisely our mission!

Our team of craftsmen have also been hard at work this year on windows in the Old Stone Shop and completing the full preservation of the 1817 East Family Dwelling.  With help from the grounds crew, the Village has truly never looked better!

Growing a Farm, and our “Farmily”

The Farm at Shaker Village is one of the most popular spots on the property for our guests. Can you guess why? It’s the animals!  The Farm and the Garden are cared for by four staff members, and their successes in 2022 are amazing! Check out some of their accomplishments this year:

Alamo, a Texas Longhorn steer, was one of the new additions to The Farm at Shaker Village in 2022.
  • Completed the 3rd year of solar grazing at LG&E, with our sheep, controlling vegetation across 32 acres of solar panels.
  • Increased our flock population and now have almost 200 breeding ewes!
  • Expanded our cattle grazing into a 60-acre sections of native grasses.
  • Added 3 new registered Shorthorn Heifers to our herd, 2 calves and 1 Texas Longhorn steer.
  • Built 2 large sections of woven wire fence in our pastures
  • Redesigned the garden area to have additional walkways for guests.
  • Built a High Tunnel to extend the growing season and completed its first year of production.
  • Finished our 2nd full year of CSA garden shares across two, 10-week periods totaling 11 shares per season
  • Taught dozens of summer campers and hundreds of guests about honey bees and draft animals on our farm.
  • Donated hundreds of pounds of food to those in need.

Engaging Our Guests

Every day at Shaker Village there is a schedule of daily programs and tours for our guests to enjoy.  Our Program Team takes great care and preparation in putting these programs together.  They have a lot of fun interacting with our visitors.  It is the most rewarding part of our work. Continually enhancing the guest experience is our top priority.

This year we launched the much-anticipated Shaker Village App. This FREE app places hundreds of historic images and other rarely seen content right at your fingertips.  It is a great way for you to explore the Village and learn the stories of individual Shakers. Through the App, we hope you will gain a deeper understanding of the Pleasant Hill Shakers and their legacy.

“Local Economies, Global Impacts” opened to the public in March 2022.

In March 2022 Shaker Village also launched the new exhibition, Local Economies, Global Impacts. Sponsored in part by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, this award-winning exhibit tells the story of Shaker industry and trade, and is located in the East Family Brethren’s Shop and East Family Sisters’ Shop.

The Program Team and the Curator of Collections are also working on the development, fabrication and installation of two exhibits that will open in 2023.  The first, Searching for Sister Mary, will open in March 2023.  It will celebrate Sister Mary Settles who was the last Shaker to live at Pleasant Hill.  The second exhibit, The Believers: Shaker Theology and Worship, will be installed on the second floor of the 1820 Meeting House.  It will open in fall 2023.

Volunteers Make Improvements to The Preserve

Since the unofficial beginning of The Preserve, we have been constantly working to improve the habitat for all the wild things that call this area home.  We gauge our progress through surveys of plants, trees, birds, small mammals and insects.  This year a quick plant inventory revealed approximately 130 different plant species in The Preserve. And over the years we have observed 108 different species of birds.

Indigo buntings are one of over 100 bird species that can be observed in The Preserve at Shaker Village throughout the year.

As a guest, you can make your own observations in The Preserve by hiking or riding on our multi-use trails.  Our trails are maintained by a team of two staff members and a growing number of dedicated volunteers who meet every third Saturday of the month (March through October). Our volunteers worked throughout the past year to improve the Heritage Trail by removing overgrown honeysuckle. This work opened up the trail and hikers should be treated to a beautiful wildflower display next spring!

We also encourage you to spend some time at the Bird Blind, which was updated this past summer.  It’s a great place to see some of the area’s most abundant birds and insects. The Bird Blind is located at the center trailhead and is accessible.

We Make You Kindly Welcome

The Pleasant Hill Shakers were known for their hospitality and we carry that legacy forward today. Whether you are visiting for the day, staying overnight or spending a holiday here, we look forward to seeing you!

At The Inn this year, we renovated the bathrooms in four of our guest rooms.  These updated bathrooms now feature walk-in showers and more spacious bathrooms. These upgrades were made possible by generous donor support and are part of our ongoing efforts to improve accessibility across the site.

After a short sabbatical, Chef Amber Hokams returned to lead Shaker Village’s culinary experiences in 2022.

At The Trustees’ Table, we welcomed over 62,000 diners to our table. The fried chicken, Shaker Lemon Pie, and tomato celery soup are our guests’ tried and true favorites. If you’re looking for something a little bit different, check out our Fresh Food Adventure Series. Chef Amber Hokams is able to show off her skills and the best of the Shaker Village Farm during these events.  This past year we hosted six of these culinary adventures – and we invite you to join us in January 2023 for the Bourbon Dinner!

With Gratitude…to our Guests, Passholders and Donors

As the year winds down, we are so humbled by the support you’ve shown Shaker Village in a year that has been challenging for all of us. The best part about Shaker Village is that it is nestled in this beautiful rolling hills of the bluegrass.  When you visit, it’s because Shaker Village is your destination and you have made an effort to get here to enjoy the peace and tranquility.

In a year when the market has been unstable and inflation has caused rising gas prices, food costs and more, we know your charitable dollars may be limited. Yet we are celebrating all the things that you helped make possible in 2022. We cannot say thank you enough.

Pleasant Hill is a magical place. When the Shakers settled here in 1805, they had no way of knowing that this site would remain two centuries later.  Thank you for making that happen, and for generously supporting Kentucky’s largest National Historic Landmark.  We are so excited for 2023 and all the possibilities it will bring. 

We will see you in the New Year!

What we refuse to destroy…

Billy Rankin

Billy Rankin, Vice President of Public Programming and Marketing

“In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy.” -John Sawhill

For more than 60 years, our nonprofit organization has been on a mission to preserve the buildings and property that belonged to the Shakers of Pleasant Hill, and to share this unique historic landscape with the public. This mission has not been achieved without struggle. Preserving a historic place presents many challenges, and doing it while also hosting 100,000 visitors each year can be quite a juggling act!

Although we have developed a sustainable, nonprofit model to support the preservation of Pleasant Hill, we are fortunate the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) was passed early in our organization’s history. The layers of protection and support this legislation, and its later amendments, has offered historic properties like Shaker Village cannot be overstated. As Preservation Month comes to a close, it seems appropriate to take a moment to reflect on some of the designations this legislation provided that have impacted our mission.

The National Register of
Historic Places

The NHPA legislated the creation of the National Register of Historic Places. Designation on this list provides national recognition to a historic property, even if the scope of its story may be deemed to be local or regional. Listing on the National Register can provide certain federal incentives, though it doesn’t inherently protect a property or building from alterations, or even demolition.

The Centre Family Dwelling underwent preservation work in 2018.

There are currently 95,000 properties listed on the National Register, with over 1.4 million individual historic resources identified on those properties. You can search the National Register Database here.

While Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, when our organization was added in 1971 we were also made part of a much more exclusive club…

National Historic Landmarks

National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) are properties that have national historic significance. These properties have exceptional value, or quality, and represent a special category of designated historic structures.

There are currently just over 2,600 NHLs in the country (32 in Kentucky) representing less than 3% of National Register properties. Other NHLs include places like Mount Vernon, Alcatraz, Pearl Harbor and Graceland. Search for National Historic Landmarks here.

Aerial view of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.

While, similar to the National Register listing, being an NHL doesn’t necessarily protect a property from alterations, or even demolition, the listing does create a buffer against a number of state and federal intrusions. It also creates an increased awareness of the property’s value to our nation’s cultural history.

The nomination process for both the National Register and to become an NHL can be extensive. In 1971 Shaker Village’s full nomination totaled 360 pages! A few dozen of those pages were photos, but still, wow! Nominations are archived online, so if you have some time on your hands it’s interesting, and inspirational to read Shaker Village’s nomination form. So many people have given so much of their time and talent so that this incredible place can be passed on from generation to generation. It’s almost overwhelming to think about.

This Place Matters

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned the “juggling act” that can take place when trying to balance preservation and public access. There’s no doubt that visitor usage can add wear and tear to any property, particularly historic properties. But, we must always remember why we preserve this history. If we don’t share the story Pleasant Hill has to tell, we aren’t accomplishing our full mission. And if we don’t inspire future generations with this story, then who will care about Pleasant Hill when we are gone?

Visitors tour the historic turnpike at Pleasant Hill.

Ultimately, while national designations and legislation can provide layers of protection, the preservation of our historic places is an action undertaken by us every day. It must be undertaken relentlessly and with enthusiasm, because once a place like Pleasant Hill is lost, it can never be replaced.

So, as Preservation Month comes to a close, we thank all of our guests, hikers, diners, shoppers, donors, sponsors, vendors, staff and volunteers for helping to preserve Kentucky’s largest National Historic Landmark, each in your own way.

Learn more about how you can support Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.

Bibliography

Tyler, Norman, Ted J. Ligibel, and Ilene R. Tyler. Historic Preservation, 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009.