Billy Rankin, President & CEO
All That Remains
Although I began working at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in the fall of 2015, it wasn’t until late 2016 that I first visited the Village’s North Lot. Historically used as a “gathering order” for novice Shakers, and a site to welcome visitors to the community, by 2016 the North Lot seemed entirely separated from the guest experience at the Village.
The North Lot is located only a quarter mile from the Historic Center of Pleasant Hill, though that distance seems much farther due to the presence of highway 68 bisecting the property. The highway, and the fact that the last historic building that remained at the North Lot had been shuttered for nearly a decade, is why it took so long for me to make my first visit.
My interest in exploring the 1816 North Lot Family Dwelling was purely for curiosity’s sake. I had read about the building’s interesting design, and was told that it “might not be around much longer” due to its poor condition. It seems that when the Village had fallen on hard times financially in the early 2000’s, among the casualties were “satellite” buildings that could no longer be maintained.
I crossed the highway on foot, hopping gates until I came to the long, maple-lined lane that led to the rear of the dwelling. Walking along the lane I noticed the foundations and ruins of several other structures, remnants of the dozen or so buildings that would have comprised the North Lot Family. There, at the end of the lane, stood the last of what had once been a vibrant collection of structures.
A Long Road Back
Encircling the building, I stepped over broken window panes and a gutter spout that had fallen. Torn construction wrapping from a prior attempt at preservation flapped in the breeze.
Looking past these abysmal conditions, I imagined the lives this building had lived. Shaker brethren raising its timber framed walls during construction, then coming and going for their daily labors while it served as their dwelling. After the Shakers, tenant farmers making their home here and caring for the fields. And, later families on a retreat to central Kentucky, exploring, making memories and then returning to their comfortable “home away from home.”
As I climbed the steps through the three levels of the building and then down to visit the cellar, my thoughts turned away from the past, and toward the future. How can we save this irreplaceable building? What could it become in its next life?
In subsequent years, as our team tackled all the challenges presented by a 3,000-acre historic property, the North Lot was never far from our minds. By 2022 we had developed a long-range plan that included bringing new life to the North Lot. Fundraising efforts began that fall with lead contributions from two private donors, and the search for applicable grants and other funding sources.
They say that “good things come to those that wait.” That may be true, and patience is certainly a virtue, but I will submit an adage that better fits at Shaker Village is “good things come to those that work hard and don’t give up.” The Development Office at Shaker Village hosted dozens of tours, submitted multiple grant applications, solicited support from elected officials and government offices, and finally, after years of effort, succeeded in securing $1.5 million in grant funding and private donations for the preservation of the 1816 North Lot Family Dwelling.
The North Lot, Reborn
With the 2025 announcement of a grant award from the Department of the Interior’s Save America’s Treasures initiative, and matching funds through Kentucky’s GRANT program, the real work of preserving and sharing the 1816 North Lot Family Dwelling could begin.
The team at Shaker Village enlisted our partners at K. Norman Berry Associates Architects to help assess current conditions and develop a restoration plan. First, we will remove the non-historic elements of the building to better view structural elements. This includes modern plaster, insulation, mechanical elements, bathrooms and roofing shingles.
Next, engineers will assess the building’s structural integrity and determine any treatments that will be needed to ensure its stability. Then, exterior surfaces will be restored or renovated, including siding, trim, masonry, windows, doors and roofing. Lastly, work to install new mechanical systems and restore interior finishes will take place.
By 2029, the North Lot Family Dwelling will be “alive” again.
Completing the Picture
As the restoration of the 1816 North Lot Family Dwelling takes place, Shaker Village continues to raise funds for landscaping, furnishings, kitchen appliances, and other amenities to compliment and fulfill this project. Once completed, the dwelling will once again be available for overnight rental – a perfect destination for a family or small group retreat.
As the project continues, follow our blog to learn more about our progress, and how this initial project will open up new guest experiences across the entire northeast portion of Shaker Village’s property.
You can also lend support to the 1816 North Lot Dwelling project by making a donation. Gifts to the North Lot will support the building and additional needs, including landscaping, fences, interior furnishing and pavement.
Discover More
If this is your first time learning about the 1816 North Lot Family Dwelling, you may enjoy these articles for additional context:
