A few more images from the Hancock Shaker Village in MA, after the goat photos I shared a little while back. An idyllic spring day amid the Berkshire Mountains, roaming a historic farm and buildings – exactly the sort of thing I enjoy.
I didn’t know much about the Shakers going in, aside from having an appreciation for their woodworking style, which is elegant in its simplicity. As it turns out, the Shakers applied that methodology to all their creations: buildings, furniture, infrastructure. They are an impressively clever and talented group, with a solid grasp of engineering and improvisation.
The Shakers channeled water to their village, designed and built early automation to help optimize the work required to care for a whole community – the historic equivalent of powered clothes washers and dryers, belt driven tools.
If you find yourself near Hancock, MA, it’s well worth a stop!