Harvard Shaker Village Historic District

Harvard Shaker Village preserves the core of Massachusetts' first Shaker community, which began informally in 1781 with the arrival of Mother Ann Lee and lasted until 1918. The district covers about 155 acres and includes the Church Family and South Family complexes, a cemetery with more than 300 burials, and Holy Hill of Zion, an outdoor worship area laid out in 1842. Most surviving buildings date from 1800 to about 1850. They are simple frame structures, mostly clapboarded, blending Federal and Greek Revival forms in line with Shaker rules against fanciful architecture. Key buildings include the 1791 Meetinghouse, the Second House, the 1847 Ministry and the large New Office built in the 1840s. The community prospered through seeds, herbs, applesauce, dairy products and crafts, reaching a population of about 200 in 1850. Later private owners maintained many buildings, and remains of lost structures and a mid-1850s water system add archaeological potential.