Shakertown at Pleasant Hill Kentucky

Vibrant illustrated overview of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, home to a historic Shaker community.

The first Shakers (or “Shaking Quakers” due to their sometimes erratic behavior during service) to arrive in what would become the village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky settled on a 140 acre farm in 1806. Over the following decades, it would grow into a flourishing community, but fell upon hard times in the early 20th century. A preservation effort spearheaded in the 1960’s led to the restoration of a number of buildings, and today the site is operated as a National Historic Landmark.

This image was originally created as a woodcut by Fritz Kredel in 1968, and shows the village shortly after the first round of restoration efforts were completed. The detailed pictorial overview is accompanied by a list of buildings with their original dates (and the privvy). The title cartouche is flanked by illustrations of a bonnet-wearing Shaker woman weaving thread and a man with a bucksaw.