Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
Photo: Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
Surrounded by 1,800 acres of fields and trees is a collection of white clapboard and brick buildings built during the 18th and 19th centuries. This is Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, home of the only active Shaker community in the world.
When the United Society of Believers was founded in England in 1747 as an offshoot of the Quakers, they faced persecution and derision, being called “shakers” for their demonstrative style of worship. A group of Shakers fled to colonial America in 1774 seeking religious freedom, and over the next century built 19 communal settlements in ten states. The Sabbathday Lake community was founded in 1783, and became known for hard work, simple living, fine craftsmanship, and agriculture.
Since the height of the movement in the mid-1800s, Shaker membership dwindled, largely because the faith requires celibacy, and settlements closed until finally only the Sabbathday Lake community remained. In 2025, a new member joined that community, bringing worldwide membership to three.
While membership is small today, the Shakers are supported by a wide community of volunteers and partnerships with nonprofits that will preserve the settlement if there are no longer members. The village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is open to the public for retreats, tours, and special events, and is renowned for its herb garden.
Author: Stephanie Bouchard
