Hands on at Hancock Shaker Village! Exploring the Oldest Working Farm in the Berkshires

Hey guys! Welcome to this episode 😁 Im very excited to share this historic, sentimental and nostalgic village with me. Enjoy the show! Description: Shakers came to America from Manchester, England, in 1774, when Ann Lee led eight Shaker converts here seeking freedom to live, work, and worship. Hancock residents converted to Shakerism as early as 1780. The Hancock Shaker community was founded in 1790 and was active through 1960. The Shakers have made important contributions to American culture in their art, architecture, craftsmanship, music, government, agriculture, and commerce. They are renowned today for their plain architecture and furniture. The Hancock community, the third of nineteen major Shaker villages established in New England, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, grew under the leadership of Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright, with land donated by converted farmers. At the peak of its success in the 1840s, the Hancock community had more than 3,000 acres and 300 members. The community gradually declined, in part due to the urban migration that followed the Industrial Revolution. By the early 1900s, only 50 members remained, most of them children. Eventually, excess land was sold and many buildings were destroyed. Concerned citizens stepped in to preserve the Village in the 1960s. Today, the 750-acre Hancock Shaker Village operates as a living-history museum open to the public with 20 authentic Shaker buildings, rich collections of Shaker furniture and artifacts in rotating exhibits, a full schedule of activities and workshops, a mile-long hiking trail and picnic areas, store and cafe, and a working farm with extensive gardens and heritage-breed livestock. #animals #old #fun #history #historic #landmark #oldest #antiques #farms #land #amazing #beautiful #nature #walk #explore #alone #haunted #visit #dad #family #work #handson #learn #funny #play #farmanimals #love #school #people #crouded #attic #basement #equipment #cows #birds #chickens #pigs #sheep #donkey #mini #sweet #cute #happy #abandoned