During the 1970s,  collectors and those with an interest in the Shakers had been crossing paths at various Shaker venues. These encounters were always so positive that a group decided not to wait for special events to meet. Their inspiration was influenced by the formation of the Friends of the Shakers at Sabbathday Lake, whose purpose was to keep alive the spirit formed at the 1974 bicentennial conference.  

Accordingly, a few interested people convened at Nancy Joslin’s apartment in Concord, Massachusetts, in November, 1981. Kathy Moriarty and Nancy’s sister, Joane Lowry, were two of the others who attended. Since those interested lived in the vicinity of Boston, the group was dubbed the Boston Area Shaker Study Group. Soon, collectors such as Ed and Ruth Guerin from Cumberland, Rhode Island, and longtime Shaker aficionados Viola and Wendell Hess of Enfield, New Hampshire, were members. Although quickly belying the name of the group, no one cared that so many members eventually came from all of the New England states and beyond.

Meetings were held in the homes of members or at former Shaker sites. These potluck gatherings, held on at least three or four Saturdays a year, were social events that included singing Shaker songs. As the name of the group suggests, it was thought that study projects would also be essential.  

The first of these projects was the recording of the names and the mapping of the Shaker cemetery in Harvard. The “lollipop” markers and stones had been disappearing, and the group wanted to save what was left from being lost. The result was the completion of a booklet which included a list of deceased Harvard Shakers and a plot plan. After this, the group turned its attention to mapping and exploring the Shaker water system at Harvard. From the spring house to the cistern, all possible parts of the pipelines were traversed. Of course, modern developments such as the construction of Route 2 made it impossible to trace all of these.

With the work at Harvard finished, the group evolved into other activities, including a book discussion each year. One of the first well-known authors in the Shaker field to share insights was Jean Humez. In time, annual activities also included a Shaker Film Festival, the brainchild of Douglas Tilghman of New Jersey. He had the ability to ferret out unknown clips and documentaries on the Shakers. These were viewed each November in the theater at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston, Massachusetts. Later, they were viewed at Volunteer’s Hall at the Harvard Public Library. Doug made copies of the film and clips and distributed them to members. The film festival ended with Doug’s passing in 2024.

With the expansion of membership, the format of meetings also evolved. The potlucks held in homes largely gave way to meetings at Volunteer’s Hall and Shaker sites. Over the last forty years, the group has made multiple visits to the former Shaker sites in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Viewing exhibitions of Shaker interest also became a regular part of the yearly round of activities. These venues include the Art Complex Museum (Duxbury, MA); the New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain, CT); the Currier Museum of Art (Manchester, NH); and the Museum of Our National Heritage (Lexington, MA).

Seeking out Shaker outdoor worship sites, called “feast grounds,” have always held an allure, and more adventuresome members have tackled such ascents at Mount Lebanon, Shirley, Hancock, Harvard, Enfield (New Hampshire), and Canterbury.  

Of all the events, no doubt, the most stirring have been our encounters with the Shakers themselves. We hosted Sister Frances Carr at Fruitlands, attended the Shakers singing with the Boston Camerata at Faneuil Hall, and spoke informally with Shakers at Kathy Moriarty’s in Natick. To celebrate the bicentennial of the Shirley community’s founding, we held a small service in the Shirley Meeting House (now at Hancock Shaker Village) and later hosted Sister Frances, Sister Marie, Brother Wayne, and Brother Arnold for a luncheon in Shirley. The event was called “The Gospel is Advancing.”

A recent excursion was to Petersham, Massachusetts, where the Group was joined by Brother Arnold and Michael Graham, Director of Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, to commemorate the installation of a plaque marking the location where Mother Ann Lee was brutally attacked in 1781. For this occasion, Brother Arnold printed and bound a small booklet, Mother, as a keepsake for the 27 attendees. It is one thing to study the Shakers and stand in awe of their material achievements. It is quite another, however, to meet them in person, chat, and share a meal. These touchstones help members to focus on what Shakerism is all about, always a much-needed perspective.

None of those who first envisioned the group could have foreseen how our mission would expand to even include a Zoom format, but remember, the best is yet to come.  With new members, more paths will be taken as we move forward.

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Featured Past Presenters:

Current Shaker Study Group Leadership:

Brece Honeycutt & Sarah Margolis-Pineo, co-presidents

Susan Curtiss, vice president

Lisa Berezin, treasurer

Beth Hansen, secretary