While growing up in Lancaster, Kentucky, my parents often took my brother and I to nearby Shakertown where I made many of the photos in this gallery. Shakertown was the home of a religious sect called the “United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing”. Nineteen Shaker communities in Ohio and Kentucky began in the late 18th century and endured into the 21st century. Since the men and women were celibate, the society recruited members from the outside world including husbands, wives and their children. They were known as “Shakers” because of their trembling or shaking during worship services. My dad used to joke that they shook because they were horny.

Despite their unconventional beliefs, the Shakers were more advanced than their traditional neighbors. My photos illustrate some of the Shaker’s labor-saving devices as well as their symmetrical architecture that served to separate men from women and thereby encourage their celibacy. Dual entrances and twin staircases directed men to the right half of communal buildings and women to the left. I hope that you enjoy the photos and please leave your comments.