The White Water Shaker Village : on the periphery of Shakerdom

Abstract

Shakers are one of the most researched religious intentional community sects in the Western world. Despite this extensive research and the hundreds of publications, the small community of White Water Shakers in New Haven, Ohio is underrepresented in the literature. This community is on the periphery of Shakerdom yet has much to add to the history of Shakers in America. The analysis of White Water Shaker innovation can shed light on their importance to Shakerism and regional history. This thesis looks at the White Water Shakers in the context of history, business, technology, and architecture as these are categories by which they evolve from standard descriptions of Shakerism.