Digital Commons Network^™

Insights Into Harvard Shaker History, Michael Volmar

American Communal Societies Quarterly

Sometimes an object can provide a unique point of reference for understanding a particular period of time. Such is the case of a desk that was made by Harvard Shaker Alfred Collier for the long-standing village ministry leader Grove Blanchard in 1861. The 1820s to the 1860s were arguably the “golden age” for the Harvard Shakers. The rich documents that have survived from that period in archives around the region, including at Fruitlands, provide valuable insights into the social dynamics within the village. The Harvard and Shirley journals are particularly fruitful in illuminating the daily routines within these villages, and …