The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Coming was founded in England by James and Jane Wardley. A woman by the name of Mother Ann Lee brought the religion to the shores of America in 1774 and, eventually, 19 settlements known as “Shaker Villages” were built across the states.

The members, known as “sisters” and “brothers,” lived and worked communally and in the utmost of simplicity. The religion did not include marriage, and celibacy had to be maintained. Therefore, the only way to keep the flocks from dying out was to constantly seek new converts. The elders of each community regularly visited orphanages to bring children without families back to the settlements and provide a home and upbringing for them. When the child reached the age of 21, he or she could decide whether to remain a “Shaker” or leave the settlement.

Each member of a Shaker village had a job which would benefit them all. On the settlement in Canterbury, New Hampshire, which was established in 1792, the property included a printing office, blacksmith shop, sawmill, syrup house, creamery, large gardens, berry patches and orchards. The women, clad in long, heavy dresses and bonnets, used the fruits of the land to make pies, bread, baked beans, cheese, butter, maple sugar confections and preserves to sell to the public.

The men engaged in beekeeping to produce honey and built furniture. Members grew and dried herbs, prepared and sold their own natural medicines. They also made clothing, crocheted and knitted items to sell, as well as baskets and brooms.

The 694-acre grounds in Canterbury additionally held a weaving mill, hayfields, a meeting house, infirmary, schoolhouse, laundry facility, dining hall, and housing for all the members.

Sixty-nine-year-old William Anthony lived at Canterbury Shaker Village in 1860. A hatter by trade, he had married Elvira Bowen in 1843 and the couple had been residents of Johnston before he converted to the Shaker faith. Leaving Elmira in Providence with the children, he remained there in Canterbury Village until his death in 1867 of bowel inflammation.

The last remaining Shaker at Canterbury died in 1992. The grounds are now a museum and historic site open to the public.

Kelly Sullivan is a Rhode Island columnist, lecturer and author.