‘Tis a Gift to Be Simple – Good Hunting at Shakertown

by Sarah Montague

The Shakers were a religious order founded in 1774 by an English factory worker named Ann Lee. (They were actually called the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, but their practice of ecstatic dancing earned them the more memorable name of “Shakers.”)

The Shakers established communal villages that emphasized social equality, hard work and meticulous craftsmanship—all ways, they felt of knowing “the peaceable nature of God’s Kingdom.”

The movement peaked in the mid-19th century, and had all but died out by the 1920s. (The order practiced celibacy and believed in expansion by conversion.) They left us a legacy of superb design (Shaker baskets and textiles are collectibles now, and much reproduced), and spacious, light-filled round barns and other buildings that are the pride of their local communities.

One of these is located in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. For nearly 100 years, it flourished as part of the larger Shaker community, eventually passing into private hands. In 1961 a non-profit organization was established to help maintain and restore the historic property, and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill entered a new phase of its existence. Today, the former homestead (now an Inn) has become a popular vacation spot, with visitors from all over the country.

RELEASE THE HOUNDS

Each February, the visitors include not only people, but Beagles and Basset hounds, as local and far-flung packs come for a long weekend of sport and camaraderie.

The Shakertown event was established by Buck Wiseman, joint master (now with Jean MacLean) of the Clear Creek Bassets. It began in the 1980s as a modest joint hunt involving the Rillington Foot (then Wiseman’s private pack) and several other local packs, among them Fincastle, Three Creek, High Peak and Rocky Fork Beagles.

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Posted by Alex on May 25 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.