A House of Commerce

A House of Commerce. The Trustees' Office, 1839. , Built as a "window to the world," the Trustees' Office was the public face of Pleasant Hill. Here, friends and strangers were welcomed to this community where they could visit, have a meal, conduct business, and stay overnight. Trustees lived and worked in this space along with select members of the Shaker community., The Trustee was responsible for the Society's legal deeds and contracts, commercial partnerships, and village finances. The Trustee also managed the Trade Deacons, those individuals sent out into the world to sell Shaker goods. Tasked with matters that involved the outside world, the Trustee often stood separate from the rest of the village., While Shaker brother Micajah Burnett supervised its construction, the Office was the first major project built with the help of outside labor., (Captions):, Background Image: Built in the Federal style, the Trustees' Office was heavily influenced by buildings in Lexington and Frankfort. Over 500,000 bricks went into this structure to create the Flemish bond brickwork. , c. Late 19th century , Credit: Courtesy, the Winterthur Library: The Edward Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker Collection, Above: Though this building had many owners in the post-Shaker period, it continued to operate as a hotel and restaurant. , c. Early 20th century, Left: The Shakers printed labels for most products sold to the world. This Quince Jelly printing plate features the name of J.R. Bryant. As the longest serving Village Trustee, Bryant actively traded with people of the outside world. , c. Mid-19th century, "We observed one very pleaseant feature...conspicuous above many other excellencies, nearly every person in speaking makes the visitor kindly welcome to Pleasant Hill.", - Elder Henry C. Blinn, , A Journey to Kentucky in the Year 1873