Shakertown near Harrodsburg in Mercer County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
The Village Leaders
Ministry's Workshop, 1821
| | Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill | |
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 18, 2025
1. The Village Leaders Marker
The Ministry's Workshop provided work space for two men and two women referred to collectively as the Ministry. They provided spiritual leadership for the community, kept journals, conducted the official correspondence for the Village, and performed physical labor to set an example of industry for the other Shakers.
Because they lived apart from the rest of the community on the second floor of the Meeting House, the location of the Workshop was very convenient. The Ministry's Workshop embodied the secular work of their leadership while the Meeting House represented the spiritual role.
The Ministry should "in no wise blend in common with the rest of the people; they may not work under the same roof, live in the same house, nor eat at the same table."
- Shaker Millennial Laws (Revised October 1845)
(Captions):
Background Image: Following the sale of the Meeting House in 1898, the Ministry's Workshop served as a private residence.
c. 1900-1908
Credit: United Society of Shakers, Sabbathday Lake, Maine
Three Ministry leaders are pictured on the steps of the Ministry's Workshop: Paulina Bryant, served in Ministry for 45 years; Eliza Carpenter, served as Paulina Bryant's second beginning in 1876; and, Benjamin Danlavy, served from 1874
this page online
c. 1885
Changes to the Ministry's Workshop, while privately owned, include dark colored paint on the shutters, the addition of a front porch, a tin roof, and a Victorian-style fence.
c 1940s
Erected 2020 by Community Trust Bank and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.
Location. 37° 49.128′ N, 84° 44.308′ W. Marker is near Harrodsburg, Kentucky, in Mercer County. It is in Shakertown. It can be reached from the intersection of Lexington Road (U.S. 68) and Shakertown Road (Kentucky Route 33), on the left when traveling east. Marker is located on the grounds of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3501 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg KY 40330, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Inspiring Innovation (a few steps from this marker); A House of Commerce (within shouting distance of this marker); The Spiritual Center (within shouting distance of this marker); A Chosen Family (within shouting distance of this marker); All in the Family (about 400 feet
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 18, 2025
2. The Village Leaders Marker
The Ministry Workshop building is in the distance.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 48 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 5, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
