Sabbathday Lake, Maine, is home to the last remaining Shaker community in the world, with only two remaining members, but a wealth of information and products to share w ith the public.
Shakerism once spread throughout the east from Maine to Kentucky. At its peak, there were 4,000 to 6,000 members in 23 United States communities. Now the 1,800 acre, eighteen building Sabbathday Lake community in New Gloucester is the last one standing.
The nonprofit group Friends of the Shakers helps out around the farm, with its members traveling from around the world to get the community ready for winter or to help spruce up the grounds for summer. The group also raises money to preserve the buildings and land. And they welcome volunteers if you want to help out.
The Shakers derive income from the farm, including a large apple orchard, and still pro duce some small woodenware. baskets, yarn, weavings, food, art, and specialty items such as made to order “food stones.” The Shakers never shunned technology, so you can shop the Shaker store online.
The Sabbathday Lake community is open to the public from May to October. Tours of the museum are available by advance reservation. Several one hour guided tours of the Shaker Village are available from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. A tour of the herb garden is included with the guided tour or may be purchased separately. The Sunday service is also open to the public. Scholars and authors can explore the collection and library with an appointment. There are also musical events held throughout the season.
Maine USA Map And Flag Photo Gallery
The Shakers are Christians who base their beliefs on celibacy, community, and pacifism. Founded in 1747 in England, the original name of the breakaway Quaker sect is United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Founder Mother Ann Lee fled to America with eight followers to escape persecution after being imprisoned for her beliefs.
Shakers are noted for their beautiful furniture and their inventiveness the flat broom, circular saw blade, spring clothespin, paper seed envelope, a wheel-driven washing machine, a threshing machine, and a new type of fire engine are all Shaker creations.
A few years back the whoopie pie lost out to the blueberry pie as the state’s official dessert in the Maine legislature and was relegated to being the official Maine treat.
Blueberry pies are wonderful of course, but they are also fairly common in other places, while the whoopie pie not really a pie at all is considered a Maine invention. Pennsylvania might disagree they think they invented it, while food historians suspect it was likely lirst made in a Boston bakery. Wherever it was made, it was nur tured in Maine and has become part of the culture here. You can find them in just about any store, shop, or gas station that sells food of any kind. Many small and a few large bakeries make and sell whoopie pies by the millions in stores and restaurants around the country.
Maine can boast the first-ever shop in the world devoted exclusively to whoopie pies. Wicked Whoopies has two locations, in Farmingdale and Freeport, and sells pies by Amy Bouchard-Maine’s Whoopie Pie Queen. Bouchard made the World’s Largest Whoopie Pie in 2011 at the Maine Mall, tipping the scales at just over 1,000 pounds.
