During the nineteenth century, the Shakers conducted America’s first successful experiment in utopian living. From Maine to Kentucky, they built communal villages whose unique buildings were
designed to accommodate hundreds of inhabitants unified in the common purpose of work and worship. Julie Nicoletta’s perceptive text and Bret Morgan’s striking photographs illuminate the
austere beauty, regional variations, and functional and stylistic evolution of Shaker buildings over the course of two centuries, evoking a visual and literary survey of Shaker design and its
impact on our culture at large. Despite the fact that Shaker communities are almost extinct, an appreciation for their legacy continues to grow. Architects, designers, curators, collectors, and
an ever-widening public have sought inspiration in Shaker art and architecture. The Architecture of the Shakers is a book for all those who wish to learn more about these remarkable
buildings and how the rich cultural legacy of the Shakers continues to resonate within them.
