List Occupations (Males Only)

 The 1850 census instructions to enumerators read:

Under head 7, entitled ‘‘Profession, occupation, or trade of each person over 15 years of age,’’ insert opposite the name of each male the specific profession, occupation, or trade which the said person is known and reputed to follow in the place where he resides—as clergyman, physician, lawyer, shoemaker, student, farmer, carpenter, laborer, tailor, boatman, sailor, or otherwise, as the fact may be. When more convenient, the name of the article he produces may be substituted

The for Pleasant Hill community this list included ...

• farmer
• cooper
• shoemaker
• gardener
• broom maker
• minister
• carpenter
• reed maker
• blacksmith
• tanner
• postmaster
• teacher
• brick layer
• clothier
• physician
• architect
• wheelwright
• miller
• cabinet maker
• wagon maker

A Pleasant Village

 

At its peak, the 3,000-acre Shaker village at Pleasant Hill consisted of over 200 structures. Today, the restored village contains 34 restored original Shaker buildings. 

This map gives us a bird's-eye view of the structures located in the heart of the village, from Trustee's Office to pigsty, and is reminiscent of the cartography style used by two Shaker men from the New Lebanon community who visited their brethren almost 200 years ago.

The map is found within the pages of Michael Capek's 2001 book "A Personal Tour of a Shaker Village" -- a book for kids in grades 4-7 described by one reviewer as being written "through the eyes of a fictional deacon, former slave, teacher, physician, and visitor to worship, readers learn about daily life, from waking rituals and food preparation to tanning chores, carpentry projects, and the care of silkworms." 

What the reviewer is apparently unaware of is that while the account of their daily life is historical fiction, the people that Capek highlights in the book are real: 

Benjamin Dunlavy (deacon)

Patsy Roberts Williamson (former slave)

Hortensia Hooser (teacher)

John Shain (physician)

The visitor mentioned in Capek's story had an experience that was likely similar to visitors Rufus Bishop and Isaac Youngs when they traveled through the Western Shaker communities in 1834, recording their observations and mapping fascinating pictorial renderings (in the LOC collection) of all that they saw at that moment in time.

Citation from Library of Congress:

Youngs, Isaac N, and George Kendall. Sketches of the various Societies of Belivers i.e. Believers in the states of Ohio & Kentucky. To which is added a slight sketch of Sodus Bay in the northern part of N. York. Also a map containing several of the states on which is laid out of the route of Bv. Rufus Bishop and Isaac N. Youngs New Lebanon while on a hour to visit these societies, in the summer and fall of. 1835. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2002622454/>.

Shaker Box - An American Classic

                

This 40-minute YouTube video produced by The Highland Woodworker delves into the history and production of the classic Shaker box. It follows woodworker Tim Arnold who explains how taking a class at Pleasant Hill blossomed into a career crafting unique boxes in the Shaker tradition. 

Shakertown Inn

1897 - The Shaker Hotel was opened for boarders by Sister Jane Sutton in the East Family dwelling. It subsequently became known as the Shakertown Inn, an effort by the few remaining Shakers to keep financially solvent.
                                                         

You can see the embedded stone in the brick between the second and third floors. It reads 1817. The East Family dwelling was built of Shaker-made brick and in 1826, Mercy Runyon was living in the Elders room here. Amy Runyon worked here as a nurse and caretaker of girls; Betsy and Amy Runyon died here.

Off to Frankfort

One of the Shakertown journals in the Filson Historical Society Special Collections available digitized is this one, which includes nineteen pages of entries from the year 1816. Most are related to the weather conditions but starting with image 10, the subject matter turns to comings and goings and various projects at Pleasant Hill. Phineas, William, and Joseph Runyon are each mentioned, the latter two traveling to nearby towns - Lexington, Danville, Frankfort. Most of the trips seem to have taken 3 to 4 days.

Here is an entry for Joseph Runyon's excursion to Frankfort to sell carpets, Monday, February 19, 1816:

January 12 - On This Date in 1817

The society was divided in two classes in their meeting in Seignor class or Order led by the Ministry and the Junior Order led by John Dunlavy. About this time John Dunlavy James Congleton Betsy McCarver and Lydia Runyon and Jimmy Congleton were set a part to take charge of young Believers that were coming to visit, and to counsel and heare openings, and to go out preaching as occasion required they lived at the Center Family Except James Congleton he lived at the East Family. In this time John Dunlavy was engaged in writeing the Manifeso.

Note: Shaker journal entries and letters have not been edited for clarity or for errors in spelling or grammar. In some cases, stories or letters have been excerpted or shortened. Information that appears within brackets has been added for clarification.

On This Date in 1861 ...

Matilda Runyon appointed nurse and EH, with Rachel Downing.
(East Family Journal)

Matilda was the daughter of Joseph and Jane Runyon and would have been 57 years old at this time. Both of her parents were deceased and the Civil War was underway. Kentucky had declared its neutrality three months prior to Matilda's appointment as nurse but it was destined to become the 13th Confederate state in just four months' time.

On This Date in 1867 ...

Charlotte Runyon resigned her station at first Office Deaconess and mov'd to Center Family & Eliza Byram took her place at Office.

East Family Journal

On This Date in 1867 ...

Matilda Runyon [Joseph's daughter] resigned deaconess East Family, retired to Center Family.

This month in 1859 ...

Amy Runyon caretaker of girls (January 1847 to June 1859) East Family, released because of declining health.

Amy was the daughter of Emley and Lydia Runyon, who arrived at Pleasant Hill with their children when Amy was three years old. Emley is the youngest son of Phineas and Charity Runyon.

On This Date in 1884 ...

Demise, Elder George Runyon [age 88] at 8:40 p.m...united in this Society in spring 1810 at age of 14 & continued steadfast & unwavering to the end...an able minister.

On This Date in 1867 ...

Matilda Runyon [Joseph's daughter] mov'd to East Family appointed Family Deaconess in place of Betsy Spaulding.
 
Each organized family group had a set of leaders known as deacons and deaconesses. These men and women took charge of the daily activities of their family members. As deaconess of the East Family, Matilda would have managed the housekeeping, cooking, preserving, gardening, weaving, laundry, and tailoring tasks necessary to keep the family unit functioning.

On This Date in 1845 ...

Joseph Runyon [age 80] deceased. Was an assistant Trustee awhile, and an Elder in the Gathering Order three or four years.

On This Date in 1826 ...

A family was established at the grist Mill chiefly composed of the former North Family the lot of Elders being the same (namely) Elder Brother William Shields and John Congleton, Elder Sister Marcy Runyon and Mariah Saylor.

194 Years Ago ...

Photo by artist Deb Ward

The Meeting House, the spiritual center of the community, was completed. Worship services were held here with the first floor constructed free of pillars to provide room for dancing. Second floor apartments housed the village ministry which included George Runyon.

"The Ministry, who are the central executive of the whole order, consists of two brethren and two sisters."

The buildings at Pleasant Hill are a variety of colors but the Meeting House would have been white, as prescribed by the Millennial Laws. In the Historical Dictionary of the Shakers, author Stephen J. Paterwic notes that non-Shakers often misinterpret the name Millennial Church - the name by which the Shakers of the early 19th century often referred to themselves as. Rather than gathering to await the second coming of Christ, the Shakers saw themselves as the living embodiment of the second coming.

The Enigmatic Guilford Runyon

Shoemaker, doctor, or both?

Guilford Runyon, brought to the Pleasant Hill community by his parents Joseph and Jane Runyon in March 1810, was just eight years old when the family arrived. He would be one of four siblings who would leave the Shaker community.

From the Center Family journal:

Guilford D. Runyon, a shoemaker at Pleasant Hill, raised there from a child, departed May 18, 1829. He returned and was admitted to the Junior Order the following June. Was expelled in 1839 from the Society because of his plans to marry Kitty Ferrell of New Orleans. She died before they could be married and he lived in the town of Harrodsburg the remainder of his life.

Kitty had died of malaria and never lived in the house that Guilford was building for them. Guilford called the house Honeysuckle Hill.

Photo from the Kentucky Digital Library collection

From Antebellum Architecture of Kentucky by Clay Lancaster:

The unique suburban house of substantial size at 712 Beaumont Avenue, Harrodsburg, was built for Dr. Guilford Runyan [sic]. He had been the physician in the Shaker village at nearby Pleasant Hill, but “returned to the world” in 1839 and purchased the thirty-five-acre tract for his home. He intended to marry a lady from the lower Mississippi region, but she died before the wedding…

After Dr. Runyan’s death, his sisters sold the house and returned to the Shakers. In 1881, the new owners built a service ell at the rear, incorporating the detached kitchen. Subsequently, the name Honeysuckle Hill was changed to Fair Oaks.

On This Date in 1841 ...

Charity Badgett moved in new office as cook

~Center Family Journal

On This Date in 1846 ...

Vincent Runyon [age 56] deceased. He was second Elder in the First Order from the 19th of Jan. 1824 till Dec. 20th, 1838.

On This Date in 1816

Joseph Runyon went to Frankfort with the wagon to sell carpets.

On This Date in 1912

Jane Sutton deceased. Obituary published Jan. 3, 1913 lists Polly Runyon [who departed Pleasant Hill in 1825] as her mother and Polly's parents as Joseph and Jane Runyon (N-HH). 

"[Jane Sutton] was brought to Pleasant Hill by her mother. She faithfully served as Deacon, Elder, and Trustee. Her high degree of intelligence, zeal, and noble character well fitted her for the trusts imposed on her. Her business acumen equaled that of any of her co-workers. In the closing years of the community all accounts made by the Shakers were charged to Shelton & Sutton, Trustees." (Hutton, p.47)