Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA

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Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their nonfiction books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Learn more.

An on again, off again rainy day shifted our plans. Instead of enjoying a bicycle ride on the Ashuwillticook rail trail in western Massachusetts, we took a walk (between brief downpours and some showers) at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  

Thankfully, we found a number of indoor spaces where we could wait out the passing showers. Walkways throughout the village provide solid footing between the multiple buildings built by the vibrant utopian community of Shakers which occupied the farm from 1790 to 1960.

The village charges an entry fee, so if you plan to visit more than once, it’s worthwhile to look into their membership options. Bathrooms are available right at the entrance, and there is plenty of parking. A slightly sloped path with no stairs to the entrance makes it easier for those of us less firm of foot to access the village.

On our way from the visitor center to the village itself we passed garden beds filled with a huge variety of herbs, all labeled to help satisfy our curiosity. The Shakers raised and sold herbs and herbal remedies to support their community. Trees were crafted into Shaker boxes and distinctive Shaker chairs. The Shakers were known for their unique (at the time) patented design for straw brooms, which they sold to support themselves.

Nearby sources of iron ore were used to manufacture metal products. An interpreter in the blacksmith shop fired up the furnace and demonstrated for us the transformation of metal bars into useful tools and decorative pieces. As he put to use the tools the Shakers had employed in the Blacksmith shop, he talked about how they worked, and pointed out various blacksmith tools in the shop and their different purposes. Natural springs on the property were channeled to produce power and used to keep milk cool.

The wooden boardwalks leading from the visitor center are not handicapped accessible, but allow for keeping feet dry in wet conditions (like the day we visited). The crushed stone dust paths were wide and relatively level, but most of the buildings required taking some relatively big steps to gain entrance to the various workshops. The railings on the steps were a help, but I needed a hand to enter most of the workshops.

The huge, round, stone barn is open to visitors, and offered a dry spot for us to wait out yet another passing shower. Farm animals of heritage breeds, common to when the Shakers lived there, both cows and sheep, graze in large pastures.

As we explored the grounds we suddenly found ourselves in the way of chickens thundering toward us en mass, dashing out of a shed. Slightly taken aback, we laughed when the feathery horde abruptly turned and fled back into their shelter when the heavens opened yet again.

A mama pig and all her well-fed piglets snuggled on the hay-covered floor in one of the barn’s stalls. All, that is, except for one little piglet, determined to climb on top of all its siblings, (and its mother), the better to obtain a comfy spot for an after-lunch nap.

It’s difficult to know whether the animals take for granted the stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The open pastures allow for some grand vistas for them (and for us). We strolled alongside the lush green pastures on our way toward the one mile woodland trail that is relatively flat.

The trail surface is gravel, basically a fire road. The firm footing, despite some grass in the middle of the path, made for an Easy Walk. Adults with small children in tow will manage fine pushing their children in strollers. While it is relatively level, wheelchair users may find the trail surface more difficult to manage.

Staff stood ready to answer questions and provide historical context to better understand how this community lived. Interpretive signs throughout the village and the woodland portion of the trail provided historical information and nature notes about how the Shakers used the natural resources on the property. Unlike some other historical villages open to the public, the interpreters on site at Hancock Shaker Village make no pretense of staying in character as Shakers. They simply provide helpful information from a modern perspective. We found them eager to share what they knew about this historic place.

Signs outside specific buildings advertised demonstrations at specific times. Our visit did not coincide with the hands-on demonstrations, but the blacksmith and carpentry shops had volunteers in the shops actively doing the work as the Shakers would have done when they were part of the community. With more time, we would have seen even more, so we’ll just have to go back!

Marjorie