AWE (A Woman’s Experience)
Keywords
Ann Lee Shaker teachings, Round Stone Barn reinterpretation, patriarchal shifts in Shaker architecture
Abstract
The Shaker Round Barn in Hancock Massachusetts has long been studied for its historical significance and insight into the life and beliefs of the nearly extinct religion. Within the discipline of art history, it is one of the only Shaker buildings discussed in entry-level architecture classes, portrayed to be the physical personification of the Shaker faith. The current narrative of the Shakers has simplified not only this particular structure but the entire religion, down to a few distinguishing characteristics: their name, which came from their exuberant worshiping practices; their founder, Mother Ann Lee, being the female reincarnate of Jesus Christ; and their settlements, which were separated from major cities in an attempt to disengage themselves from society. However, the complexities of the religious beliefs, practices, and history, and how they are reflected in architecture, go much deeper than the current understanding and teaching of the Shakers. Restructuring our understanding of the Round Stone Barn in its relationship with the teachings and life of Ann Lee requires an entire relearning of the history of the Shaker faith. In this essay, I focus on the Round Stone Barn in the Shaker Village in Hancock to argue that it does not reflect the teachings of the Shakers but rather is reflective of the patriarchal leadership and doctrinal changes that took place after the death of Ann Lee, resulting in an important and unsuspected impact on how we view and understand this example of architecture.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Caroline
(2025)
"The Reinterpretation of the Round Shaker Barn: How Patriarchal Values Changed the Doctrine, History, and Architecture of a Religion,"
AWE (A Woman’s Experience): Vol. 11, Article 17.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/awe/vol11/iss1/17