Tag Archive: pioneer village

East Family Sisters Shop – Kentucky Shaker Village – Pleasant Hill – Harrodsburg

East Family Sisters Shop - Kentucky Shaker Village - Pleasant Hill - Harrodsburg

Pleasant Hill, Kentucky also known as Shakertown, was a Shaker (the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing) religious community from 1805 to 1910. With many well-preserved buildings, the village was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.

The Kentucky Shaker village was founded by three New England Shaker missionaries, John Meacham, Benjamin Seth Youngs, and Issachar Bates. They founded the community around the teachings of Mother Ann Lee who believed in celibacy. Kentucky’s Shaker community ultimately died out, in part because of their beliefs in celibacy, problems encountered during and after the Civil War, and a declining interest in their way of life by potential converts. But their legacy of hard work, and fine craftsmanship lives on at Pleasant Hill.

Spring Mill State Park – Mitchell, Indiana

Spring Mill State Park - Mitchell, Indiana

The Spring Mill pioneer village was founded in 1814, to take advantage of water flowing from the surrounding Mitchell Karst Plateau that never froze, and in particular a spring originating in Hamer Cave west of the village that is the source of the creek that flows through the village center. The restored village contains 20 historic buildings, and originally included several gristmills, a wool mill, a saw mill, and a distillery. The surviving grist mill still produces corn mill to this day.

The park, at 1,358 acres includes a memorial to Gus Grisom, a famous NASA astronaut who was a member of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs, and a native of Mitchell, Indiana. There also a number of karst-related caves and sinkholes, in addition to Hamer, including – Donaldson (Shawnee), and Twin Caves. The latter is large enough to offer an underground boat tour during the summer months.

Part of the park preserves an old growth forest and is protected as part of the Donaldson Woods Nature Preserve.

Spring Mill Pioneer Village – Mitchell – Indiana

Spring Mill Pioneer Village - Mitchell - Indiana

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The Spring Mill pioneer village was founded in 1814, to take advantage of water flowing from the surrounding Mitchell Karst Plateau that never froze, and in particular a spring originating in Hamer Cave west of the village that is the source of the creek that flows through the village center. The restored village contains 20 historic buildings, and originally included several gristmills, a wool mill, a saw mill, and a distillery. The surviving grist mill still produces corn mill to this day.

The park, at 1,358 acres includes a memorial to Gus Grisom, a famous NASA astronaut who was a member of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs, and a native of Mitchell, Indiana. There also a number of karst-related caves and sinkholes, in addition to Hamer, including – Donaldson (Shawnee), and Twin Caves. The latter is large enough to offer an underground boat tour during the summer months.

Part of the park preserves an old growth forest and is protected as part of the Donaldson Woods Nature Preserve.

Indiana DNR – Spring Mill State Park