The Story - Finding the building vacant and in need of a total rehabilitation, the developers (who had recently completed the Faculty House Condominium) were at a loss as to what thematic design to use. The existing shell was solid and well constructed with a simple and elegant limestone facade. The only original details worth saving were the paneled entry lobby and the inner door frame. Thus being presented with such a Tabula Rasa, the simple clean and symmetrical design of the facade suggested the use of Shaker design. It seemed providential as well that the building was located on Hancock Street, the actual name of the principal Shaker Village in Hancock, Massachusetts. And so the concept for Shaker House came about.

Now if you have never heard of the Shakers and you have no idea what we are talking about you are forgiven. Very few people know about this unusual religious sect that all but died out and became forgotten in the shifting sands of time. However, their influence upon the arts of design and construction are such that they will forever be with us and are an integral part of our American architectural heritage. If you can find an original piece of Shaker furniture at auction you will likely pay upwards of $100,000 for it.

As you view these magnificent apartments you will undoubtedly notice that there are some unusual details. These were all copied from actual Shaker dwellings. For instance, the Shaker pegs, which are both utilitarian and make an interesting focal point. Go ahead and hang your stuff on them! They are solidly mounted to the walls and can hold decent weight. The Shakers would use them to hook their furniture on to the walls so that they could sweep and clean their homes thoroughly. They had a saying "hands to work and hearts to God." They even invented the modern corn broom.

The built-in closets were another feature of Shaker dwellings. Space saving and organization, along with cleanliness and good manners, were some of the hallmarks of Shaker life.

Simple pine floors and doors add to the authenticity of the apartments, as only the simplest and most humble materials were used. This reflected the Shaker’s desire to avoid getting caught up in the pursuit of worldly goods, which could cause discord amongst each other.

Now we're not saying you should become a Shaker, and we also must admit that to some these apartments may represent a most extravagant statement. Rather, one of the nicest things about this place is that it's both a totally unique and livable post modern apartment, and an exquisite homage to a people who tried to build a heaven here on earth. Through their utopian ideals of hard work and the love of their co-religionist (whom they would refer to as brother or sister) they hoped to usher in an age where all people would live together in a world of peace.

We hope that you will explore some of the links and find out more about the world of the Shakers and their architecture.

"Forgiveness is as valuable to the one who forgives as to the one forgiven." —Shaker Saying