The Architecture of the Shakers
Historian Nicoletta presents Shaker architecture as a function of the sect's spirituality, celibacy, and industriousness and examines its evolution from the beginnings of religious revivalism to the decline of Shakerism in the 20th century. The 22 communities, once bustling, have long since been abandoned (with the exception of Sabbathday Lake, Maine), and the author shows how the rise and fall of Shakerism influenced the construction and renovation of their structures. Nicoletta also discusses the effect outside influences had on Shaker architecture, especially as members began to leave the communities. This work is more substantive than Paul Rocheleau and June Sprigg's Shaker Built: The Form and Function of Shaker Architecture (LJ 2/1/95) because here Nicoletta focuses on how the different construction styles served the Shakers' unique lifestyle. And although he does not offer the plans that Herbert Schiffer included in Shaker Architecture (1979), Nicoletta presents color photographs of communities that have since been renovated. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries with strong Shaker or vernacular architecture collections.Julie C. Boehning, "Library Journal"Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.