Friends of White Water 
Shaker Village  
Working to Save Ohio's Remaining Shaker Village

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Carol Medlicott to present at this year’s Annual Gathering. Carol is a longtime Friends of White Water Shaker Village member and former board member. Carol is Emeritus Professor of geography at Northern Kentucky University. Her research and publishing have focused on the Shaker West for over twenty years. Among her major accomplishments are the first scholarly biography of Issachar Bates, an annotated edition of Richard McNemar’s 1832 western hymnal, and a thematic examination of Pleasant Hill. 


The theological, social, architectural, artistic, and technological innovations of the Shakers are well known. But how many people today realize that many important Shaker innovations actually flowed not from the iconic New England communities, but from their western counterparts? In Carol’s presentation, This is the new creation: Innovations in the Shaker West, she will share how many key Shaker innovations emerged from the communities in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.   


The Annual Gathering will take place at the same location as the last several years, the Miami Whitewater Community Church on Dry Fork Rd., which offers a large meeting room, has plenty of close parking, and is just four miles from the village.  Participants will enjoy the presentation, a catered luncheon with homemade salads and desserts, and the opportunity to participate in a silent auction/raffle of Shaker-related items. The day will conclude with tours of the Meeting House and Dwelling, where all can view the restoration progress that took place during 2025.


Date:  Saturday, April 11, 2026

Location: Miami Whitewater Community Church and the White Water Shaker Village North Family Site

Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm   (Doors open at 9:30)


The 2026 Annual Gathering is open to all who are interested in learning more about the Shakers and the FWWSV.  Members are encouraged to invite others they think would enjoy learning more. Seating is limited to 100. 


Please click the button below, print, fill out and mail the response card, with payment, to the address on the card.


 Registration deadline is Monday, April 6, 2026.


The Miami Whitewater Community Church is located at 9700 Dry Fork Road, Harrison, just a half mile north of the Dry Fork exit on I-74.


Membership/ Annual Gathering Response Card

Our Mission

To preserve, restore, and open the Shaker buildings and adjacent grounds known as the North Family of White Water Shaker Village; to collect and exhibit artifacts related to the site for the cultural enrichment of the public; to educate the public about this unique part of our nation's heritage.

We invite you to browse our website to learn more about this village – the former White Water Shaker Community (1823-1916) – and the legacy the Shakers left behind in southwestern Ohio.

More than twenty original Shaker buildings still stand, having been purchased by the Great Parks of Hamilton County from private owners in 1989-1991. While Great Parks has invested funds in the acquisition and stabilization of the structures, much more needs to be done before a restored Shaker Village can be opened to the public. We are seeking your support to show that the public wants this historic Shaker village restored. In our vision are docent-led tours of these wonderful buildings, Shaker craft workshops, demonstrations and fairs, a shop selling Shaker-style crafts and books, and, above all, your opportunity to walk in this peaceful farm setting and reflect on the story of the Believers for whom this was once home.
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