Kentucky boasts a rich and unique faith history, and past communities of faith reveal the state’s legacy even into the present day. One such group is the Kentucky Shakers, a regional religious community that could once be found across the United States, and another is the revivalists of the Second Great Awakening. These faithfuls set the tone for hundreds of years in Kentucky and continue to inspire a legacy of unity and harmony among visitors exploring faith today. South Union Shaker Village Shaker communities believed in simplification. Their progressive theological practices emphasized communal living, pacifism, gender equality, withdrawal from worldly things, and sustainable living. In Kentucky, it was no different! The South Union Shaker Village was a 6,000-acre farm in southern Kentucky where the South Union Shaker community lived from 1807 to its closure in 1922. The massive complex — which became known as the village of South Union — contained over two hundred buildings, including dormitories, shops, barns, and stables. It even has a mill complex that was unrivaled in the area at the time. Shakers were known throughout America to craft spectacular material goods, like furniture. You can see such furniture, textiles, tools, and other household items at South Union thanks to efforts in the 1960s to preserve Shaker culture through the Shaker Museum at South Union, found in the 1824 Centre House on the property. Today, you can visit some of the original Shaker architecture on 500 acres of the original village. While only nine of the 200+ remain, these buildings offer a fantastic glimpse into the past and daily lives of the Shakers at South Union. Learn more about the community in the museum — part of the South Union Shakertown Historic Trail and included in the US National Register of Historic Places.