Enfield Shaker Museum

History of Fiber Arts in NH: A Lecture by Patty Williams
2025-11-14 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH, 03748, United States
History of Fiber Arts in NH:
A Lecture by Patty Williams
Friday, November 14th, 2025
6:00 – 7:00pm
THIS LECTURE HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Thank you for your understanding.
Local fiber farmer and fiber artist Patty Williams grew up in New Hampshire, the fiber arts, and farming. In this lecture she will combine all three taking us on a tour of time from earliest known techniques, fibers used, and fiber in New Hampshire today. Patty is known for throwing in juicy tidbits of fun facts. What famous people wore Londonderry Linen? The New Hampshire Sheep Craze? And the Shaker’s did what? She will answer all of these and more.
Questions to follow the presentation.
Who is Patty Williams?
Patty Williams is the owner of Aker Fiber Farm located in Enfield Center, NH. She began working with fiber arts as a young girl with her aunt and mom in Walpole, NH. She learned how to crochet, wash fleeces, draft, or treadle, and card wool along with tying her shoes. She began Aker Fiber Farm part time after leaving the Army with her husband in Virginia. They then purchased the flock that had been supplying their fleeces and moved everyone to New Hampshire where Patty added Shepherd to her resume. Aker Fiber Farm has evolved into a Farm to Yarn Company providing flax to linen and fleece to yarn to customers all over the US and Canada.
Patty began teaching fiber arts without even realizing that was what she was doing. Always wanting to share her passion, she taught friends how to crochet and knit while in grade school and continued as she gathered more skills and moved around the country. Today, she travels up and down the east coast teaching workshops and giving lectures on Shepherding skills, flax, linen, spinning, fiber prep, dyeing, and knitting. Her favorite students are folks that “never thought they could”, as Patty believes everyone CAN!
Advanced Registration Required. Please RSVP by November 11th, 2025. Limited to 60 people.
The lecture will take place in the Meeting Room of the Great Stone Dwelling, which is on the second floor. There is no elevator, due to the historical nature of the building.
Coming from a distance? Stay at our historic Great Stone Dwelling. Check our room availability here.

Biochar: Soil Health, Sustainability & Local Impact
2025-11-07 18:30 - 19:30 | Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH, 03748, United States
Biochar: Soil Health, Sustainability & Local Impact
with Peter Hurst
Friday, November 7th, 2025
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Join us in the second-floor meeting room of the Great Stone Dwelling for an enlightening presentation on Biochar with Peter Hurst, presented in partnership with the Enfield Conservation Commission and Enfield Shaker Museum.
Discover what biochar is, how it supports soil health, fertility, and composting, and why it’s gaining attention as a sustainable solution for environmental management and carbon sequestration. Peter will explore the science behind biochar and its exciting potential right here in Enfield.
This session is the first in a hands-on classroom series exploring the practical uses of biochar — including how to create it yourself. Future sessions will be held in various locations, including outdoor settings, to complement the learning experience.
Peter Hurst is an active member of the Enfield Conservation Commission and several other environmental organizations. He has a passion for the land and it’s longevity.
This presentation is free, please RSVP below.
Coming from a distance? Stay at our historic Great Stone Dwelling. Check our room availability here.
This presentation is at the same time as a Soup Bowl Fundraiser on the first floor, and you are welcome to purchase a ticket to the dinner and bring your soup bowl upstairs for the presentation.

Talk Smith Pond with Upper Valley Land Trust
2025-10-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH, 03748, United States
Talk Smith Pond with
Upper Valley Land Trust
Friday, October 24th, 2025
6:00 – 7:00 pm
*No admission fee*
Great Stone Dwelling – Meeting Room on the 2nd Floor
This event is a follow-up to the “Hike to Smith Pond” on October 18th, 2025. It was a limited group that was able to participate and both institutions want to make sure there is equal access. If you were unable to hike with us, or if you missed it altogether, this is the opportunity to listen in to the history and environmental practices happening on this site now. There will be current pictures from the hike to showcase, as well as first hand anecdotes from UVLT and ESM staff members.
Smith Pond Shaker Forest consists of 995 acres of forest and wetlands in Enfield located between two State Wildlife Management Areas. The three properties combine to provide thousands of acres of significant wildlife habitat. UVLT’s property boasts two waterfalls, numerous articles from Shaker History including spillways, dams, canals, and stone walls, and the beautiful Smith Pond with serene and scenic views.
In the 1830s, the Shakers dammed several ponds, creating “Shaker Mountain Pond”, and developed a system of canals to deliver water to their community near Lake Mascoma. Today you can still find remnants of their through this forest, such as gate posts and canals that led to Enfield Shaker Village.
Coming from a distance? Stay at the historic Great Stone Dwelling! Accommodations.

Shaker Archaeology from Eastern New York
2025-10-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH, 03748, United States
“At Watervliet, that blissful seat, From whence the law went forth to greet:” Shaker Archeology in Eastern New York
with Matthew Kirk
Friday, October 10th, 2025
7:00 – 8:00 pm
Free Admission
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Thank you for your understanding!
Join us in the meeting room of the Great Stone Dwelling for a presentation by Matthew Kirk from Hartgen Archaeological Associates. He will be visiting with a group of students and professors from Richmond University, who will be analyzing various archaeological sites at the museum. Matthew is bringing some of his findings to talk about a Shaker community in New York.
In this presentation, I revisit the interpretations from mitigation excavations in the Town of Colonie, Albany County conducted in 2017 at the site of the original Shaker community in New York. The archeological evidence of a late 18th to early 19th-century structure located on the West Family farmstead of the Watervliet Shaker Community provides an opportunity to explore Shaker tobacco pipes and their cultural and religious significance for community members. Smoking was common for both male and female members until the practice was banned in the 1850s.

Cost:
No admission cost, but advanced registration required.
Coming from a distance? Stay in our historic Great Stone Dwelling. Check our availability here.

Herbs for Winter Health with Rosemary Gladstar
2025-10-04 16:00 - 18:30 | Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH, 03748, United States
HERBS FOR WINTER HEALTH
WITH ROSEMARY GLADSTAR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2025
4:00 – 6:30 PM
3:00 PM COCKTAIL HOUR
Winter is Saturn’s season, a time for reflection and inner creativity. But it’s also the time when people ‘catch’ the most colds, flu, and other illnesses. In this hands on workshop we’ll discuss preventive health measures for winter wellness as well as learn effective herbal remedies to keep the bugs and virus’s at bay. , we’ll create a space of wellness so that we can embrace the beauty and reflective nature of this wonderful season. Herbs for Winter Health is a perfect was to easy into the winter months.
Herbs for Winter Health with Rosemary Gladstar
Do you wonder what to do for flu? What is the best approach for colds and coughs, sore throats and head congestion? Or Seasonal depression? Better yet, what to do to prevent the malady’s that often come with the long months of winter. In this eminently practical hands on workshop, Herbs for Winter Health with Rosemary Gladstar, you will learn about her favorite recipes, remedies and herbs for winter health. Our focus will be on prevention, and then remedies for wellness and, finally, what to stock in a winter pantry to be fully prepared for the health concerns of winter. In this workshop, you’ll learn to make herbal tinctures, syrups, and fire cider. We’ll make, sample and share recipes. Books will be available for purchase. The program will be held in the historic Shaker Meeting Room of the Great Stone Dwelling.
Want to know more about Rosemary Gladstar?

Rosemary Gladstar is internationally renowned for her technical knowledge and stewardship in the global herbalist community. She has been learning, teaching and writing about herbs for over 40 years. Rosemary is the author of twelve books and director of The Science and Art of Herbalism, an in-depth home study course with thousands of students enrolled across the globe. In addition to her classes and books, Rosemary is known for her outreach and advocacy as a voice for the plants. Rosemary has coined, named, and popularized several common herbal remedies such as “Fire Cider” that have become part of the modern herbalist’s medicine kit. Herbs for Winter Health with Rosemary Gladstar is an person event. To learn more about Rosemary Gladstar visit her website scienceandartofherbalism.com

*All proceeds go to the educational mission of Enfield Shaker Museum
Coming from a distance? Stay in our historic Great Stone Dwelling. Check our room availability here.

Steve Taylor on the History of the Upper Valley
2025-08-21 16:30 - 17:30 | Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH, 03748, United States
Steve Taylor
on the History of the Upper Valley
Thursday, August 21st, 2025
4:30pm start
Great Stone Dwelling
447 NH Route 4A
Enfield, NH 03748
The Enfield Public Library and the Enfield Shaker Museum present a talk by eminent local historian Steve Taylor on the history of the Upper Valley. Find out why it’s called the Upper Valley and more about our region.
Free admission!

Registration Now Open: 2025 Shaker Forum
2025-04-25 14:00 - 2025-04-27 11:45 | Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH, 03748, United States
Registration Now Open!
2025 Shaker Forum
April 25th – 27th, 2025
Join the Museum for an engaging weekend devoted to Shaker history and culture. The Spring Shaker Forum includes presentations by Shaker scholars, special activities, lodging and meals in the Great Stone Dwelling, and networking with colleagues and friends.

Register using this form and mail back to us at:
447 NH Route 4A
Enfield, NH 03748

*DEADLINE FOR MEAL REGISTRATION APRIL 18th!

Presenters:

Mary Ann Haagen – Stretched Thin: New Hampshire’s Leadership Role in Maine
Brece Honeycutt – Prismatic Uptopia: Researched Poetry
Sharon Koomler – Dear Friend, Letters from Shaker Sisters to John S. Williams and Phelps Claswson
Richard Marshall – Mindless Automatons or Autonomous Individuals
Carol Medlicott – Between Fact and Myth: The Complicated Legacy of Issachar Bates
Stephen J. Paterwic – Another Thread Pulled from the Testimonies of 1816: Believers with a Connection to Stonington, Connecticut
Richard Roth – About the Other Shakers
Rebecca Soules – ‘Not Worth Bringing Back:’ Believers & Backsliders at Pleasant Hill, 1806-1923

Keynotes:
Kara French – Nuns, Shaker Sisters, Lady Reformers, and Activists: Female Sexual Outsiders in America
Chris Moore – All in a Song

This year we are adding a new program to the schedule called “Shaker Research Reflections.” It is looking to be a great addition and will facilitate more discussion around Shaker Studies interpretation. Here is what we are asking you as participants to bring to the program if you so choose:

The idea behind this session is simple but meaningful. As you engage in your own research, listen to lectures, or take part in activities, we invite you to reflect on any insights or “aha” moments that relate to your Shaker interests. Even if your reflections don’t evolve into a formal article or presentation, we believe they could spark valuable conversations and connections. Please take a moment to write a sentence or two explaining any novel insights you’ve had. This is not a formal presentation, so we ask that you keep your thoughts brief.

We’ll be transcribing these reflections as we go around the room during the session, creating an opportunity for further discussions and potential follow-ups over the weekend or in the months to come.

Thank you in advance for your contributions.

Becoming Wolf Talk with Chris Schadler
2025-01-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Chosen Vale Performance Center, 410 Route 4A, Enfield, 03748, United States
Becoming Wolf Talk
with Chris Schadler
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Free Admission
An eastern coyote is defined as much by its western coyote ancestry as by the DNA contribution from the Eastern wolf. Coyotes in the northeast vary physically and behaviorally from its smaller western relative – while still carrying their incredible adaptability. This program delves into the ecology and behavior of this creature, its indefatigability and how it is the human who must adapt to live with the coyote.
On the horizon, however, is a native carnivore which fled the northeast during wolf removal and now may be trying to return: The eastern wolf. A look-alike to the coyote, it has been killed mistakenly for its similarity of appearance to the coyote. We’ll talk about how the wolf and coyote might negotiate a truce in the northeast and how we might do the same.

More About Chris Schadler:
Chris earned a Masters in Conservation Biology at Antioch University Graduate School. Her thesis focused on the natural recovery of the Eastern Timber Wolf in Michigan.
While wolf recovery was the focus of her early work, Chris’ attention shifted to the eastern coyote when she moved to New England in the 1980s. She chose a farm beset with coyote problems to raise sheep and train her border collies. Using sound livestock management and common sense, she [and her sheep] avoided any predation.
Beginning in the early 1990s, Chris taught in the Dept of Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire and instructed and mentored adult degree candidates in the UNH System at Granite State College.
Chris recently co-founded the NH Wildlife Coalition, is the NH and VT Representative for Project Coyote and Chairs the Webster Conservation Commission. She continues to research coyote feeding patterns in Coos County and enjoys life without sheep.
This event is brought to you by the collaborative efforts of Enfield Shaker Museum and Enfield Public Library.
Coming from a distance? Stay overnight in the Great Stone Dwelling! Accommodations.
