The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill

The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is a restored indoor and outdoor living history museum that interprets the lives of the Shakers. This unique American religious community is located on a turnpike that was a strategic conduit for Union and Confederate soldiers throughout the Civil War, but especially during the 1862 Kentucky campaign. The Shakers were Unionists and emancipationists, but their dedication to pacifism prevented their participation in the conflict. The Shakers extended generous hospitality to both armies as they marched through the village. The only non-Shaker buried in the cemetery is a Confederate soldier who died there shortly after the nearby Battle of Perryville, on October 8, 1862. Also, the Shaker Landing on the Kentucky River was critical to the Union effort throughout the war.