Talk:Harvard Shaker Village Historic District

History
The history section based on a National Park Service citation is incorrect/misleading. First of all, there was no local state-funded church. The Standing Order church in Harvard was funded through the local ministers tax. Establishing an "orthodox" church, calling a minister, and building a church were requirements for incorporation as a town.

Secondly, a handful of Shadrach Ireland's New Light Baptist followers were the group who left the Standing Order church and built the Square House. After Ireland died, Mother Ann came to Harvard and targeted the surviving members of Ireland's sect. Many became Shakers. Some of the Baptists associated with the Baptist church in the Harvard village of Still River also became Shakers, and, yes, so did some members of the Standing Order church.

If someone has the time to correct this, published sources are widely available. Henry Nourse's nineteenth-century history of Harvard is an obvious starting place. Any good Shaker book should have this information as well. IPBiographer (talk) 00:52, 9 February 2020 (UTC)