This mill stone was originally used at the Shakers' 50-foot high grist mill in Doan Brook Gorge. A grist mill turns grain into flour and corn into meal. Farmers from around the area would pay the Shakers to have their crops milled at their grist mill. The Shaker Historical Society and the Shaker Square Association placed the stone at Shaker Square in 1947 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the North Union Shakers. In 1886, the mill stone was taken to the saw mill just west of Lower Shaker Lake. The saw mill had just been destroyed by fire, so the Shakers built a new grist mill at the site using this stone. In 1889, however, the North Union Shaker Community, then numbering only in the twenties, disbanded, and the mill fell into disuse. The 50-foot high grist mill in Doan Brook Gorge was blown up on July 4, 1886, as part of an Independence Day celebration. A local newspaper reported that "The old Shaker Mill went up in a blaze of glory" as 4,000 spectators looked on. | Creator: Christopher Busta-PeckDownload Original File
