08/29/2026
Built in 1827, the White Water Shaker Meeting House is a remarkable survivor of Ohio’s Shaker history. Located at White Water Shaker Village north of Harrison, it is one of only two Shaker meeting houses remaining west of the Appalachian Mountains and the only brick Shaker meeting house in the United States.
White Water was founded in 1823 as one of 24 communal villages established by the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers. It was the last village founded during the Shakers’ westward movement into Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and is the only remaining one of Ohio’s five Shaker villages to retain many of its original buildings in their original settings.
The Meeting House was the village’s first permanent building and the center of Shaker religious life. Its unusual construction tells an important part of that story. With no support beams on the first floor, the upper floors were suspended from the attic trusses, creating an open worship space where Shakers could freely sing and dance. Even the entrances reflected Shaker traditions: men and women used separate doors and sat on opposite sides of the building, while two additional doors welcomed “world’s people,” as the Shakers called visitors from outside their community.
The Shakers remained at White Water until 1916. Today, much of the former village is owned by Great Parks of Hamilton County, and the Friends of White Water Shaker Village is working to restore and preserve its historic buildings. The village is currently open on a limited basis as restoration continues, with the Meeting House serving as its architectural centerpiece and an extraordinary connection to a nearly vanished chapter of Ohio history. The next major projects include installing sidewalks and parking lots.
As a Legacy 250 building, the White Water Shaker Meeting House demonstrates why preserving rare historic places matters. What building in your community tells a story that future generations should know? Submit it to Heritage Ohio’s 250 Buildings, 250 Stories initiative and help us share the places that make Ohio’s history unique. https://heritageohio.org/250-buildings-250-stories
