New Gloucester’s Shaker Village receives $1.4M in NPS grants for renovations, preservation

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village Secures $1.4 Million in Federal Grants to Preserve Historic Structures

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in Maine announced this week that it has received nearly $1.4 million in federal funding, a long‑awaited boost that will enable the village to convert its historic herb house into a community center, preserve its meetinghouse, and protect the surrounding landscape. The grants were awarded by the National Park Service (NPS) and come after years of uncertainty over federal support.

Grants that Bring New Life to a Historic Site

The NPS awarded the village a $750,000 Save America’s Treasures grant to finance the renovation of the herb house. The historic building, a 19th‑century structure that once stored medicinal plants for the Shakers, is slated to become a multi‑purpose community space. The grant will cover structural repairs and the construction of arts and culinary classrooms on the building’s lower level. Officials say the project is expected to open within the next two years.

In addition, the NPS granted $667,000 through the History of Equal Rights program to preserve the village’s meetinghouse, which the state notes is the fourth oldest in the United States. The funds will support preservation work that safeguards the building’s historical integrity and its connection to early American rights movements.

The total award of $1.417 million is the largest single federal infusion the village has received in over a decade.

A Long‑Running Fight for Funding

The herb house project began its quest for federal assistance in 2022. That year, the village secured a $750,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). However, in 2025, following President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the administration abruptly canceled a mass of NEH grants, leaving the Shaker Village’s project stalled.

A federal judge later ruled in May that the Trump administration’s blanket cancellation was illegal, restoring the grant to the village. The village was allowed to resume fundraising and to claim the remaining balance of the award. “We still have $148,000 of that grant uncollected,” said director Michael Graham. “The village has until the end of February to raise $600,000 to fully optimize the remaining award.”

The Save America’s Treasures grant is not eligible to be used as a match for the NEH award, so the village must secure additional private funds to meet its fundraising goal. Graham stressed that the new grant is essential: “It’s vital to the herb house project and will help us get the building in order and open within the next two years.”

The village’s history with Save America’s Treasures is not new. In 2022, the community received a $500,000 grant to restore a nearly 200‑year‑old barn that houses the village’s sheep and cattle and serves as the hub of daily Shaker life.

Protecting a National Treasure

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village is designated as a national historic landmark, with both its buildings and surrounding landscape recognized for historical significance. Federal grants received by the village must undergo a Section 106 review, a process required under the National Historic Preservation Act that ensures projects do not adversely affect historic properties.

Graham warned that upcoming congressional legislation could weaken Section 106. “The bill would dramatically narrow the historic and cultural properties and projects that are subject to review,” he said. “Without Section 106 and its protective standards, our village would be subject to potentially destructive alteration.”

The director urged lawmakers to uphold the current standards: “I hope that our leaders remember (the importance of Section 106 for historic preservation) and vote accordingly,” he said. “Sites like ours benefit immensely from the protective policies in place and the standards that have been established.”

Looking Ahead

With the new NPS grants, the Shaker Village plans to finalize structural work on the herb house, build classroom space, and ensure the meetinghouse remains a living testament to early American history. The village’s leaders remain focused on completing the projects before the end of 2026 while navigating the evolving federal landscape for historic preservation.

The community’s long‑term vision extends beyond the herb house and meetinghouse. By