Today, we hosted a training session for some of our talented village interpreters on broom-making. Broom-making by hand is quickly becoming a dying art as the availability of cheap, mass-produced, machine-made brooms increases.
In the 19th century, the Shakers were adept at making brooms and sold them to “The World’s People” the same as they did seeds, bonnets, and herbs. Usually “brothers”, or Shaker men, were the broom makers in the community. It was thought a job especially suited to older gentlemen no longer able to go out in the fields.
After today’s training session, the new broom makers will be able to produce whisk brooms, flat and round brooms, cake testers, cobweb brooms, and pot scrubbers both for the Flint Hill Store as well as for use in the Village homes and businesses. Those new brooms will go great with the dustpans from our Tinsmiths!
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