South Union, Kentucky

South Union is an eastern Logan county community near the head of the Clear Fork Creek of Gasper River. It was established in 1807 by the Society of Believers, or Shakers, soon after Pleasant Hill was established in Mercer county. The South Union post office opened in 1826 and closed in 2005. A Shakertown post office operated briefly in 1889.

 

At its peak the South Union community covered 6,000 acres and had about 350 members. It was dissolved in 1922. Some of the Shaker's hundreds of buildings are still standing and some, including the large Centre Family dwelling, are now part of a museum operated by South Union Shaker Village. Another significant surviving structure is a tavern constructed in 1869 on what was then the new railway. Other buildings and grounds have been owned by the Fathers of Mercy in recent years.

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© 2024 David C. Elbon