The History of the Shaker Boxes

The Shakers started making oval boxes in New England around 1800. They were the original stacking boxes, used for dry food goods and storage for needle craft items such as buttons and thread. Their distinctive look came from cutting thin veneers of wood and bending them round oval formers after being soaked in hot water. The lids are made on each box to ensure a good fit every time. The swallowtail projections were added for practical purposes in the construction as they allowed the wood to expand and contract without splitting during temperature and humidity changes. The copper tacks used in the construction of these boxes are made on machines that date back to the late 1800’s and are the same machines used by the original Shaker box makers. The boxes are assembled without the use of glue only held together by the copper tacks and the wooden pegs that hold the top and bottom on. We still make them in the way of the shakers only using modern tools to cut out and prepare the wood.