NEW GLOUCESTER (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Maine is home to the only remaining Shaker community, and now their surrounding community is coming together to help after a field at the farm in New Gloucester was vandalized.
"It was heartbreaking, heartbreaking,” said Shaker Museum and Library Director Michael Graham.
In late September, someone drove a car onto the field, driving in circles and damaging nearly four acres before fleeing.
"The end of September, we saw the damage in the hay field and someone had driven in and done doughnuts on about four, four or so acres of the hay field that we depend on to produce the hay to support the Shakers farm,” said Graham.
That person still has not been caught or come forward.
Saturday’s community effort was less about the crime though, and more about the clean-up.
"The response was absolutely overwhelming,” said Graham.
Word spread about what happened on social media, so the Shakers decided to organize this community work day to make repairs to the hay field, exactly two weeks after it was vandalized.
"Folks were so deeply saddened by this sort of senseless act that they wanted to do something that felt right and to me that represents Maine,” added Graham. “I think that's what makes the Maine community so special is that when folks in this state are challenged, people seem to band together very quickly."
For many of the folks who decided to come out Saturday, like Donna Chapman, it's their first time to Shaker Farm.
"It popped right up on Facebook and I thought, 'oh that is so sad,’” said Chapman. “They don't understand, whoever did this, the damage that it costs the Shaker Village."
Chapman has a horse farm nearby, so she understands how much of an economic loss this type of vandalism can cause in crop.
"This is a big loss,” added Chapman. “Don't think this is fun, kids. Don't go out and do this again because it's not, and we understand this fully because we know what it's like to feed horses."
Saturday’s rainy weather didn't keep anyone away, as the group of about three dozen volunteers were done shoveling, packing, and replanting just over an hour after they began.
"This is good weather to repair the ground because you can just push it back in and soften it out,” said Chapman. “Had this hardened up, you would've probably had more loss."
“Teamwork and community building, that means a lot because that’s also what the Shakers have always stood for,” said Graham. “To see it come back to the Shakers it’s very moving. It’s very moving.”
Moving forward, the Shaker community plans to do more to secure their more than 1,800 acres of land, including putting up more gates and making more restricted access to the property.
Saturday’s volunteers had one final message to the person or persons responsible for the crime.
"Please just apologize,” said Chapman. “They're sorry. They didn't understand the damage. Everybody will pray about you at Shaker Village and they'll forgive you but own it. Own it."