Double staircases framing double doors provide a sense of balance to the main hallway of the Centre Family
Dwelling in Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky., near Harrodsburg. The double staircases and double doors
are common features in Shaker architecture, because each house was divided so that men and women did
everything separately - using different staircases, different doors and sitting on opposite sides of the room.
This structure was built in the early 1800s. A photo of the exterior of the building is below. Many structures
in the village, a National Historic Landmark, have been restored and are used as an inn for lodging.

The official website for Shaker Village is http://www.shakervillageky.org .
A good history of the site is on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasant_Hill,_Kentucky .