Cassadaga : The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community

The story of a small Florida community that has drawn spiritual seekers for over 125 years

Calling itself a "metaphysical mecca," the small town of Cassadaga, between Orlando and Daytona Beach in central Florida, was established more than 125 years ago on the principle of continuous life, the idea that spirits of the dead commune with the living. Though the founders of Cassadaga have passed on to the "spirit plane," the quaint Victorian town remains the oldest continuously active Spiritualist center in the South and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. While the community has often been sensationalized and misrepresented, this is the first serious work to examine its history, people, cultural environment, and religious system.

After presenting an overview of nineteenth-century religion, the book explores the town's early years, distinctive architecture, ritual life, core beliefs, healing work, and view of the future. It also probes the extent to which Cassadaga has assimilated New Age beliefs and reflects larger trends in contemporary American religious culture.

The study includes a group biography based on interviews with four residents, plus a chapter on the colorful life of Eloise Page, a practicing medium in Cassadaga for more than 40 years. In addition, it features 47 photographs that guide readers through the town and portray residents engaged in various sacred and everyday activities.