The first permanent home at White Water Shaker Village was completed in 1832. It differed from other Ohio and Kentucky Shaker dwellings because its dining room was in the cellar and it was built next to the Meeting House instead of across from it. The building had eight retiring rooms, or bedrooms, and each room housed 4 to 6 individuals. The Shakers were a celibate community, and men and women were separated at all times. In this building, Shaker sisters lived on the north side and Shaker brothers lived on the south side, with twin staircases, one for women and one for men, running from the first floor to the attic.