14044 220th Street, McGrath, MN 56350 | 320-592-0180

The Shire in the Woods


Read the history of how the Shire came to be.

The Shire in the Woods was formerly known as the Dwelling in the Woods. It was founded in 1989 by three Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet with a vision of creating a place where people can spend time quieting the mind and opening the heart and spirit. They recognized the need for individuals living in a modern, fast paced society to be able to retreat to a quiet, nurturing place, thus replenishing the soul and deepening their connection with self, nature, each other, and the universe.

They decided to trust the thoughts that came to mind and to follow their spirit. This led them to a friend, whom they asked to help them raise the funds to create the Dwelling. He didn’t care too much for asking people for money but offered to purchase the land when they found a suitable place. They settled upon 120 acres with a small log house, pole barn, and a wood burning sauna.

Now, over 25 years later, the grounds have expanded considerably. Many hands have helped build and create these unique buildings and versatile landscape. In 2013 the property was purchased and has now become the Shire in the Woods. A special place, with the look and feel of a Tolkien inspired landscape, now located in 'Middle Minnesota'!

Read a PDF of our archived history


July 11th, 2008

An article published by Christiana Rush from Yahoo's Contributor Network writes about her experience at the Dwelling in the Woods.

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March 9th, 2008

An article, Hermit days, published by Chris Welsch from the Star Tribune writes about his experience at the Dwelling in the Woods.

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