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New Harmony, Indiana

January 07, 2023

New Harmony is a historic town on the Wabash River in Harmony Township, Posey County, Indiana.[6] It lies 15 miles (24 km) north of Mount Vernon, the county seat, and is part of the Evansville metropolitan area. The town's population was 789 at the 2010 census.

New Harmony, Indiana
Town
Location of New Harmony in Posey County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 38°7′47″N 87°56′6″W / 38.12972°N 87.93500°W / 38.12972; -87.93500Coordinates: 38°7′47″N 87°56′6″W / 38.12972°N 87.93500°W / 38.12972; -87.93500
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyPosey
TownshipHarmony
Area
[1]
 • Total0.82 sq mi (2.13 km2)
 • Land0.81 sq mi (2.11 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
[2]
381 ft (116 m)
Population
 (2010)[3]
 • Total789
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
753
 • Density923.93/sq mi (356.82/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
47631
Area code812
FIPS code18-52974[5]
GNIS feature ID440051
Websitehttp://www.newharmony-in.gov

Established by the Harmony Society in 1814 under the leadership of George Rapp, the town was originally known as Harmony (also called Harmonie, or New Harmony). In its early years the 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) settlement was the home of Lutherans who had separated from the official church in the Duchy of Württemberg and immigrated to the United States.[7] The Harmonists built a new town in the wilderness, but in 1824 they decided to sell their property and return to Pennsylvania.[8] Robert Owen, a Welsh industrialist and social reformer, purchased the town in 1825 with the intention of creating a new utopian community and renamed it New Harmony. The Owenite social experiment failed two years after it began.[9]

New Harmony changed American education and scientific research. Town residents established the first public library, a civic drama club, and a public school system open to men and women. Its prominent citizens included Owen's sons: Robert Dale Owen, an Indiana congressman and social reformer who sponsored legislation to create the Smithsonian Institution; David Dale Owen, a noted state and federal geologist; William Owen, a New Harmony businessman; and Richard Owen, Indiana state geologist, Indiana University professor, and first president of Purdue University. The town also served as the second headquarters of the U.S. Geological Survey. Numerous scientists and educators contributed to New Harmony's intellectual community, including William Maclure, Marie Louise Duclos Fretageot, Thomas Say, Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, Joseph Neef, Frances Wright, and others.

Many of the town's old Harmonist buildings have been restored. These structures, along with others related to the Owenite community, are included in the New Harmony Historic District. Contemporary additions to the town include the Roofless Church and Atheneum.[9] The New Harmony State Memorial is located south of town on State Road 69 in Harmonie State Park.

Photo from Small Town Indiana photo survey.

History

Harmonist settlement (1814–1824)

The town of Harmony was founded by the Harmony Society in 1814 under the leadership of German immigrant George Rapp (born Johann Georg Rapp). It was the second of three towns built by the pietist, communal religious group, known as Harmonists, Harmonites, or Rappites. The Harmonists settled in the Indiana Territory after leaving Harmony, Pennsylvania, where westward expansion, the area's rising population, jealous neighbors, and the increasing cost of land threatened the Society's desire for isolation.[10]

In April 1814 Anna Mayrisch, John L. Baker, and Ludwick Shirver (Ludwig Schreiber) traveled west in search of a new location for their congregation, one that would have fertile soil and access to a navigable waterway.[11] By May 10 the men had found suitable land along the Wabash River in the Indiana Territory and made an initial purchase of approximately 7,000 acres (28 km2). Rapp wrote on May 10, "The place is 25 miles from the Ohio mouth of the Wabash, and 12 miles from where the Ohio makes its curve first before the mouth. The town will be located about 1/4 mile from the river above on the channel on a plane as level as the floor of a room, perhaps a good quarter mile from the hill which lies suitable for a vineyard."[12] Although Rapp expressed concern that the town's location lacked a waterworks, the area provided an opportunity for expansion and access to markets through the nearby rivers, causing him to remark, "In short, the place has all the advantages which one could wish, if a steam engine meanwhile supplies what is lacking."[12]

The first Harmonists left Pennsylvania in June 1814 and traveled by flatboat to their new land in the Indiana Territory. In May 1815 the last of the Harmonists who had remained behind until the sale of their town in Pennsylvania was completed departed for their new town along the Wabash River.[13] Frederick Reichert Rapp, George Rapp's adopted son, drew up the town plan for their new village at Harmony, Indiana, which surveyors laid out on August 8, 1814.[14] By 1816, the same year that Indiana became a state, the Harmonists had acquired 20,000 acres (81 km2) of land, built 160 homes and other buildings, and cleared 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) for their new town.[15] The settlement also began to attract new arrivals, including emigrants from Germany such as members of Rapp's congregation from Württemberg, many of whom expected the Harmonists to pay for their passage to America.[16] However, the new arrivals "were more of a liability than an asset".[17] On March 20, 1819, Rapp commented, "It is astonishing how much trouble the people who have arrived here have made, for they have no morals and do not know what it means to live a moral and well-mannered life, not to speak of true Christianity, of denying the world or yourself."[18]

Visitors to Harmony commented on the commercial and industrial work being done in this religious settlement along the Wabash River. "It seemed as though I found myself in the midst of Germany," noted one visitor.[19] In 1819 the town had a steam-operated wool carding and spinning factory, a horse-drawn and human-powered threshing machine, a brewery, distillery, vineyards, and a winery. The property included an orderly town, "laid out in a square", with a church, school, store, dwellings for residents, and streets to create "the most beautiful city of western America, because everything is built in the most perfect symmetry".[19] Other visitors were not as impressed: "hard labor & coarse fare appears to be the lot of all except the family of Rapp, he lives in a large & handsome brick house while the rest inhabit small log cabins. How so numerous a population are kept quietly & tamely in absolute servitude it is hard to conceive—the women I believe do more labor in the field than the men, as large numbers of the latter are engaged in different branches of manufactures."[20] Although they were not paid for their work, the 1820 manufacturer's census reported that 75 men, 12 women, and 30 children were employed, in the Society's tanneries, saw and grain mills, and woolen and cotton mills. Manufactured goods included cotton, flannel, and wool cloth, yarn, knit goods, tin ware, rope, beer, peach brandy, whiskey, wine, wagons, carts, plows, flour, beef, pork, butter, leather, and leather goods.[21]

The Harmonist community continued to thrive during the 1820s, but correspondence from March 6, 1824, between Rapp and his adopted son, Frederick, indicates that the Harmonists planned to sell their Indiana property and were already looking for a new location.[22] In May, a decade after their arrival in Indiana, the Harmonists purchased land along the Ohio River eighteen miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and were making arrangements to advertise the sale of their property in Indiana.[23] The move, although it was made primarily for religious reasons, would provide the Harmonists with easier access to eastern markets and a place where they could live more peacefully with others who shared their German language and culture.[17] On May 24, 1824, a group of Harmonists boarded a steamboat and departed Indiana, bound for Pennsylvania, where they founded the community of Economy, the present-day town of Ambridge. In May 1825 the last Harmonists left Indiana after the sale of their 20,000 acres (81 km2) of property, which included the land and buildings, to Robert Owen for $150,000.[24][25][26] Owen hoped to establish a new community on the Indiana frontier, one that would serve as a model community for communal living and social reform.

  •  

    West Street Log Cabins

  •  

    Eigner Cabin

  •  

    Potter Cabin

Owenite community (1825–1827)

 
New Harmony as envisioned by Owen[27]

Robert Owen was a social reformer and wealthy industrialist who made his fortune from textile mills in New Lanark, Scotland. Owen, his twenty-two-year-old son, William, and his Scottish friend Donald McDonald [28] sailed to the United States in 1824 to purchase a site to implement Owen's vision for "a New Moral World" of happiness, enlightenment, and prosperity through education, science, technology, and communal living. Owen believed his utopian community would create a "superior social, intellectual and physical environment" based on his ideals of social reform.[29] Owen was motivated to buy the town in order to prove his theories were viable and to correct the troubles that were affecting his mill-town community New Lanark.[30] The ready-built town of Harmony, Indiana, fitted Owen's needs. In January 1825 he signed the agreement to purchase the town, renamed it New Harmony, and invited "any and all" to join him there.[31] While many of the town's new arrivals had a sincere interest in making it a success, the experiment also attracted "crackpots, free-loaders, and adventurers whose presence in the town made success unlikely."[32] William Owen, who remained in New Harmony while his father returned east to recruit new residents, also expressed concern in his diary entry, dated March 24, 1825: "I doubt whether those who have been comfortable and content in their old mode of life, will find an increase of enjoyment when they come here. How long it will require to accustom themselves to their new mode of living, I am unable to determine."[33]

When Robert Owen returned to New Harmony in April 1825 he found seven hundred to eight hundred residents and a "chaotic" situation, much in need of leadership.[34] By May 1825 the community had adopted the "Constitution of the Preliminary Society," which loosely outlined its expectations and government. Under the preliminary constitution, members would provide their own household goods and invest their capital at interest in an enterprise that would promote independence and social equality. Members would render services to the community in exchange for credit at the town's store, but those who did not want to work could purchase credit at the store with cash payments made in advance.[35] In addition, the town would be governed by a committee of four members chosen by Owen and the community would elect three additional members.[36] In June, Robert Owen left William in New Harmony while he traveled east to continue promoting his model community and returned to Scotland, where he sold his interests in the New Lanark textile mills and arranged financial support for his wife and two daughters, who chose to remain in Scotland.[37] Owen's four sons, Robert Dale, William, David Dale, and Richard, and a daughter, Jane Dale, later settled in New Harmony.[38][39]

While Owen was away recruiting new residents for New Harmony, a number of factors that led to an early breakup of the socialist community had already begun. Members grumbled about inequity in credits between workers and non-workers.[40] In addition, the town soon became overcrowded, lacked sufficient housing, and was unable to produce enough to become self-sufficient, although they still had "high hopes for the future."[41] Owen spent only a few months at New Harmony, where a shortage of skilled craftsmen and laborers along with inadequate and inexperienced supervision and management contributed to its eventual failure.[42]

Despite the community's shortcomings, Owen was a passionate promoter of his vision for New Harmony. While visiting Philadelphia, Owen met Marie Louise Duclos Fretageot, a Pestalozzian educator, and persuaded her to join him in Indiana. Fretageot encouraged William Maclure, a scientist and fellow educator, to become a part of the venture. (Maclure became Owen's financial partner.) On January 26, 1826, Fretegeot, Maclure, and a number of their colleagues, including Thomas Say, Josef Neef, Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, and others aboard the keelboat Philanthropist (also called the "Boatload of Knowledge"), arrived in New Harmony to help Owen establish his new experiment in socialism.[43]

On February 5, 1826, the town adopted a new constitution, "The New Harmony Community of Equality", whose objective was to achieve happiness based on principles of equal rights and equality of duties. Cooperation, common property, economic benefit, freedom of speech and action, kindness and courtesy, order, preservation of health, acquisition of knowledge, and obedience to the country's laws were included as part of the constitution.[44] The constitution laid out the life of a citizen in New Harmony based on age. Children from the age of one to five were to be cared for and encouraged to exercise; children aged six to nine they were to be lightly employed and given education via observation directed by skilled teachers. Youth from the ages of ten to twelve were to help in the houses and with the gardening. Teenagers from the age of twelve to fifteen were to receive technical training, and from fifteen to twenty their education was to be continued. Young adults from the ages of twenty to thirty were to act as a superintendent in the production and education departments. Adults from the ages of thirty to forty were to govern the homes, and residents aged forty to sixty were to be encouraged to assist with the community's external relations or to travel abroad if they so desired.[45]

Although the constitution contained worthy ideals, it did not clearly address how the community would function and was never fully established.[46] Individualist anarchist Josiah Warren, who was one of the original participants in the New Harmony Society, asserted that the community was doomed to failure due to a lack of individual sovereignty and private property. He commented: "It seemed that the difference of opinion, tastes and purposes increased just in proportion to the demand for conformity. Two years were worn out in this way; at the end of which, I believe that not more than three persons had the least hope of success. Most of the experimenters left in despair of all reforms, and conservatism felt itself confirmed. We had tried every conceivable form of organization and government. We had a world in miniature. --we had enacted the French revolution over again with despairing hearts instead of corpses as a result. ...It appeared that it was nature's own inherent law of diversity that had conquered us ...our 'united interests' were directly at war with the individualities of persons and circumstances and the instinct of self-preservation... and it was evident that just in proportion to the contact of persons or interests, so are concessions and compromises indispensable." (Periodical Letter II 1856).

Part of New Harmony's failings stemmed from three activities that Owen brought from Scotland to America. First, Owen actively attacked established religion, despite United States' constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and the separations of church and state. Second, Owen remained stubbornly attached to the principles of the rationalist Age of Enlightenment, which drove away many of the Jeffersonian farmers Owen tried to attract. Thirdly, Owen consistently appealed to the upper class for donations, but found that the strategy was not as effective as it had been in Europe.[47]

Robert Dale Owen wrote that the members of the failed socialist experiment at New Harmony were "a heterogeneous collection of radicals, enthusiastic devotees to principle, honest latitudinarians, and lazy theorists, with a sprinkling of unprincipled sharpers thrown in,"[48] and that "a plan which remunerates all alike, will, in the present condition of society, ultimately eliminate from a co-operative association the skilled, efficient and industrious members, leaving an ineffective and sluggish residue, in whose hands the experiment will fail, both socially and pecuniarily."[49] However, he still thought that "co-operation is a chief agency destined to quiet the clamorous conflicts between capital and labour; but then it must be co-operation gradually introduced, prudently managed, as now in England."[50] In 1826 splinter groups dissatisfied with the efforts of the larger community broke away from the main group and prompted a reorganization.[51]

In New Harmony work was divided into six departments, each with its own superintendent. These departments included agriculture, manufacturing, domestic economy, general economy, commerce, and literature, science and education. A governing council included the six superintendents and an elected secretary.[52] Despite the new organization and constitution, members continued to leave town.[53] By March 1827, after several other attempts to reorganize, the utopian experiment had failed.

The larger community, which lasted until 1827, was divided into smaller communities that led further disputes. Individualism replaced socialism in 1828 and New Harmony was dissolved in 1829 due to constant quarrels. The town's parcels of land and property were returned to private use.[48] Owen spent $200,000 of his own funds to purchase New Harmony property and pay off the community's debts. His sons, Robert Dale and William, gave up their shares of the New Lanark mills in exchange for shares in New Harmony. Later, Owen "conveyed the entire New Harmony property to his sons in return for an annuity of $1,500 for the remainder of his life." Owen left New Harmony in June 1827 and focused his interests in the United Kingdom. He died in 1858.[54]

Accomplishments

 
New Harmony, a utopian attempt; depicted as proposed by Robert Owen

Science

Although Robert Owen's vision of New Harmony as an advance in social reform was not realized, the town became a scientific center of national significance, especially in the natural sciences, most notably geology.

William Maclure (1763–1840), president of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia from 1817 to 1840, came to New Harmony during the winter of 1825–1826.[29] Maclure brought a group of noted artists, educators, and fellow scientists, including naturalists Thomas Say and Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, to New Harmony from Philadelphia aboard the keelboat Philanthropist (also known as the "Boatload of Knowledge").[55]

Thomas Say (1787–1834), a friend of Maclure, was an entomologist and conchologist. His definitive studies of shells and insects, numerous contributions to scientific journals, and scientific expeditions to Florida, Georgia, the Rocky Mountains, Mexico, and elsewhere made him an internationally known naturalist.[56] Say has been called the father of American descriptive entomology and American conchology.[29] Prior to his arrival at New Harmony, he served as librarian for the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, curator at the American Philosophical Society, and professor of natural history at the University of Pennsylvania.[29] Say died in New Harmony in 1834.[57]

Charles-Alexandre Lesueur (1778–1846), a naturalist and artist, came to New Harmony aboard the Philanthropist. His sketches of New Harmony provide a visual record of the town during the Owenite period. As a naturalist, Lesueur is known for his classification of Great Lakes fishes. He returned to his native France in 1837.[58][59] Many species were first described by both Say and Leseuer, and many have been named in their honor.

 
The Church of the Harmonists; sketch by Charles Alexandre Lesueur. From the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, one of many sketches preserved in the Lesueur Collection at the Academy. Shown here by courtesy of the Academy.

David Dale Owen (1807–1860), third son of Robert Owen, finished his formal education as a medical doctor in 1837. However, after returning to New Harmony, David Dale Owen was influenced by the work of Maclure and Gerard Troost, a Dutch geologist, mineralogist, zoologist, and chemist who arrived in New Harmony in 1825 and later became the state geologist of Tennessee from 1831 to 1850.[29] Owen went on to become a noted geologist. Headquartered at New Harmony, Owen conducted the first official geological survey of Indiana (1837–39). After his appointment as U.S. Geologist in 1839,[60] Owen led federal surveys from 1839 to 1840 and from 1847 to 1851 of the Midwestern United States, which included Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and part of northern Illinois.[61] In 1846 Owen sampled a number of possible building stones for the Smithsonian Institution Building (the Smithsonian "Castle") and recommended the distinctive Seneca Creek sandstone of which that building is constructed.[62] The following year, Owen identified a quarry at Bull Run, twenty-three miles from nation's capital, that provided the stone for the massive building.[62] Owen became the first state geologist of three states: Kentucky (1854–1857), Arkansas (1857–1859), and Indiana (1837–1839 and 1859–1860).[29][63] Owen's museum and laboratory in New Harmony was known as the largest west of the Allegheny Mountains.[64] At the time of Owen's death in 1860, his museum included some 85,000 items.[65] Among Owen's most significant publications is his Report of a Geological Survey of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota and Incidentally of a Portion of Nebraska Territory (Philadelphia, 1852).[66]

Several men trained Owen's leadership and influence: Benjamin Franklin Shumard, for whom the Shumard oak is named, was appointed state geologist of Texas by Governor Hardin R. Runnels;[67] Amos Henry Worthen was the second state geologist of Illinois and the first curator of the Illinois State Museum;[68] and Fielding Bradford Meek became the first full-time paleontologist in lieu of salary at the Smithsonian Institution.[69] Joseph Granville Norwood, one of David Dale Owen's colleagues and coauthors, also a medical doctor, became the first state geologist of Illinois (1851–1858).[65][70] From 1851 to 1854, the Illinois State Geological Survey was headquartered in New Harmony.

Richard Owen (1810–1890), Robert Owen's youngest son, came to New Harmony in 1828 and initially taught school there.[71] He assisted his brother, David Dale Owen, with geological survey and became Indiana's second state geologist. During the American Civil War, Colonel Richard Owen was commandant in charge of Confederate prisoners at Camp Morton in Indianapolis.[72] Following his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1864, Owen became a professor of natural sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington, where an academic building is named in his honor. In 1872 Owen became the first president of Purdue University, but resigned from this position in 1874. He continued teaching at IU until his retirement in 1879.[72][73]

Public service and social reform

Robert Dale Owen, eldest son of Robert Owen, was a social reformer and intellectual of national importance. At New Harmony, he taught school and co-edited and published the New Harmony Gazette with Frances Wright.[71][74] Owen later moved to New York. In 1830 he published "Moral Philosophy," the first treatise in the United States to support birth control, and returned to New Harmony in 1834.[74] From 1836 to 1838, and in 1851, Owen served in the Indiana legislature and was also a delegate to the state's constitutional convention of 1850.[71] Owen was an advocate for women's rights, free public education, and opposed slavery. As a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from 1843 to 1847, Owen introduced a bill in 1846 that established the Smithsonian Institution.[75] He also served as chairman of the Smithsonian Building Committee. He arranged for his brother, David Dale Owen, to sample a large number of possible building stones for the Smithsonian Castle.[76] From 1852 to 1858 Owen held the diplomatic position of charge d'affairs (1853–1858) in Naples, where he began studying spiritualism.[77] Owen's book, (1860), aroused something of a literary sensation. Among his critics in the Boston Investigator and at home in the New Harmony Advertiser were John and Margaret Chappellsmith, he formerly an artist for David Dale Owen's geological publications, and she a former Owenite lecturer.[citation needed] Robert Dales Owen died at Lake George, New York, in 1877.[77]

Frances Wright (1795–1852) came to New Harmony in 1824, where she co-edited and wrote for the New Harmony Gazette with Robert Dale Owen. In 1825 she established an experimental settlement at Nashoba, Tennessee, that allowed African American slaves to work to gain their freedom, but the community failed. A liberal leader in the "free-thought movement," Wright opposed slavery, advocated woman's suffrage, birth control, and free public education. Wright and Robert Dale Owen moved their newspaper to New York City in 1829 and published it as the Free Enquirer.[71][78] Wright married William Philquepal d'Arusmont, a Pestalozzian educator she met at New Harmony. The couple also lived in Paris, France, and in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they divorced in 1850. Wright died in Cincinnati in 1852.[78][79]

Education

The history of education at New Harmony involves several teachers who were already well-established in their fields before they moved to New Harmony, largely through the efforts of William Maclure. These Pestalozzian educators included Marie Duclos Fretageot and Joseph Neef. By the time Maclure arrived in New Harmony he had already established the first Pestalozzian school in America. Fretageot and Neef had been Pestalozzian educators and school administrators at Maclure's schools in Pennsylvania.[29]

Under Maclure's direction and using his philosophy of education, New Harmony schools became the first public schools in the United States open to boys and girls. Maclure also established at New Harmony one of the country's first industrial or trade schools.[80] He also had his extensive library and geological collection shipped to New Harmony from Philadelphia. In 1838 Maclure established The Working Men's Institute, a society for "mutual instruction".[81] It includes the oldest continuously operating library in Indiana, as well as a small museum. The vault in the library contains many historic manuscripts, letters, and documents pertaining to the history of New Harmony. Under the terms of his will, Maclure also offered $500 to any club or society of laborers in the United States who established a reading and lecture room with a library of at least 100 books. About 160 libraries in Indiana and Illinois took advantage of his bequest.[82][83]

Marie Duclos Fretageot managed Pestalozzian schools that Maclure organized in France and Philadelphia before coming to New Harmony aboard the Philanthropist. In New Harmony she was responsible for the infant's school (for children under age five), supervised several young women she had brought with her from Philadelphia, ran a store, and was Maclure's administrator during his residence in Mexico.[84] Fretageot remained in New Harmony until 1831, returned to France, and later joined Maclure in Mexico, where she died in 1833.[57] Correspondence of Maclure and Fretageot from 1820 to 1833 was extensive and is documented in Partnership for Posterity.[85]

Joseph Neef ( 1770–1854) published in 1808 the first work on educational method to be written in English in the United States, Sketch of A Plan and Method of Education.[86] Maclure brought Neef, a Pestalozzian educator from Switzerland, to Philadelphia, and placed him in charge of his school for boys. It was the first school in the United States to be based on Pestalozzian methods. In 1826 Neef, his wife, and children came to New Harmony to run the schools under Maclure's direction.[87][88] Neef, following Maclure's curriculum, became superintendent of the schools in New Harmony, where as many as 200 students, ranging in age from five to twelve, were enrolled.[86][87][89]

Jane Dale Owen Fauntleroy (1806–1861), daughter of Robert Owen, arrived in New Harmony in 1833. She married civil engineer Robert Henry Fauntleroy in 1835. He became a business partner of David Dale and Robert Dale Owen. Jane Owen Fauntleroy established a seminary for young women in her family's New Harmony home, where her brother, David Dale Owen, taught science.[90]

Students in New Harmony now attend North Posey High School after New Harmony High School closed in 2012.[91]

Publishing

Cornelius Tiebout (c. 1773–1832) was an artist, printer, and engraver of considerable fame when he joined the New Harmony community in September 1826. Tiebout taught printing and published a bimonthly newspaper, Disseminator of Useful Knowledge, and books using the town's printing press.[92][93] He died in New Harmony in 1832.[94]

Publications from New Harmony's press include William Maclure's Essay on the Formation of Rocks, or an Inquiry into the Probably Origin of their Present Form (1832); and Maclure's Structure and Observations on the Geology of the West India Islands; from Barbadoes to Santa Cruz, Inclusive (1832); Thomas Say's Description of New Species of North American Insects; Observations on Some of the Species Already Described; Descriptions of Some New Terrestrial and Fluviatile Shells of North America; and several of the early volumes of Say's American Conchology, or Descriptions of the Shells of North America. (The seventh volume of American Conchology was published in Philadelphia.)[95][96]

Lucy Sistare Say was an apprentice at Fretageot's Pestalozzian school and a former student of Lesueur in Philadelphia before coming to New Harmony aboard the Philanthropist to teach needlework and drawing. En route to Indiana, Sistare met Thomas Say and the two were married on January 4, 1827, prior to their arrival at New Harmony. An accomplished artist, Say illustrated and hand-colored 66 of the 68 illustrations in American Conchology, her husband's multi-volume work on mollusks. Following Thomas Say's death in 1834, she moved to New York, trained to become an engraver, and worked to complete and publish the final volume of American Conchology. Lucy Say remained interested in the natural sciences after returning to the East. In 1841 she became the first female member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.[97]

German-American folk artist Jacob Maentel (c. 1763–1863) lived in New Harmony from 1836 until his death. During this time he prolifically painted portraiture in the fraktur style and portrayed the dress and décor of local Owenites.[98] Examples of his work are displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Museum.[99]

Publications on the history of New Harmony include the work of the New Harmony historian and resident, Josephine Mirabella Elliott.

Theater

William Owen (1802–1842), Robert Owen's second oldest son, was involved in New Harmony's business and community affairs. He was among the leaders who founded New Harmony's Thespian Society and acted in some of the group's performances.[100] Owen also helped establish the Posey County Agricultural Society and, in 1834, became director of the State Bank of Indiana, Evansville Branch. He died in New Harmony in 1842.[101]

Historic structures

Main article: New Harmony Historic District

More than 30 structures from the Harmonist and Owenite utopian communities remain as part of the New Harmony Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark.[102] In addition, architect Richard Meier designed New Harmony's Atheneum, which serves as the Visitors Center for Historic New Harmony,[25] and depicts the history of the community. Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the George Bentel House, Ludwig Epple House, Harmony Way Bridge, Mattias Scholle House, and Amon Clarence Thomas House.[103]

Geography

New Harmony is located at 38°7′43″N 87°56′3″W / 38.12861°N 87.93417°W / 38.12861; -87.93417 (38.128583, −87.934122).[104] The Wabash River forms the western boundary of New Harmony. It is the westernmost settlement in Indiana.

According to the 2010 census, New Harmony has a total area of 0.65 square miles (1.68 km2), of which 0.64 square miles (1.66 km2) (or 98.46%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) (or 1.54%) is water.[105]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, New Harmony has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[106]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850700[107]—
186082517.9%
18708361.3%
18801,09531.0%
18901,1979.3%
19001,34112.0%
19101,229−8.4%
19201,126−8.4%
19301,022−9.2%
19401,39036.0%
19501,360−2.2%
19601,121−17.6%
1970971−13.4%
1980945−2.7%
1990846−10.5%
20009168.3%
2010789−13.9%
2019 (est.)753[4]−4.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[108]

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 789 people, 370 households, and 194 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,232.8 inhabitants per square mile (476.0/km2). There were 464 dwelling units at an average density of 725.0 per square mile (279.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.0% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, and 0.6% from two or more races.

There were 370 households, of which 17.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.6% were non-families. 43.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.62.

The median age in the town was 55.1 years. 13.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.3% were from 25 to 44; 30.4% were from 45 to 64; and 33.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 43.2% male and 56.8% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,[5] there were 916 people, 382 households, and 228 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,441.5 inhabitants per square mile (556.6/km2). There were 432 dwelling units at an average density of 679.8 per square mile (262.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.91% White, 0.55% Native American, 0.22% Asian, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.

There were 382 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 29.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,182, and the median income for a family was $40,865. Males had a median income of $39,250 versus $21,607 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,349. About 12.2% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.

Paul Tillich Park

 
Paul Tillich's gravestone in the Paul Tillich Park.
 
Bust of Paul Johannes Tillich by James Rosati in New Harmony

Paul Tillich Park commemorates the renowned twentieth century theologian, Paul Johannes Tillich. The park was dedicated on 2 June 1963, and Tillich's ashes were interred there in 1965.

Located just across North Main Street from the Roofless Church, the park consists of a stand of evergreens on elevated ground surrounding a walkway. Along the walkway there are several large stones on which are inscribed quotations from Tillich's writings. James Rosati's sculpture of Tillich's head rises at the north end of the walkway, backed by a clearing and a large pond.

Those who walk the Tillich Park Finger Labyrinth 2011-09-10 at the Wayback Machine, which was created by Reverend Bill Ressl after an inspirational walk through the park, are also invited to ponder the quotations and discern Tillich's systematic theology.

Secondary education

For over 200 years, New Harmony was served by New Harmony School, a K–12 school. In 2012, due to low enrollment and funding cuts, the school consolidated with the MSD of North Posey County[109][110][111] which operates four schools:

  • North Posey High School (9–12)
  • North Posey Junior High School (7–8)
  • North Elementary School (K–6)
  • South Terrace Elementary School (K–6)

Highways

Arts

 
’’New-Harmony on the Wabash’’ (circa 1832): aquatint by Karl Bodmer from "Maximilian, Prince of Wied's Travels in the Interior of North America, during the years 1832–1834"
  • New Harmony is the setting for the season three finale of The CW television series Supernatural.
  • A short experimental film, The Ends of Utopia, was created in 2009 by a Vanderbilt University student.

See also

References

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  4. ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ "New Harmony, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
  7. ^ Donald Pitzer (2012). New Harmony Then and Now. 601 North Morton Street: Quarry Books. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-0-253-35645-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. ^ Karl J. R. Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 1814–1824 (Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1975) 1:xi.
  9. ^ a b Ray E. Boomhower, "New Harmony: Home to Indiana's Communal Societies," Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History 14(4):36–37.
  10. ^ Karl J. R Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society, 1785–1847 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965) p. 130–31, 133.
  11. ^ Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society, p. 133.
  12. ^ a b Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 1:8.
  13. ^ Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society, p. 162.
  14. ^ Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society 1785–1847, p. 146.
  15. ^ Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society, p. 182.
  16. ^ Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society, p. 182–98.
  17. ^ a b Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society, p. 209.
  18. ^ Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 1:674.
  19. ^ a b Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 1:744.
  20. ^ Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 1:784.
  21. ^ Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 2:131–32.
  22. ^ Arndt, George Rapp's Harmony Society, p. 287.
  23. ^ Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 1:837, 871–74.
  24. ^ Arndt, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society, 1:837, 871.
  25. ^ a b Boomhower, p. 37.
  26. ^ See Donald F. Carmony and Josephine M. Elliott. "New Harmony, Indiana: Robert Owen's Seedbed for Utopia," Indiana Magazine of History 76, no. 3 (September, 1980):165. Carmony and Elliott indicate that Owen paid $125,000 for New Harmony, and cite other sources that state varying amounts.
  27. ^ "New Harmony as envisioned by Owen" was originally captioned by Stedman Whitwell, the architect who drew the figure, as "Design for a Community of 2000 Person founded upon a principle Commended by Plato, Lord Bacon and Sir Thomas More" in Description of an Architectural Model From a Design by Stedman Whitwell, Exq. For a Community Upon a Principle of United Interests, as Advocated by Robert Owen, Esq. (London: Hurst Chance and Co., 1830). Whitwell (1784–1840) lived in New Harmony during 1825. John W. Reps,"Whitwell, Description of a Model City", Cornell University. Retrieved 2012-6-20. In Edward Royle's Robert Owen and the Commencement of the Millennium, (Manchester University Press, 1998), Whitwell's figure is presented in a chapter on Harmony, the name of Owen's community in Hampshire, England, dating from 1841, although the figure was published in 1830 and almost certainly existed as early as 1825.
  28. ^ Pitzer, Donald (2012). New Harmony Then and Now. Quarry Books. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-253-35645-1.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g Donald E. Pitzer, "The Original Boatload of Knowledge Down the Ohio River." Reprint. Ohio Journal of Science 89, no. 5 (December 1989):128–142.
  30. ^ Wilson, William (1964). The Angel and the Serpent. Binghamton, N.Y.: Vail-Ballou Press, Inc. pp. 102–103.
  31. ^ William E. Wilson, The Angel and the Serpent: The Story of New Harmony (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1967, 2nd ed.), p. 105, 110, 116.
  32. ^ Wilson, p. 116.
  33. ^ Joel Hiatt, ed., "Diary of William Owen: From November 10, 1824, to April 20, 1825" Indiana Historical Society Publications 4, no. 1 (1906): 130.
  34. ^ Carmony and Elliott, p. 168.
  35. ^ Wilson, p. 117–118.
  36. ^ Wilson, p. 119.
  37. ^ Wilson, p. 119–122.
  38. ^ Wilson, p. 122.
  39. ^ Several of Robert Owen's children were given the middle name Dale in honor of Owen's father-in-law, David Dale.
  40. ^ Wilson, p. 125.
  41. ^ Wilson, p. 135.
  42. ^ Carmony and Elliott, p. 170.
  43. ^ Wilson, p. 118.
  44. ^ Wilson, p. 149.
  45. ^ Lockwood, George (1905). The New Harmony Movement. New York: D. Appleton and Company. pp. 66–67.
  46. ^ Carmony and Elliott, p. 173.
  47. ^ Pitzer, Donald (2012). New Harmony Then and Now. Quarry Books. pp. 51–53. ISBN 978-0-253-35645-1.
  48. ^ a b Joseph Clayton, Robert Owen: Pioneer of Social Reforms (London: A.C. Fifield, 1908)
  49. ^ Dale, Robert Owen (1874). Threading my way: Twenty-seven years of autobiography. Trübner & Co. p. 258.
  50. ^ Dale, Robert Owen (1874). Threading my way: Twenty-seven years of autobiography. Trübner & Co. p. 241.
  51. ^ Carmony and Elliott, p. 174–176.
  52. ^ Wilson, p. 150.
  53. ^ Wilson, p. 153–54.
  54. ^ Wilson, p. 162–64.
  55. ^ Janet R. Walker, Wonder Workers on the Wabash (New Harmony, IN: Historic New Harmony, 1999), pp. 9–10.
  56. ^ Walker, p. 11.
  57. ^ a b Wilson, p. 184.
  58. ^ Walker, pp. 15–16.
  59. ^ Wilson, p. 146.
  60. ^ Wilson, p. 199.
  61. ^ Walter B. Hendrickson (1943). David Dale Owen, Pioneer Geologist of the Middle West. Indiana Historical Collection. Vol. XXVII. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Bureau. pp. 41–43, 48–50, 58, 84–86. OCLC 767609.
  62. ^ a b Clark Kimberling. "Special Sandstone of the Smithsonian "Castle"". University of Evansville. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  63. ^ Wilson, p. 199–200. See also: Hendrickson, David Dale Owen, pp. 116, 128.
  64. ^ Clark Kimberling, et al."Smithsonian Institution: World's Largest Museum Complex", University of Evansville. Retrieved 2012-6-19.
  65. ^ a b Clark Kimberling, "David Dale Owen and Joseph Granville Norwood: Pioneer Geologists in Indiana and Illinois", Indiana Magazine of History 92, no. 1 (March 1996): 15. Retrieved 2012-6-19.
  66. ^ Hendrickson, p. David Dale Owen, 148. See also: Davie D. Owen (1852). Report of a Geological Survey of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota; and Incidentally of a Portion of Nebraska Territory, Made under Instructions from the United States Treasury Department. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo.
  67. ^ Seymour V. Connor, "Benjamin Franklin Shumard", Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  68. ^ R. Bruce McMillan, "The First Century", The Living Museum 64, nos. 2 and 3 (summer and fall 2002):4–13. Retrieved 2012-6-19.
  69. ^ Smithsonian Institution Archives, "Fielding B. Meek Papers, 1843–1877 and undated" collection guide. Retrieved 2012-6-20.
  70. ^ Clark Kimberling, et al. "Joseph Granville Norwood", University of Evansville. Retrieved 2012-6-19.
  71. ^ a b c d Indiana Historical Society, "New Harmony Collection, 1814–1884" collection guide. Retrieved 2012-7-25.
  72. ^ a b Wilson, p. 200.
  73. ^ "Richard Owen", University of Evansville. Retrieved 2012-6-18.
  74. ^ a b Walker, p . 23.
  75. ^ Wilson, p. 195–197.
  76. ^ "SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WORLD'S LARGEST MUSEUM COMPLEX". faculty.evansville.edu.
  77. ^ a b Wilson, p. 196–197.
  78. ^ a b Clark Kimberling, "Frances Wright", University of Evansville. Retrieved 2012-6-20.
  79. ^ Britannica Online, "Frances Wright". Retrieved 2012-6-20.
  80. ^ Wilson, p. 187.
  81. ^ Wilson, p. 173, 188.
  82. ^ Wilson, p. 188–189.
  83. ^ Walker, p. 9–10.
  84. ^ Walker, p. 18, 19, 21.
  85. ^ Josephine Mirabella Elliott, ed. Partnership for Posterity: The Correspondence of William Maclure and Marie Duclos Fretageot, 1820–1833 (Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Historical Society, 1994)
  86. ^ a b Clark Kimberling, "Francis Joseph Nicholas Neef", University of Evansville. Retrieved 2012-6-20.
  87. ^ a b Wilson, p. 185.
  88. ^ Walker, p. 35–36.
  89. ^ On March 23, 1837, an unusual triple marriage took place at New Harmony, when Neef's daughter, Anne Eliza, married Richard Owen, Neef's daughter, Caroline, married David Dale Owen, and Mary Bouton married William Owen.
  90. ^ Clark Kimberling, et al. "Jane Dale Owen Fauntleroy", University of Evansville. Retrieved 2012-6-20.
  91. ^ Martin, John T. "Old vacant school in New Harmony has a new owner who vows to preserve it". Evansville Courier & Press. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  92. ^ Wilson, p. 183–184.
  93. ^ Among Tiebout's best-known engravings are George Washington (1798), Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States (1800), Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States (1801), Constitution (USS Constitution dueling with British frigate Guerriere, War of 1812, engraved 1813). These and others are well represented on the Internet.
  94. ^ ArtFact, "Cornelius Tiebout". Retrieved 2012-6-20.
  95. ^ Carmony and Elliott, p. 182.
  96. ^ "Lucy Say Illustrations". Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  97. ^ Heather Baldus (Spring 2014). "A Broad Stroke: New Harmony's Artistic Legacy". Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society. 26 (2): 26–27.
  98. ^ Black, Mary (1989). Simplicity, a grace : Jacob Maentel in Indiana. Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Museum of Arts & Science. OCLC 20738556.
  99. ^ "Jacob Maentel | Biography". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  100. ^ Carmony and Elliott, p. 181.
  101. ^ Hiatt, p. v.
  102. ^ New Harmony Historic District 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, National Historic Landmarks Program, National Park Service. Accessed September 24, 2011.
  103. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  104. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  105. ^ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  106. ^ "New Harmony, Indiana Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  107. ^ DeBow, J.D.B. (1853). The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850 (PDF). Washington: Robert Armstrong. p. 1021. Retrieved 18 May 2021. The population figure for 1850 is an estimate provided in the appendix of the official volume of the Seventh Census.
  108. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  109. ^ "One Of The Oldest School Districts In Indiana Closes Due To Funding Cuts".
  110. ^ "New Harmony School to close doors & consolidate". 14news.com.
  111. ^ "Decision finalized to merge Hew Harmony and N. Posey". 14news.com.
  112. ^ http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=535962[permanent dead link]

Further reading

History

  • Bestor, Arthur. Backwoods Utopias (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1950, 2nd. ed. 1970)
  • Blair, Don. The New Harmony Story (The New Harmony Publication Committee, 1967)
  • De la Hunt, Thomas James, ed. History of the New Harmony Workingmen's Institute, New Harmony, Indiana (Evansville, 1927)
  • Douglas, Jeffrey. "William Maclure and the New Harmony Working Men's Institute", Libraries and Culture 26 (1991): 402–414.
  • Elliott, Josephine Mirabella. Charles-Alexandre Lesueur: Premier Naturalist and Artist
  • Galbraith, John Kenneth. The Age of Uncertainty: The Prophets and Promise of Classical Capitalism (BBC, 1977)
  • Gutek, Gerald Lee. Joseph Neef: The Americanization of Pestalozzianism" (University of Alabama Press, 1978)
  • Hackensmith, Charles W. Biography of Joseph Neef, Educator in the Ohio Valley, 1809–1854 (New York: Carlton Press, 1973)
  • Harrison, J. F. C. Robert Owen and the Owenite Movement in Britain and America: The Quest for the New Moral World (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1969)
  • Hendrickson, Walter Brookfield. David Dale Owen: Pioneer Geologist of the Middle West (Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Bureau, 1943)
  • Lang, Elfrieda. "The Inhabitants of New Harmony According to the Federal Census of 1850", Indiana Magazine of History 42, no. 4 (December, 1946): 355–394.
  • Leopold, Richard William. Robert Dale Owen: A Biography (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1940; New York: Octagon Books, reprint 1969)
  • Lockwood, G. B. The New Harmony Communities (New York, 1905)
  • Stroud, Patricia Tyson. Thomas Say: New World Naturalist, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1992.
  • Young, Marguerite. Angel in the Forest: A Fairy Tale of Two Utopias (New York: Scribners, 1945)

Paul Tillich

  • Pauck, Wilhelm, and Marion Pauck, Paul Tillich: His Life & Thought (New York: Life, Harper & Row, 1976)
  • Ressl, William, and Penny Taylor, Excerpts from The Paul Tillich Archive of New Harmony, Indiana: From the Collection of Mrs. Jane Blaffer Owen (Chicago, Illinois: 2007) (OCLC 180767473)
  • Ruediger Reitz, Paul Tillich und New Harmony (Stuttgart, Germany: Evangelisches Verlagswerk, 1970)

The Atheneum and Richard Meier

 
The Atheneum in New Harmony, Indiana, United States.
  • Abercrombie, Stanley. "A Vision Continued." AIA Journal, mid-May 1980, pp. 126–137.
  • "The Architecture of the Promenade: The Atheneum." International Architect 3, 1980, pp. 13–24.
  • Cassara, Silvio. "Intrinsic Qualities of Remembrances. The Atheneum at New Harmony, Indiana." Parametro, July/August 1976, pp. 16–19, 59.
  • Cohen, Arthur. "Richard Meier, Creator of a New Harmony: An Architect Builds a Classic Meeting Hall for the Nations Heartland." United Mainliner, March 1980, pp. 25–65.
  • Futagawa, Yukio, ed. "Collage and Study Sketches for the Atheneum."; "Meier's Atheneum." by Kenneth Frampton; "Richard Meier, An American Architect." by Arthur Cohen; "The Atheneum, New Harmony, Ind. (First Scheme)."; "The Atheneum (Executed Scheme)." GA Document 1, 1980, pp. 25–65.
  • Futagawa, Yukio, ed. "The Atheneum, New Harmony, Indiana. 1975-1979." Text by Paul Goldberger. Global Architecture 60, 1981. Reprinted in Global Architecture Book 6: Public Buildings. Tokyo: A.D.A. Edita Co., 1981, n.p.
  • Goldberger, Paul. "The Atheneum: Utopia Lives." Vogue, February 1980, pp. 250–251, 296.
  • Haker, Werner. "New Harmony und das Athenaeum von Richard Meier." Werk, Bauen + Wohnen, December 1980, pp. 44–53.
  • "Harmonious Museum for New Harmony." Life, February 1980, pp. 60–62.
  • Huxtable, Ada Louise. "A Radical New Addition for Mid-America." New York Times, 30 September 1979, sec. 2, pp. 1, 31.
  • Klotz, Heinrich, ed. "Das Athenaeum." Text by Richard Meier. Jahrbuch für Architektur: Neues Bauen 1980-1981, pp. 53–64.
  • Magnago Lampugnani, Vittorio. Architecture of Our Century in Drawings: Utopia and Reality. Stuttgart: Verlag Gerd Hatje, 1982, pp. 106–107.
  • Marlin, William. "Dissonance in New Harmony." Inland Architect, December 1981, pp. 20–28.
  • Marlin, William. "Revitalizing Architectural Legacy of an American 'Camelot.'" Christian Science Monitor, 16 April 1976, p. 26.
  • Meier, Richard. "Comments on The Atheneum, New Harmony, Indiana; Manchester Civic Center, Manchester, New Hampshire." Harvard Architectural Review, Spring 1981, pp. 176–187. Reprinted in French. Les Cahiers de la Recherche Architecturale, November 1982, pp. 66–73.
  • "The Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates." Zodiac 12. Includes "The World's Greatest Architect." by Francesco Dal Co; "Statement on Architecture." by Richard Meier. Editrice Abitare: Milan, 1995.
  • Richard Meier Architect. New York: Rizzoli, 1984. pp. 190–215.
  • Rykwert, Joseph. "New Harmony Propylaeon." Domus, February 1980, pp. 12–17.
  • Shezen, Roberto. "La via storica: L'Atheneum di New harmony nell' Indiana di Richard Meier." Gran Bazaar, January/February 1982, pp. 128–135.
  • Stephens, Suzanne. "Emblematic Edifice: The Atheneum, New Harmony, Indiana." Progressive Architecture, February 1980, pp. 67–75.
  • Zevi, Bruno. "Un UFO nel campo de grano." L'Espresso, 6 April 1980, p. 124.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Harmony, Indiana, United States.
 
Wikisource has the text of the 1905 New International Encyclopedia article "New Harmony".

January 07, 2023
harmony, indiana, harmony, historic, town, wabash, river, harmony, township, posey, county, indiana, lies, miles, north, mount, vernon, county, seat, part, evansville, metropolitan, area, town, population, 2010, census, townlocation, harmony, posey, county, in. New Harmony is a historic town on the Wabash River in Harmony Township Posey County Indiana 6 It lies 15 miles 24 km north of Mount Vernon the county seat and is part of the Evansville metropolitan area The town s population was 789 at the 2010 census New Harmony IndianaTownLocation of New Harmony in Posey County Indiana Coordinates 38 7 47 N 87 56 6 W 38 12972 N 87 93500 W 38 12972 87 93500 Coordinates 38 7 47 N 87 56 6 W 38 12972 N 87 93500 W 38 12972 87 93500CountryUnited StatesStateIndianaCountyPoseyTownshipHarmonyArea 1 Total0 82 sq mi 2 13 km2 Land0 81 sq mi 2 11 km2 Water0 01 sq mi 0 02 km2 Elevation 2 381 ft 116 m Population 2010 3 Total789 Estimate 2019 4 753 Density923 93 sq mi 356 82 km2 Time zoneUTC 6 CST Summer DST UTC 5 CDT ZIP code47631Area code812FIPS code18 52974 5 GNIS feature ID440051Websitehttp www newharmony in govEstablished by the Harmony Society in 1814 under the leadership of George Rapp the town was originally known as Harmony also called Harmonie or New Harmony In its early years the 20 000 acre 8 100 ha settlement was the home of Lutherans who had separated from the official church in the Duchy of Wurttemberg and immigrated to the United States 7 The Harmonists built a new town in the wilderness but in 1824 they decided to sell their property and return to Pennsylvania 8 Robert Owen a Welsh industrialist and social reformer purchased the town in 1825 with the intention of creating a new utopian community and renamed it New Harmony The Owenite social experiment failed two years after it began 9 New Harmony changed American education and scientific research Town residents established the first public library a civic drama club and a public school system open to men and women Its prominent citizens included Owen s sons Robert Dale Owen an Indiana congressman and social reformer who sponsored legislation to create the Smithsonian Institution David Dale Owen a noted state and federal geologist William Owen a New Harmony businessman and Richard Owen Indiana state geologist Indiana University professor and first president of Purdue University The town also served as the second headquarters of the U S Geological Survey Numerous scientists and educators contributed to New Harmony s intellectual community including William Maclure Marie Louise Duclos Fretageot Thomas Say Charles Alexandre Lesueur Joseph Neef Frances Wright and others Many of the town s old Harmonist buildings have been restored These structures along with others related to the Owenite community are included in the New Harmony Historic District Contemporary additions to the town include the Roofless Church and Atheneum 9 The New Harmony State Memorial is located south of town on State Road 69 in Harmonie State Park Photo from Small Town Indiana photo survey Contents 1 History 1 1 Harmonist settlement 1814 1824 1 2 Owenite community 1825 1827 2 Accomplishments 2 1 Science 2 2 Public service and social reform 2 3 Education 2 4 Publishing 2 5 Theater 3 Historic structures 4 Geography 4 1 Climate 5 Demographics 5 1 2010 census 5 2 2000 census 6 Paul Tillich Park 7 Secondary education 8 Highways 9 Arts 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 12 1 History 12 2 Paul Tillich 12 3 The Atheneum and Richard Meier 13 External linksHistory EditHarmonist settlement 1814 1824 Edit The town of Harmony was founded by the Harmony Society in 1814 under the leadership of German immigrant George Rapp born Johann Georg Rapp It was the second of three towns built by the pietist communal religious group known as Harmonists Harmonites or Rappites The Harmonists settled in the Indiana Territory after leaving Harmony Pennsylvania where westward expansion the area s rising population jealous neighbors and the increasing cost of land threatened the Society s desire for isolation 10 In April 1814 Anna Mayrisch John L Baker and Ludwick Shirver Ludwig Schreiber traveled west in search of a new location for their congregation one that would have fertile soil and access to a navigable waterway 11 By May 10 the men had found suitable land along the Wabash River in the Indiana Territory and made an initial purchase of approximately 7 000 acres 28 km2 Rapp wrote on May 10 The place is 25 miles from the Ohio mouth of the Wabash and 12 miles from where the Ohio makes its curve first before the mouth The town will be located about 1 4 mile from the river above on the channel on a plane as level as the floor of a room perhaps a good quarter mile from the hill which lies suitable for a vineyard 12 Although Rapp expressed concern that the town s location lacked a waterworks the area provided an opportunity for expansion and access to markets through the nearby rivers causing him to remark In short the place has all the advantages which one could wish if a steam engine meanwhile supplies what is lacking 12 The first Harmonists left Pennsylvania in June 1814 and traveled by flatboat to their new land in the Indiana Territory In May 1815 the last of the Harmonists who had remained behind until the sale of their town in Pennsylvania was completed departed for their new town along the Wabash River 13 Frederick Reichert Rapp George Rapp s adopted son drew up the town plan for their new village at Harmony Indiana which surveyors laid out on August 8 1814 14 By 1816 the same year that Indiana became a state the Harmonists had acquired 20 000 acres 81 km2 of land built 160 homes and other buildings and cleared 2 000 acres 8 1 km2 for their new town 15 The settlement also began to attract new arrivals including emigrants from Germany such as members of Rapp s congregation from Wurttemberg many of whom expected the Harmonists to pay for their passage to America 16 However the new arrivals were more of a liability than an asset 17 On March 20 1819 Rapp commented It is astonishing how much trouble the people who have arrived here have made for they have no morals and do not know what it means to live a moral and well mannered life not to speak of true Christianity of denying the world or yourself 18 Visitors to Harmony commented on the commercial and industrial work being done in this religious settlement along the Wabash River It seemed as though I found myself in the midst of Germany noted one visitor 19 In 1819 the town had a steam operated wool carding and spinning factory a horse drawn and human powered threshing machine a brewery distillery vineyards and a winery The property included an orderly town laid out in a square with a church school store dwellings for residents and streets to create the most beautiful city of western America because everything is built in the most perfect symmetry 19 Other visitors were not as impressed hard labor amp coarse fare appears to be the lot of all except the family of Rapp he lives in a large amp handsome brick house while the rest inhabit small log cabins How so numerous a population are kept quietly amp tamely in absolute servitude it is hard to conceive the women I believe do more labor in the field than the men as large numbers of the latter are engaged in different branches of manufactures 20 Although they were not paid for their work the 1820 manufacturer s census reported that 75 men 12 women and 30 children were employed in the Society s tanneries saw and grain mills and woolen and cotton mills Manufactured goods included cotton flannel and wool cloth yarn knit goods tin ware rope beer peach brandy whiskey wine wagons carts plows flour beef pork butter leather and leather goods 21 The Harmonist community continued to thrive during the 1820s but correspondence from March 6 1824 between Rapp and his adopted son Frederick indicates that the Harmonists planned to sell their Indiana property and were already looking for a new location 22 In May a decade after their arrival in Indiana the Harmonists purchased land along the Ohio River eighteen miles from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and were making arrangements to advertise the sale of their property in Indiana 23 The move although it was made primarily for religious reasons would provide the Harmonists with easier access to eastern markets and a place where they could live more peacefully with others who shared their German language and culture 17 On May 24 1824 a group of Harmonists boarded a steamboat and departed Indiana bound for Pennsylvania where they founded the community of Economy the present day town of Ambridge In May 1825 the last Harmonists left Indiana after the sale of their 20 000 acres 81 km2 of property which included the land and buildings to Robert Owen for 150 000 24 25 26 Owen hoped to establish a new community on the Indiana frontier one that would serve as a model community for communal living and social reform West Street Log Cabins Eigner Cabin Potter CabinOwenite community 1825 1827 Edit New Harmony as envisioned by Owen 27 Robert Owen was a social reformer and wealthy industrialist who made his fortune from textile mills in New Lanark Scotland Owen his twenty two year old son William and his Scottish friend Donald McDonald 28 sailed to the United States in 1824 to purchase a site to implement Owen s vision for a New Moral World of happiness enlightenment and prosperity through education science technology and communal living Owen believed his utopian community would create a superior social intellectual and physical environment based on his ideals of social reform 29 Owen was motivated to buy the town in order to prove his theories were viable and to correct the troubles that were affecting his mill town community New Lanark 30 The ready built town of Harmony Indiana fitted Owen s needs In January 1825 he signed the agreement to purchase the town renamed it New Harmony and invited any and all to join him there 31 While many of the town s new arrivals had a sincere interest in making it a success the experiment also attracted crackpots free loaders and adventurers whose presence in the town made success unlikely 32 William Owen who remained in New Harmony while his father returned east to recruit new residents also expressed concern in his diary entry dated March 24 1825 I doubt whether those who have been comfortable and content in their old mode of life will find an increase of enjoyment when they come here How long it will require to accustom themselves to their new mode of living I am unable to determine 33 When Robert Owen returned to New Harmony in April 1825 he found seven hundred to eight hundred residents and a chaotic situation much in need of leadership 34 By May 1825 the community had adopted the Constitution of the Preliminary Society which loosely outlined its expectations and government Under the preliminary constitution members would provide their own household goods and invest their capital at interest in an enterprise that would promote independence and social equality Members would render services to the community in exchange for credit at the town s store but those who did not want to work could purchase credit at the store with cash payments made in advance 35 In addition the town would be governed by a committee of four members chosen by Owen and the community would elect three additional members 36 In June Robert Owen left William in New Harmony while he traveled east to continue promoting his model community and returned to Scotland where he sold his interests in the New Lanark textile mills and arranged financial support for his wife and two daughters who chose to remain in Scotland 37 Owen s four sons Robert Dale William David Dale and Richard and a daughter Jane Dale later settled in New Harmony 38 39 While Owen was away recruiting new residents for New Harmony a number of factors that led to an early breakup of the socialist community had already begun Members grumbled about inequity in credits between workers and non workers 40 In addition the town soon became overcrowded lacked sufficient housing and was unable to produce enough to become self sufficient although they still had high hopes for the future 41 Owen spent only a few months at New Harmony where a shortage of skilled craftsmen and laborers along with inadequate and inexperienced supervision and management contributed to its eventual failure 42 Despite the community s shortcomings Owen was a passionate promoter of his vision for New Harmony While visiting Philadelphia Owen met Marie Louise Duclos Fretageot a Pestalozzian educator and persuaded her to join him in Indiana Fretageot encouraged William Maclure a scientist and fellow educator to become a part of the venture Maclure became Owen s financial partner On January 26 1826 Fretegeot Maclure and a number of their colleagues including Thomas Say Josef Neef Charles Alexandre Lesueur and others aboard the keelboat Philanthropist also called the Boatload of Knowledge arrived in New Harmony to help Owen establish his new experiment in socialism 43 On February 5 1826 the town adopted a new constitution The New Harmony Community of Equality whose objective was to achieve happiness based on principles of equal rights and equality of duties Cooperation common property economic benefit freedom of speech and action kindness and courtesy order preservation of health acquisition of knowledge and obedience to the country s laws were included as part of the constitution 44 The constitution laid out the life of a citizen in New Harmony based on age Children from the age of one to five were to be cared for and encouraged to exercise children aged six to nine they were to be lightly employed and given education via observation directed by skilled teachers Youth from the ages of ten to twelve were to help in the houses and with the gardening Teenagers from the age of twelve to fifteen were to receive technical training and from fifteen to twenty their education was to be continued Young adults from the ages of twenty to thirty were to act as a superintendent in the production and education departments Adults from the ages of thirty to forty were to govern the homes and residents aged forty to sixty were to be encouraged to assist with the community s external relations or to travel abroad if they so desired 45 Although the constitution contained worthy ideals it did not clearly address how the community would function and was never fully established 46 Individualist anarchist Josiah Warren who was one of the original participants in the New Harmony Society asserted that the community was doomed to failure due to a lack of individual sovereignty and private property He commented It seemed that the difference of opinion tastes and purposes increased just in proportion to the demand for conformity Two years were worn out in this way at the end of which I believe that not more than three persons had the least hope of success Most of the experimenters left in despair of all reforms and conservatism felt itself confirmed We had tried every conceivable form of organization and government We had a world in miniature we had enacted the French revolution over again with despairing hearts instead of corpses as a result It appeared that it was nature s own inherent law of diversity that had conquered us our united interests were directly at war with the individualities of persons and circumstances and the instinct of self preservation and it was evident that just in proportion to the contact of persons or interests so are concessions and compromises indispensable Periodical Letter II 1856 Part of New Harmony s failings stemmed from three activities that Owen brought from Scotland to America First Owen actively attacked established religion despite United States constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and the separations of church and state Second Owen remained stubbornly attached to the principles of the rationalist Age of Enlightenment which drove away many of the Jeffersonian farmers Owen tried to attract Thirdly Owen consistently appealed to the upper class for donations but found that the strategy was not as effective as it had been in Europe 47 Robert Dale Owen wrote that the members of the failed socialist experiment at New Harmony were a heterogeneous collection of radicals enthusiastic devotees to principle honest latitudinarians and lazy theorists with a sprinkling of unprincipled sharpers thrown in 48 and that a plan which remunerates all alike will in the present condition of society ultimately eliminate from a co operative association the skilled efficient and industrious members leaving an ineffective and sluggish residue in whose hands the experiment will fail both socially and pecuniarily 49 However he still thought that co operation is a chief agency destined to quiet the clamorous conflicts between capital and labour but then it must be co operation gradually introduced prudently managed as now in England 50 In 1826 splinter groups dissatisfied with the efforts of the larger community broke away from the main group and prompted a reorganization 51 In New Harmony work was divided into six departments each with its own superintendent These departments included agriculture manufacturing domestic economy general economy commerce and literature science and education A governing council included the six superintendents and an elected secretary 52 Despite the new organization and constitution members continued to leave town 53 By March 1827 after several other attempts to reorganize the utopian experiment had failed The larger community which lasted until 1827 was divided into smaller communities that led further disputes Individualism replaced socialism in 1828 and New Harmony was dissolved in 1829 due to constant quarrels The town s parcels of land and property were returned to private use 48 Owen spent 200 000 of his own funds to purchase New Harmony property and pay off the community s debts His sons Robert Dale and William gave up their shares of the New Lanark mills in exchange for shares in New Harmony Later Owen conveyed the entire New Harmony property to his sons in return for an annuity of 1 500 for the remainder of his life Owen left New Harmony in June 1827 and focused his interests in the United Kingdom He died in 1858 54 Accomplishments Edit New Harmony a utopian attempt depicted as proposed by Robert Owen Science Edit Although Robert Owen s vision of New Harmony as an advance in social reform was not realized the town became a scientific center of national significance especially in the natural sciences most notably geology William Maclure 1763 1840 president of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia from 1817 to 1840 came to New Harmony during the winter of 1825 1826 29 Maclure brought a group of noted artists educators and fellow scientists including naturalists Thomas Say and Charles Alexandre Lesueur to New Harmony from Philadelphia aboard the keelboat Philanthropist also known as the Boatload of Knowledge 55 Thomas Say 1787 1834 a friend of Maclure was an entomologist and conchologist His definitive studies of shells and insects numerous contributions to scientific journals and scientific expeditions to Florida Georgia the Rocky Mountains Mexico and elsewhere made him an internationally known naturalist 56 Say has been called the father of American descriptive entomology and American conchology 29 Prior to his arrival at New Harmony he served as librarian for the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia curator at the American Philosophical Society and professor of natural history at the University of Pennsylvania 29 Say died in New Harmony in 1834 57 Charles Alexandre Lesueur 1778 1846 a naturalist and artist came to New Harmony aboard the Philanthropist His sketches of New Harmony provide a visual record of the town during the Owenite period As a naturalist Lesueur is known for his classification of Great Lakes fishes He returned to his native France in 1837 58 59 Many species were first described by both Say and Leseuer and many have been named in their honor The Church of the Harmonists sketch by Charles Alexandre Lesueur From the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia one of many sketches preserved in the Lesueur Collection at the Academy Shown here by courtesy of the Academy David Dale Owen 1807 1860 third son of Robert Owen finished his formal education as a medical doctor in 1837 However after returning to New Harmony David Dale Owen was influenced by the work of Maclure and Gerard Troost a Dutch geologist mineralogist zoologist and chemist who arrived in New Harmony in 1825 and later became the state geologist of Tennessee from 1831 to 1850 29 Owen went on to become a noted geologist Headquartered at New Harmony Owen conducted the first official geological survey of Indiana 1837 39 After his appointment as U S Geologist in 1839 60 Owen led federal surveys from 1839 to 1840 and from 1847 to 1851 of the Midwestern United States which included Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Minnesota and part of northern Illinois 61 In 1846 Owen sampled a number of possible building stones for the Smithsonian Institution Building the Smithsonian Castle and recommended the distinctive Seneca Creek sandstone of which that building is constructed 62 The following year Owen identified a quarry at Bull Run twenty three miles from nation s capital that provided the stone for the massive building 62 Owen became the first state geologist of three states Kentucky 1854 1857 Arkansas 1857 1859 and Indiana 1837 1839 and 1859 1860 29 63 Owen s museum and laboratory in New Harmony was known as the largest west of the Allegheny Mountains 64 At the time of Owen s death in 1860 his museum included some 85 000 items 65 Among Owen s most significant publications is his Report of a Geological Survey of Wisconsin Iowa and Minnesota and Incidentally of a Portion of Nebraska Territory Philadelphia 1852 66 Several men trained Owen s leadership and influence Benjamin Franklin Shumard for whom the Shumard oak is named was appointed state geologist of Texas by Governor Hardin R Runnels 67 Amos Henry Worthen was the second state geologist of Illinois and the first curator of the Illinois State Museum 68 and Fielding Bradford Meek became the first full time paleontologist in lieu of salary at the Smithsonian Institution 69 Joseph Granville Norwood one of David Dale Owen s colleagues and coauthors also a medical doctor became the first state geologist of Illinois 1851 1858 65 70 From 1851 to 1854 the Illinois State Geological Survey was headquartered in New Harmony Richard Owen 1810 1890 Robert Owen s youngest son came to New Harmony in 1828 and initially taught school there 71 He assisted his brother David Dale Owen with geological survey and became Indiana s second state geologist During the American Civil War Colonel Richard Owen was commandant in charge of Confederate prisoners at Camp Morton in Indianapolis 72 Following his retirement from the U S Army in 1864 Owen became a professor of natural sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington where an academic building is named in his honor In 1872 Owen became the first president of Purdue University but resigned from this position in 1874 He continued teaching at IU until his retirement in 1879 72 73 Public service and social reform Edit Robert Dale Owen eldest son of Robert Owen was a social reformer and intellectual of national importance At New Harmony he taught school and co edited and published the New Harmony Gazette with Frances Wright 71 74 Owen later moved to New York In 1830 he published Moral Philosophy the first treatise in the United States to support birth control and returned to New Harmony in 1834 74 From 1836 to 1838 and in 1851 Owen served in the Indiana legislature and was also a delegate to the state s constitutional convention of 1850 71 Owen was an advocate for women s rights free public education and opposed slavery As a member of the U S House of Representatives from 1843 to 1847 Owen introduced a bill in 1846 that established the Smithsonian Institution 75 He also served as chairman of the Smithsonian Building Committee He arranged for his brother David Dale Owen to sample a large number of possible building stones for the Smithsonian Castle 76 From 1852 to 1858 Owen held the diplomatic position of charge d affairs 1853 1858 in Naples where he began studying spiritualism 77 Owen s book Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World 1860 aroused something of a literary sensation Among his critics in the Boston Investigator and at home in the New Harmony Advertiser were John and Margaret Chappellsmith he formerly an artist for David Dale Owen s geological publications and she a former Owenite lecturer citation needed Robert Dales Owen died at Lake George New York in 1877 77 Frances Wright 1795 1852 came to New Harmony in 1824 where she co edited and wrote for the New Harmony Gazette with Robert Dale Owen In 1825 she established an experimental settlement at Nashoba Tennessee that allowed African American slaves to work to gain their freedom but the community failed A liberal leader in the free thought movement Wright opposed slavery advocated woman s suffrage birth control and free public education Wright and Robert Dale Owen moved their newspaper to New York City in 1829 and published it as the Free Enquirer 71 78 Wright married William Philquepal d Arusmont a Pestalozzian educator she met at New Harmony The couple also lived in Paris France and in Cincinnati Ohio where they divorced in 1850 Wright died in Cincinnati in 1852 78 79 Education Edit The history of education at New Harmony involves several teachers who were already well established in their fields before they moved to New Harmony largely through the efforts of William Maclure These Pestalozzian educators included Marie Duclos Fretageot and Joseph Neef By the time Maclure arrived in New Harmony he had already established the first Pestalozzian school in America Fretageot and Neef had been Pestalozzian educators and school administrators at Maclure s schools in Pennsylvania 29 Under Maclure s direction and using his philosophy of education New Harmony schools became the first public schools in the United States open to boys and girls Maclure also established at New Harmony one of the country s first industrial or trade schools 80 He also had his extensive library and geological collection shipped to New Harmony from Philadelphia In 1838 Maclure established The Working Men s Institute a society for mutual instruction 81 It includes the oldest continuously operating library in Indiana as well as a small museum The vault in the library contains many historic manuscripts letters and documents pertaining to the history of New Harmony Under the terms of his will Maclure also offered 500 to any club or society of laborers in the United States who established a reading and lecture room with a library of at least 100 books About 160 libraries in Indiana and Illinois took advantage of his bequest 82 83 Marie Duclos Fretageot managed Pestalozzian schools that Maclure organized in France and Philadelphia before coming to New Harmony aboard the Philanthropist In New Harmony she was responsible for the infant s school for children under age five supervised several young women she had brought with her from Philadelphia ran a store and was Maclure s administrator during his residence in Mexico 84 Fretageot remained in New Harmony until 1831 returned to France and later joined Maclure in Mexico where she died in 1833 57 Correspondence of Maclure and Fretageot from 1820 to 1833 was extensive and is documented in Partnership for Posterity 85 Joseph Neef 1770 1854 published in 1808 the first work on educational method to be written in English in the United States Sketch of A Plan and Method of Education 86 Maclure brought Neef a Pestalozzian educator from Switzerland to Philadelphia and placed him in charge of his school for boys It was the first school in the United States to be based on Pestalozzian methods In 1826 Neef his wife and children came to New Harmony to run the schools under Maclure s direction 87 88 Neef following Maclure s curriculum became superintendent of the schools in New Harmony where as many as 200 students ranging in age from five to twelve were enrolled 86 87 89 Jane Dale Owen Fauntleroy 1806 1861 daughter of Robert Owen arrived in New Harmony in 1833 She married civil engineer Robert Henry Fauntleroy in 1835 He became a business partner of David Dale and Robert Dale Owen Jane Owen Fauntleroy established a seminary for young women in her family s New Harmony home where her brother David Dale Owen taught science 90 Students in New Harmony now attend North Posey High School after New Harmony High School closed in 2012 91 Publishing Edit Cornelius Tiebout c 1773 1832 was an artist printer and engraver of considerable fame when he joined the New Harmony community in September 1826 Tiebout taught printing and published a bimonthly newspaper Disseminator of Useful Knowledge and books using the town s printing press 92 93 He died in New Harmony in 1832 94 Publications from New Harmony s press include William Maclure s Essay on the Formation of Rocks or an Inquiry into the Probably Origin of their Present Form 1832 and Maclure s Structure and Observations on the Geology of the West India Islands from Barbadoes to Santa Cruz Inclusive 1832 Thomas Say s Description of New Species of North American Insects Observations on Some of the Species Already Described Descriptions of Some New Terrestrial and Fluviatile Shells of North America and several of the early volumes of Say s American Conchology or Descriptions of the Shells of North America The seventh volume of American Conchology was published in Philadelphia 95 96 Lucy Sistare Say was an apprentice at Fretageot s Pestalozzian school and a former student of Lesueur in Philadelphia before coming to New Harmony aboard the Philanthropist to teach needlework and drawing En route to Indiana Sistare met Thomas Say and the two were married on January 4 1827 prior to their arrival at New Harmony An accomplished artist Say illustrated and hand colored 66 of the 68 illustrations in American Conchology her husband s multi volume work on mollusks Following Thomas Say s death in 1834 she moved to New York trained to become an engraver and worked to complete and publish the final volume of American Conchology Lucy Say remained interested in the natural sciences after returning to the East In 1841 she became the first female member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 97 German American folk artist Jacob Maentel c 1763 1863 lived in New Harmony from 1836 until his death During this time he prolifically painted portraiture in the fraktur style and portrayed the dress and decor of local Owenites 98 Examples of his work are displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum the American Folk Art Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Museum 99 Publications on the history of New Harmony include the work of the New Harmony historian and resident Josephine Mirabella Elliott Theater Edit William Owen 1802 1842 Robert Owen s second oldest son was involved in New Harmony s business and community affairs He was among the leaders who founded New Harmony s Thespian Society and acted in some of the group s performances 100 Owen also helped establish the Posey County Agricultural Society and in 1834 became director of the State Bank of Indiana Evansville Branch He died in New Harmony in 1842 101 Historic structures EditMain article New Harmony Historic District More than 30 structures from the Harmonist and Owenite utopian communities remain as part of the New Harmony Historic District which is a National Historic Landmark 102 In addition architect Richard Meier designed New Harmony s Atheneum which serves as the Visitors Center for Historic New Harmony 25 and depicts the history of the community Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the George Bentel House Ludwig Epple House Harmony Way Bridge Mattias Scholle House and Amon Clarence Thomas House 103 Geography EditNew Harmony is located at 38 7 43 N 87 56 3 W 38 12861 N 87 93417 W 38 12861 87 93417 38 128583 87 934122 104 The Wabash River forms the western boundary of New Harmony It is the westernmost settlement in Indiana According to the 2010 census New Harmony has a total area of 0 65 square miles 1 68 km2 of which 0 64 square miles 1 66 km2 or 98 46 is land and 0 01 square miles 0 03 km2 or 1 54 is water 105 Climate Edit The climate in this area is characterized by hot humid summers and generally mild to cool winters According to the Koppen Climate Classification system New Harmony has a humid subtropical climate abbreviated Cfa on climate maps 106 Demographics EditHistorical populationCensus Pop 1850700 107 186082517 9 18708361 3 18801 09531 0 18901 1979 3 19001 34112 0 19101 229 8 4 19201 126 8 4 19301 022 9 2 19401 39036 0 19501 360 2 2 19601 121 17 6 1970971 13 4 1980945 2 7 1990846 10 5 20009168 3 2010789 13 9 2019 est 753 4 4 6 U S Decennial Census 108 2010 census Edit As of the census 3 of 2010 there were 789 people 370 households and 194 families residing in the town The population density was 1 232 8 inhabitants per square mile 476 0 km2 There were 464 dwelling units at an average density of 725 0 per square mile 279 9 km2 The racial makeup of the town was 99 0 White 0 3 Native American 0 1 Asian and 0 6 from two or more races There were 370 households of which 17 3 had children under the age of 18 living with them 42 7 were married couples living together 7 3 had a female householder with no husband present 2 4 had a male householder with no wife present and 47 6 were non families 43 5 of all households were made up of individuals and 23 5 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 1 93 and the average family size was 2 62 The median age in the town was 55 1 years 13 1 of residents were under the age of 18 5 7 were between the ages of 18 and 24 17 3 were from 25 to 44 30 4 were from 45 to 64 and 33 5 were 65 years of age or older The gender makeup of the town was 43 2 male and 56 8 female 2000 census Edit As of the 2000 census 5 there were 916 people 382 households and 228 families residing in the town The population density was 1 441 5 inhabitants per square mile 556 6 km2 There were 432 dwelling units at an average density of 679 8 per square mile 262 5 km2 The racial makeup of the town was 98 91 White 0 55 Native American 0 22 Asian and 0 33 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0 44 of the population There were 382 households out of which 27 0 had children under the age of 18 living with them 46 9 were married couples living together 9 9 had a female householder with no husband present and 40 1 were non families 38 0 of all households were made up of individuals and 21 2 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 12 and the average family size was 2 80 In the town the population was spread out with 20 3 under the age of 18 4 5 from 18 to 24 21 2 from 25 to 44 24 7 from 45 to 64 and 29 4 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 47 years For every 100 females there were 82 5 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 71 4 males The median income for a household in the town was 28 182 and the median income for a family was 40 865 Males had a median income of 39 250 versus 21 607 for females The per capita income for the town was 17 349 About 12 2 of families and 12 4 of the population were below the poverty line including 14 8 of those under age 18 and 17 1 of those age 65 or over Paul Tillich Park Edit Paul Tillich s gravestone in the Paul Tillich Park Bust of Paul Johannes Tillich by James Rosati in New Harmony Paul Tillich Park commemorates the renowned twentieth century theologian Paul Johannes Tillich The park was dedicated on 2 June 1963 and Tillich s ashes were interred there in 1965 Located just across North Main Street from the Roofless Church the park consists of a stand of evergreens on elevated ground surrounding a walkway Along the walkway there are several large stones on which are inscribed quotations from Tillich s writings James Rosati s sculpture of Tillich s head rises at the north end of the walkway backed by a clearing and a large pond Those who walk the Tillich Park Finger Labyrinth Archived 2011 09 10 at the Wayback Machine which was created by Reverend Bill Ressl after an inspirational walk through the park are also invited to ponder the quotations and discern Tillich s systematic theology Secondary education EditFor over 200 years New Harmony was served by New Harmony School a K 12 school In 2012 due to low enrollment and funding cuts the school consolidated with the MSD of North Posey County 109 110 111 which operates four schools North Posey High School 9 12 North Posey Junior High School 7 8 North Elementary School K 6 South Terrace Elementary School K 6 Highways Edit Indiana State Road 66 ends at New Harmony Toll Bridge Indiana State Road 68 ends just north of New Harmony Indiana State Road 69 used to end at New Harmony now goes around town and ends at nearby Griffin Arts Edit New Harmony on the Wabash circa 1832 aquatint by Karl Bodmer from Maximilian Prince of Wied s Travels in the Interior of North America during the years 1832 1834 New Harmony is the setting for the season three finale of The CW television series Supernatural A short experimental film The Ends of Utopia was created in 2009 by a Vanderbilt University student See also EditAmbridge Pennsylvania Grand Rapids Dam Grand Rapids Hotel Harmony Society Harmony Pennsylvania List of public art in New Harmony Indiana New Harmony Toll Bridge closed Talks are ongoing as to a replacement 112 Old Economy Village George RappReferences Edit 2019 U S Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau Retrieved July 16 2020 US Board on Geographic Names United States Geological Survey 2007 10 25 Retrieved 2008 01 31 a b U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved 2012 12 11 a b Population and Housing Unit Estimates United States Census Bureau May 24 2020 Retrieved May 27 2020 a b U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved 2008 01 31 New Harmony Indiana Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Retrieved 2017 04 01 Donald Pitzer 2012 New Harmony Then and Now 601 North Morton Street Quarry Books pp 16 17 ISBN 978 0 253 35645 1 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location link Karl J R Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1814 1824 Indianapolis Indiana Historical Society 1975 1 xi a b Ray E Boomhower New Harmony Home to Indiana s Communal Societies Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History 14 4 36 37 Karl J R Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society 1785 1847 Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania Press 1965 p 130 31 133 Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society p 133 a b Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1 8 Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society p 162 Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society 1785 1847 p 146 Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society p 182 Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society p 182 98 a b Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society p 209 Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1 674 a b Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1 744 Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1 784 Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 2 131 32 Arndt George Rapp s Harmony Society p 287 Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1 837 871 74 Arndt A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1 837 871 a b Boomhower p 37 See Donald F Carmony and Josephine M Elliott New Harmony Indiana Robert Owen s Seedbed for Utopia Indiana Magazine of History 76 no 3 September 1980 165 Carmony and Elliott indicate that Owen paid 125 000 for New Harmony and cite other sources that state varying amounts New Harmony as envisioned by Owen was originally captioned by Stedman Whitwell the architect who drew the figure as Design for a Community of 2000 Person founded upon a principle Commended by Plato Lord Bacon and Sir Thomas More in Description of an Architectural Model From a Design by Stedman Whitwell Exq For a Community Upon a Principle of United Interests as Advocated by Robert Owen Esq London Hurst Chance and Co 1830 Whitwell 1784 1840 lived in New Harmony during 1825 John W Reps Whitwell Description of a Model City Cornell University Retrieved 2012 6 20 In Edward Royle s Robert Owen and the Commencement of the Millennium Manchester University Press 1998 Whitwell s figure is presented in a chapter on Harmony the name of Owen s community in Hampshire England dating from 1841 although the figure was published in 1830 and almost certainly existed as early as 1825 Pitzer Donald 2012 New Harmony Then and Now Quarry Books p 50 ISBN 978 0 253 35645 1 a b c d e f g Donald E Pitzer The Original Boatload of Knowledge Down the Ohio River Reprint Ohio Journal of Science 89 no 5 December 1989 128 142 Wilson William 1964 The Angel and the Serpent Binghamton N Y Vail Ballou Press Inc pp 102 103 William E Wilson The Angel and the Serpent The Story of New Harmony Bloomington IN Indiana University Press 1967 2nd ed p 105 110 116 Wilson p 116 Joel Hiatt ed Diary of William Owen From November 10 1824 to April 20 1825 Indiana Historical Society Publications 4 no 1 1906 130 Carmony and Elliott p 168 Wilson p 117 118 Wilson p 119 Wilson p 119 122 Wilson p 122 Several of Robert Owen s children were given the middle name Dale in honor of Owen s father in law David Dale Wilson p 125 Wilson p 135 Carmony and Elliott p 170 Wilson p 118 Wilson p 149 Lockwood George 1905 The New Harmony Movement New York D Appleton and Company pp 66 67 Carmony and Elliott p 173 Pitzer Donald 2012 New Harmony Then and Now Quarry Books pp 51 53 ISBN 978 0 253 35645 1 a b Joseph Clayton Robert Owen Pioneer of Social Reforms London A C Fifield 1908 Dale Robert Owen 1874 Threading my way Twenty seven years of autobiography Trubner amp Co p 258 Dale Robert Owen 1874 Threading my way Twenty seven years of autobiography Trubner amp Co p 241 Carmony and Elliott p 174 176 Wilson p 150 Wilson p 153 54 Wilson p 162 64 Janet R Walker Wonder Workers on the Wabash New Harmony IN Historic New Harmony 1999 pp 9 10 Walker p 11 a b Wilson p 184 Walker pp 15 16 Wilson p 146 Wilson p 199 Walter B Hendrickson 1943 David Dale Owen Pioneer Geologist of the Middle West Indiana Historical Collection Vol XXVII Indianapolis Indiana Historical Bureau pp 41 43 48 50 58 84 86 OCLC 767609 a b Clark Kimberling Special Sandstone of the Smithsonian Castle University of Evansville Retrieved November 10 2017 Wilson p 199 200 See also Hendrickson David Dale Owen pp 116 128 Clark Kimberling et al Smithsonian Institution World s Largest Museum Complex University of Evansville Retrieved 2012 6 19 a b Clark Kimberling David Dale Owen and Joseph Granville Norwood Pioneer Geologists in Indiana and Illinois Indiana Magazine of History 92 no 1 March 1996 15 Retrieved 2012 6 19 Hendrickson p David Dale Owen 148 See also Davie D Owen 1852 Report of a Geological Survey of Wisconsin Iowa and Minnesota and Incidentally of a Portion of Nebraska Territory Made under Instructions from the United States Treasury Department Philadelphia Lippincott Grambo Seymour V Connor Benjamin Franklin Shumard Texas State Historical Association Retrieved 2017 10 27 R Bruce McMillan The First Century The Living Museum 64 nos 2 and 3 summer and fall 2002 4 13 Retrieved 2012 6 19 Smithsonian Institution Archives Fielding B Meek Papers 1843 1877 and undated collection guide Retrieved 2012 6 20 Clark Kimberling et al Joseph Granville Norwood University of Evansville Retrieved 2012 6 19 a b c d Indiana Historical Society New Harmony Collection 1814 1884 collection guide Retrieved 2012 7 25 a b Wilson p 200 Richard Owen University of Evansville Retrieved 2012 6 18 a b Walker p 23 Wilson p 195 197 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WORLD S LARGEST MUSEUM COMPLEX faculty evansville edu a b Wilson p 196 197 a b Clark Kimberling Frances Wright University of Evansville Retrieved 2012 6 20 Britannica Online Frances Wright Retrieved 2012 6 20 Wilson p 187 Wilson p 173 188 Wilson p 188 189 Walker p 9 10 Walker p 18 19 21 Josephine Mirabella Elliott ed Partnership for Posterity The Correspondence of William Maclure and Marie Duclos Fretageot 1820 1833 Indianapolis IN Indiana Historical Society 1994 a b Clark Kimberling Francis Joseph Nicholas Neef University of Evansville Retrieved 2012 6 20 a b Wilson p 185 Walker p 35 36 On March 23 1837 an unusual triple marriage took place at New Harmony when Neef s daughter Anne Eliza married Richard Owen Neef s daughter Caroline married David Dale Owen and Mary Bouton married William Owen Clark Kimberling et al Jane Dale Owen Fauntleroy University of Evansville Retrieved 2012 6 20 Martin John T Old vacant school in New Harmony has a new owner who vows to preserve it Evansville Courier amp Press Retrieved 2019 09 22 Wilson p 183 184 Among Tiebout s best known engravings are George Washington 1798 Thomas Jefferson President of the United States 1800 Thomas Jefferson President of the United States 1801 Constitution USS Constitution dueling with British frigate Guerriere War of 1812 engraved 1813 These and others are well represented on the Internet ArtFact Cornelius Tiebout Retrieved 2012 6 20 Carmony and Elliott p 182 Lucy Say Illustrations Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Retrieved November 10 2017 Heather Baldus Spring 2014 A Broad Stroke New Harmony s Artistic Legacy Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History Indianapolis Indiana Historical Society 26 2 26 27 Black Mary 1989 Simplicity a grace Jacob Maentel in Indiana Evansville Indiana Evansville Museum of Arts amp Science OCLC 20738556 Jacob Maentel Biography www mutualart com Retrieved 2021 11 16 Carmony and Elliott p 181 Hiatt p v New Harmony Historic District Archived 2011 06 05 at the Wayback Machine National Historic Landmarks Program National Park Service Accessed September 24 2011 National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 US Gazetteer files 2010 2000 and 1990 United States Census Bureau 2011 02 12 Retrieved 2011 04 23 G001 Geographic Identifiers 2010 Census Summary File 1 United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on 2020 02 13 Retrieved 2015 07 17 New Harmony Indiana Koppen Climate Classification Weatherbase Weatherbase DeBow J D B 1853 The Seventh Census of the United States 1850 PDF Washington Robert Armstrong p 1021 Retrieved 18 May 2021 The population figure for 1850 is an estimate provided in the appendix of the official volume of the Seventh Census Census of Population and Housing Census gov Retrieved June 4 2015 One Of The Oldest School Districts In Indiana Closes Due To Funding Cuts New Harmony School to close doors amp consolidate 14news com Decision finalized to merge Hew Harmony and N Posey 14news com http tristatehomepage com fulltext nxd id 535962 permanent dead link Further reading EditHistory Edit Bestor Arthur Backwoods Utopias University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia 1950 2nd ed 1970 Blair Don The New Harmony Story The New Harmony Publication Committee 1967 De la Hunt Thomas James ed History of the New Harmony Workingmen s Institute New Harmony Indiana Evansville 1927 Douglas Jeffrey William Maclure and the New Harmony Working Men s Institute Libraries and Culture 26 1991 402 414 Elliott Josephine Mirabella Charles Alexandre Lesueur Premier Naturalist and Artist Galbraith John Kenneth The Age of Uncertainty The Prophets and Promise of Classical Capitalism BBC 1977 Gutek Gerald Lee Joseph Neef The Americanization of Pestalozzianism University of Alabama Press 1978 Hackensmith Charles W Biography of Joseph Neef Educator in the Ohio Valley 1809 1854 New York Carlton Press 1973 Harrison J F C Robert Owen and the Owenite Movement in Britain and America The Quest for the New Moral World London Routledge and Kegan Paul 1969 Hendrickson Walter Brookfield David Dale Owen Pioneer Geologist of the Middle West Indianapolis Indiana Historical Bureau 1943 Lang Elfrieda The Inhabitants of New Harmony According to the Federal Census of 1850 Indiana Magazine of History 42 no 4 December 1946 355 394 Leopold Richard William Robert Dale Owen A Biography Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press 1940 New York Octagon Books reprint 1969 Lockwood G B The New Harmony Communities New York 1905 Stroud Patricia Tyson Thomas Say New World Naturalist University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia 1992 Young Marguerite Angel in the Forest A Fairy Tale of Two Utopias New York Scribners 1945 Paul Tillich Edit Pauck Wilhelm and Marion Pauck Paul Tillich His Life amp Thought New York Life Harper amp Row 1976 Ressl William and Penny Taylor Excerpts from The Paul Tillich Archive of New Harmony Indiana From the Collection of Mrs Jane Blaffer Owen Chicago Illinois 2007 OCLC 180767473 Ruediger Reitz Paul Tillich und New Harmony Stuttgart Germany Evangelisches Verlagswerk 1970 The Atheneum and Richard Meier Edit The Atheneum in New Harmony Indiana United States Abercrombie Stanley A Vision Continued AIA Journal mid May 1980 pp 126 137 The Architecture of the Promenade The Atheneum International Architect 3 1980 pp 13 24 Cassara Silvio Intrinsic Qualities of Remembrances The Atheneum at New Harmony Indiana Parametro July August 1976 pp 16 19 59 Cohen Arthur Richard Meier Creator of a New Harmony An Architect Builds a Classic Meeting Hall for the Nations Heartland United Mainliner March 1980 pp 25 65 Futagawa Yukio ed Collage and Study Sketches for the Atheneum Meier s Atheneum by Kenneth Frampton Richard Meier An American Architect by Arthur Cohen The Atheneum New Harmony Ind First Scheme The Atheneum Executed Scheme GA Document 1 1980 pp 25 65 Futagawa Yukio ed The Atheneum New Harmony Indiana 1975 1979 Text by Paul Goldberger Global Architecture 60 1981 Reprinted in Global Architecture Book 6 Public Buildings Tokyo A D A Edita Co 1981 n p Goldberger Paul The Atheneum Utopia Lives Vogue February 1980 pp 250 251 296 Haker Werner New Harmony und das Athenaeum von Richard Meier Werk Bauen Wohnen December 1980 pp 44 53 Harmonious Museum for New Harmony Life February 1980 pp 60 62 Huxtable Ada Louise A Radical New Addition for Mid America New York Times 30 September 1979 sec 2 pp 1 31 Klotz Heinrich ed Das Athenaeum Text by Richard Meier Jahrbuch fur Architektur Neues Bauen 1980 1981 pp 53 64 Magnago Lampugnani Vittorio Architecture of Our Century in Drawings Utopia and Reality Stuttgart Verlag Gerd Hatje 1982 pp 106 107 Marlin William Dissonance in New Harmony Inland Architect December 1981 pp 20 28 Marlin William Revitalizing Architectural Legacy of an American Camelot Christian Science Monitor 16 April 1976 p 26 Meier Richard Comments on The Atheneum New Harmony Indiana Manchester Civic Center Manchester New Hampshire Harvard Architectural Review Spring 1981 pp 176 187 Reprinted in French Les Cahiers de la Recherche Architecturale November 1982 pp 66 73 The Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates Zodiac 12 Includes The World s Greatest Architect by Francesco Dal Co Statement on Architecture by Richard Meier Editrice Abitare Milan 1995 Richard Meier Architect New York Rizzoli 1984 pp 190 215 Rykwert Joseph New Harmony Propylaeon Domus February 1980 pp 12 17 Shezen Roberto La via storica L Atheneum di New harmony nell Indiana di Richard Meier Gran Bazaar January February 1982 pp 128 135 Stephens Suzanne Emblematic Edifice The Atheneum New Harmony Indiana Progressive Architecture February 1980 pp 67 75 Zevi Bruno Un UFO nel campo de grano L Espresso 6 April 1980 p 124 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Harmony Indiana United States Wikisource has the text of the 1905 New International Encyclopedia article New Harmony Historic New Harmony administered by the University of Southern Indiana and the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Equitable Commerce by Josiah Warren The individualist anarchist who participated in the New Harmony project discusses the reasons for its failure Account of the Harmony Society and its beliefs New Harmony Scientists Educators Writers amp Artists New Harmony Town Government Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title New Harmony Indiana amp oldid 1112673581, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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