New Harmony, Indiana

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New Harmony is a town in Posey County, Indiana, 15 miles (24 km) north of Mount Vernon, Indiana, the county seat, on the Wabash River. In 1900, 1,341 people lived in New Harmony, Indiana; in 1910, 1,229. The population was 916 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 The Paul Tillich Park
5 See also
6 Literature: The Story of New Harmony
7 Literature: Paul Tillich and New Harmony, The Paul-Tillich-Park in New Harmony
8 Literature: The Atheneum and Richard Meier, Architect.
9 External links

[edit] Geography

New Harmony is located at 38°7′43″N, 87°56′3″W (38.128583, -87.934122)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.7 km² (0.6 mi²). 1.7 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.56% is water.

[edit] History

New Harmony as envisioned by Owen

New Harmony, formerly named "Harmony," was built by the Harmony Society, headed by George Rapp (also known as Johann Georg Rapp). This was the second of three towns built by the German religious group, known as Rappites. When the society decided to move back to Pennsylvania, they sold the 30,000 acres (121 km²) of land and buildings to Robert Owen, the Welsh utopian thinker and social reformer, and to William Maclure for $150,000, who then changed the name from "Harmony" to "New Harmony." Owen recruited residents to his model community, but a number of factors led to an early breakup of the communitarian experiment.

The experiment was established in 1825 and dissolved in 1829 due to constant quarrels. The town banned money and other commodities. 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 says of the community: "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)

Although Owen's vision of New Harmony as an advance in social reform did not succeed, the town did become a scientific center of national significance. As President of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, William Maclure brought naturalists Thomas Say and Charles-Alexandre Leseuer to New Harmony from Philadelphia. Say has been called the father of American entomology and the father of American conchology. Many species were first described by both Say and Leseuer, and many have been named in their honor. Say died in New Harmony in 1834, and Leseuer returned to his native France in 1837.

It was also in 1837 that one of Robert Owen's sons, David Dale Owen, finished his formal education, and having been much influenced by Maclure, became a geologist. He conducted the first official geological survey of Indiana (1837-39) and led federal surveys in 1839-40 and again in 1847-1851. Owen was the first state geologist of three states (Indiana, Kentucky, and Arkansas) and influenced many other geologists, including Joseph Granville Norwood (first state geologist of Illinois) and Benjamin Franklin Shumard (first state geologist of Texas). Owen's museum in New Harmony was known as the largest museum west of the Alleghenies. At the time of his death in 1860, the museum included some 85,000 items.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 916 people, 382 households, and 228 families residing in the town. The population density was 552.6/km² (1,441.5/mi²). There were 432 housing units at an average density of 260.6/km² (679.8/mi²). 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.

[edit] The Paul Tillich Park

Paul Tillich’s gravestone in the Paul Tillich Park.

Paul Tillich Park commemorates the renowned 20th 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 in New Harmony, Indiana, 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 park today may ponder quotations from Tillich's writings inscribed on large rocks along the pathway.

The words Man and nature belong together in their created glory - in their tragedy and in their salvation are especially appropriate: Man representing the communitarians of New Harmony - that is, the Harmonists and the Owenites - nature representing the naturalists at New Harmony who uncovered life-secrets and earth-secrets of creation. The word tragedy tells much of New Harmony history, as of all human history, and salvation crowns the human experience as a promise consistent with Harmonist faith and Tillich's mission.

[edit] See also

[edit] Literature: The Story of New Harmony

Karl J. R. Arndt, compiler and editor, A Documentary History of the Indiana Decade of the Harmony Society 1814-1824, vols. I-II, Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, 1975.
Arthur Bestor, Backwoods Utopias, University of Pennsylvania Press (1950, 2nd. ed. 1970)
Don Blair, The New Harmony Story, The New Harmony Publication Committee, 1967.
Josephine Mirabella Elliott, editor, Partnership for Posterity: The Correspondence of William Maclure and Marie Duclos Fretageot, 1820-1833, Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, 1994.
J. F. C. Harrison, Robert Owen and the Owenite Movement in Britain and America: The Quest for the New Moral World, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1969.
Walter Brookfield Hendrickson, David Dale Owen: Pioneer Geologist of the Middle West, Indiana Historical Bureau, Indianapolis, 1943.
Richard William Leopold, Robert Dale Owen: A Biography, Harvard University Press, 1940; reprinted by Octagon Books, New York, 1969.
G. B. Lockwood, The New Harmony Communities, (New York, 1905)
Patricia Tyson Stroud, Thomas Say: New World Naturalist, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1992.
William E. Wilson, The Angel and the Serpent, The Story of New Harmony, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1967, second edition.

[edit] Literature: Paul Tillich and New Harmony, The Paul-Tillich-Park in New Harmony

Ruediger Reitz, Paul Tillich und New Harmony, Evangelisches Verlagswerk Stuttgart/Germany, 1970.
Wilhelm and Marion Pauck, Paul Tillich: His Life & Thought; Volume I: Life, Harper & Row, New York, 1976.

[edit] Literature: The Atheneum and Richard Meier, Architect.

The Atheneum in New Harmony, Indiana, United States.

Richard Meier Architect. New York: Rizzoli, 1984. pp. 190-215.
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.
Huxtable, Ada Louise. "A Radical New Addition for Mid-America." The New York Times, 30 September 1979, sec. 2, pp. 1, 31.
Goldberger, Paul. "The Atheneum: Utopia Lives." Vogue, February 1980, pp. 250-251, 296.
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.'" The Christian Science Monitor, 16 April 1976, p. 26.
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.
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 Architectre Book 6: Public Buildings. Tokyo: A.D.A. Edita Co., 1981, n.p.
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.
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.