Led by Johann Georg Rapp, the Harmonists believed that the second coming of Christ would occur during their lifetimes. New Harmony’s story begins in Germany, with a religious group called the Harmony Society, or the Rappites. Courtesy the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites The question remains: Can New Harmony thrive while retaining a connection to its utopian roots? The Harmonists were skilled builders and constructed architecture that still stands today, including this Granary building, which is now used for events. Flower came to the community not as a tourist, but to scout the area with the goal of recruiting performing artists to live and work there. While these experimental communities failed, some of their utopian philosophies are still very much alive among New Harmony’s present-day artistic patrons.īut like many small towns, New Harmony is also experiencing depopulation. First, religious separatists who dedicated their lives to God and preparations for the second coming of Christ, then secular reformers who believed a society based on equality and intellectual pursuits would lead to a better world for everyone. New Harmony is a hotbed for utopians.įrom the early 19th century until today, New Harmony has attracted people who go against society’s grain. And then there’s the hedge labyrinth and roofless church-hints that this isn’t just any ordinary rural community. There are trees and flowers everywhere, and plaques reminding you that it’s a historic site. It has a main street lined with historic brick buildings, some painted in lively colors like San Francisco’s Victorians.
The small town, located near Indiana’s southernmost tip, is not unlike many American towns. “When people, including me, come here, they talk about it like it’s a magical place.” “I felt like I was in Alice in Wonderland,” she says. When Melissa Flower, a theater director, visited New Harmony, Indiana, for the first time earlier this year, she thought she’d stepped through the looking glass.
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