Everything about Old Economy Village totally explained
Old Economy Village is a designated
National Historic Landmark that's administered by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in
Ambridge,
Beaver County,
Pennsylvania in the
United States. It is on the banks of the
Ohio River and is surrounded by downtown Ambridge. The Village is the last of three settlements established by the
Harmony Society in the United States, two in Pennsylvania and one in
Indiana. Old Economy Village is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 pm.
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Harmony Society
Main Article Harmony Society
The
Harmony Society was a
Christian theosophy and
pietist society founded in
Iptingen,
Germany, in 1785. Due to religious persecution by the
Lutheran Church and the government in
Württemberg, the Harmony Society moved to the
United States in 1803–1804, initially purchasing 3,000 acres (12 km²) of land in
Butler County, Pennsylvania. On
February 15 1805, they, together with about 400 followers, formally organized the Harmony Society, placing all their goods in
common.
The Society was founded and led by
Johann Georg Rapp (1757–1847) and his adopted son,
Frederick (Reichert) Rapp (1775–1834), and lasted for 100 years – roughly from 1805 until 1905. Members of the society were sometimes called Harmonists, Harmonites, or Rappites. The Harmony Society is best known for its worldly successes, eventually building three successive communities, first at
Harmony, Pennsylvania, then
New Harmony, Indiana, finally settling in
Economy (now
Ambridge, Pennsylvania).
Settlements
Harmony, Pennsylvania
In 1803 and 1804, Rapp and a party of two others contracted to purchase 3,000 acres (12 km²) of land for $10,000 in
Butler County, Pennsylvania, and to this place there followed 140 families. There they built the town of
Harmony. The exigency of their condition (they had but little money) forced him to put their money into one common fund. Frederick Reichert was elected to be the manager of its business, commerce, etc., and a board of elders was also elected, for the enforcement of the society's rules and regulations. The society grew and improved, and the population rose to around 800. In 1807,
celibacy was advocated by most, and, although Rapp didn't entirely bar it, this gradually became a custom — there were few births in later years.
(External Link)Agreeably to Rapp's request, Frederick Reichert became Rapp's adopted son and took the former's name. Under Frederick Reichert's management the society prospered, but he soon wished for a location better suited to his commercial purposes. As a result, the Harmonites decided to sell their first settlement to a group of
Mennonites for $100,000, and make a new life for themselves elsewhere.
New Harmony, Indiana
The Harmony Society moved to
Indiana in 1814, where it initially acquired 7,000 acres (28 km²) along the
Wabash River in
Posey Co. Here was built the town of
New Harmony. The settlement entered into agriculture and manufacture on a larger scale, eventually acquiring around 30,000 acres (121 km²). Soon they were doing well again, but owing to the scarcity of currency, distance from the Eastern markets, and unfriendliness of the neighbors (being
Abolitionists in sentiment, disagreeable elements from
Kentucky, only 15 miles (25 km) away, caused them much annoyance), Frederick Rapp (in 1824) purchased a tract of 3,000 acres (12 km²) along the
Ohio River, 18 miles (30 km) Northwest of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and they sold their land and buildings in Indiana to
Robert Owen, the Welsh
utopian thinker and social reformer, and to
William Maclure for $150,000. In 1825, the Harmony Society returned to
Pennsylvania.
Old Economy Village, Pennsylvania
They named the last town
Economy, after the spiritual notion of the
Divine Economy. Here under the business acumen and efficient management of Frederick Rapp, they enjoyed such prosperity that by 1829 they dominated the trade and the markets of
Pittsburgh and down the
Ohio River. They were accused of being a
monopoly,
(External Link)and it was advocated that the society be dissolved by the State. At this time the community wasn't neglectful of matters pertaining to art and culture. Frederick Rapp purchased and installed a museum, containing fine paintings and many
curios and antiquities; they'd a
deer park, a floral park, and a maze, or labyrinth; they also had a good orchestra, were fond of music, and gave much attention to its cultivation. In 1832 the society suffered a serious division. Of 750 members, 250 became alienated through the influence of
Bernhard Müller (self-styled Count de Leon), who, with 40 followers (also at variance with the authorities in
the old country), had come to
Economy to affiliate with the society. Rapp and
Leon couldn't agree; a separation and apportionment of the property were therefore agreed upon. This secession of one-third of the society, consisting mostly of the flower of young manhood and young womanhood who didn't want to maintain the custom of
celibacy, broke Frederick's heart. He died within two years. It resulted in a considerable fracturing of the community. Nevertheless, the society remained prosperous in business investments for many more years to come. After Frederick Rapp's death, in 1834, the business management passed successively into the hands of
George Rapp, who died in 1847; R. L, Baker and Jacob Henrici, 1847-69; J. Henrici and Jonathan Lenz, 1869-92; J. S. Duss, 1892-1903; Susie C. Duss, 1903-06.
The settlements were economically successful, producing many goods in a clothing factory, a sawmill, a tannery, and from their vineyards and distillery. They also produced high quality silk for garments. The Harmonites were industrious and utilized the latest technologies of the day in their factories. In
Economy, the group aided the construction of the
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, established the Economy Savings Institution and the Economy Brick Works, and operated the Economy Oil Company, Economy Planing Mill, Economy Lumber Company, and eventually donated some land in
Beaver Falls for the construction of
Geneva College. The society exerted a major influence on the economic development of
Western Pennsylvania. But since the group chose to adopt
celibacy and the people in the group kept getting older, more work gradually had to be hired out.
The high-water mark of the society's prosperity was at the close of the administration of R. L. Baker in 1868; its wealth at that time being probably $2,000,000. By 1890, however, it was hopelessly in debt, on the verge of bankruptcy, with a depleted membership of aged people. The society was overwhelmed with litigation on the part of would-be heirs. J. S. Duss won the lawsuits and paid the society's indebtedness. The great strain which he'd undergone undermining his health, he was forced to resign his trusteeship in 1903. There being but few members left, the remaining land and assets were sold under the leadership of Duss's wife, and the society was formally dissolved in 1906.
In 1916, the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired 6 acres (0.024 km²) and 17 buildings of Old Economy, which became the present-day historic site. Other parts of the society's land were acquired by the
American Bridge Company to expand the town of
Ambridge.
George Rapp
Main Article George Rapp
Johann Georg Rapp (
November 1,
1757 –
August 7,
1847) was the founder of the religious sect called Harmonists, Harmonites, Rappites, or the
Harmony Society.
Born in
Iptingen, Duchy of
Württemberg,
Germany, Rapp became inspired by the philosophies of
Jakob Böhme,
Philipp Jakob Spener, and
Emanuel Swedenborg, among others. In the 1780s, George Rapp began preaching and soon started to gather a group of his own followers. His group officially split with the
Lutheran Church in 1785 and was promptly banned from meeting. The persecution that Rapp and his followers experienced caused them to leave Germany and come to the
United States in 1803. Rapp was a
pietist, and a number of his beliefs were shared by the
Anabaptist movement. Rapp's religious beliefs and philosophy were the cement that held his community together both in Germany and in America – a
Christian community and
commune, which in America organized as the
Harmony Society. The Harmony Society built three American towns, became rich, famous, and survived for 100 years – roughly from 1805 until 1905. By 1798, Rapp and his group of followers had already begun to distance themselves from mainstream society. In the Lomersheimer Declaration, written in 1798, Rapp's followers refused to serve in the military or attend
Lutheran schools. In 1803, when the government began to persecute Rapp's followers, he decided to move the entire group to the United States. The initial move scattered the followers and reduced Rapp's original group of 12,000 to many fewer persons. In 1804, Rapp was able to secure a large tract of land in
Pennsylvania and started his first
commune. This first commune, 'Harmonie', (
Harmony),
Butler County, Pennsylvania, soon grew to a population of about 800, and was highly profitable. At Harmony, the
Harmony Society was created and its members contracted to hold all property in common, to submit to spiritual and material leadership by Rapp and associates, and adopted the
celibate lifestyle. In 1814, the first town was sold to
Mennonites for 10 times the amount originally paid for the land, and the entire commune moved out west to
Indiana where their new town was also known as Harmony. Ten years after the move to Indiana the commune moved again, this time it returned to
Pennsylvania and named their town 'Ökonomie',
Economy. The Indiana settlement was sold to
Robert Owen, at which point it was renamed
New Harmony, Indiana. George Rapp lived out his remaining days in the town of
Economy, Pennsylvania, until August 7, 1847, when he died at the age of 89. The commune ultimately failed because the policy of
celibacy prevented new members from within, and the majority of the outside world had no desire to give up so much to live in a commune. The society was formally dissolved in 1906. Today, many of their remaining buildings are preserved and listed as
National Historic Landmarks.
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