Manuscript Group 185 – Harmony Society Papers; 1742-1951, 303 cu. ft.The Harmony Society was founded in 1805 by Johann Georg Rapp. (1757-1847), a farmer and vinedresser born in Iptigen, Germany. Rapp and his followers believed in refashioning their lives around their vision of early Christian communalism during the first centuries of the Christian era. They established their first community called Harmony in the Connoquenessing Valley of Butler County in 1805 where all property was held in common and, in 1807, the group also adopted the practice of celibacy. A small cloth factory was established in 1806 which was followed by a sawmill, tannery, distillery, vineyards, and a two-story hotel.In 1814, the Society sold the property in Butler County and founded New Harmony in Posey County, Indiana where they erected even larger factories. In 1824 the members returned to western Pennsylvania and established the village of Economy in Beaver County where Rapp died in 1847. Under the trusteeship of Romelius L. Baker. (1847-1868) and Jacob Henrici. (1868-1892), the Society became involved in real estate speculation in Beaver Falls, construction of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, established the Economy Savings Institution and Economy Brick Works, and operated the Economy Oil Company, Economy Planing Mill, and Economy Lumber Company. Following litigation by heirs, the Harmony Society was dissolved in 1905 and seventeen structures comprising Old Economy Village were acquired by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission in 1919 for use as a historic site. Most of the archival records thereafter came into the possession of John S. Duss and Susanna C. Duss, the last trustees and were employed by John Duss to write The Harmonists: A Personal History. (1943). The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania took custody of part of the records in 1931 and 1933 and the balance were sold to the Pennsylvania Historical Commission in 1937.This manuscript group has been transferred to the PHMC’s Old Economy Village Historic Site, but microfilm copies of most of the materials can be viewed at the Pennsylvania State Archives and at Old Economy Village.For related records see the John S. Duss Papers. (Manuscript Group 310), Old Economy Village Collection. (Manuscript Group 354), Karl Arndt Collection of Harmony Society Materials. (Manuscript Group 437), Knoedler Family Collection. (Manuscript Group 330), and Henry Mohn Family Collection. (Manuscript Group 332), which have also been transferred to Old Economy Village. Administrative File (Holdings, part 1 and part 3)
Music Archives (Holdings, part 1)
General File (Holdings, part 2)
Legal File (Holdings, part 3)
Business Records: Account Volumes (Holdings, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6)
Business File: Letter Books and Correspondence (Holdings, part 7)
Business File: Domestic and Handicraft Industries (Holdings, part 7)
Subsidiary Records: Economy Lumber Company Records (Holdings, part 7)
Subsidiary Records: Economy Oil Company (Holdings, part 7)
Subsidiary Records: Economy Planing Mill Company Records (Holdings, part 7, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: French Point Planing Mill and Lumber Company (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: Harmony Brick Works (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: Liberty Land Company Records (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: Post Office (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: Real Estate Enterprises (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: The Union Company (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: Tucabe Gold Mining Company (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: Western Grain and Products Company (Holdings, part 8)
Subsidiary Records: William J. Werner Enterprises (Holdings, part 9)
Reference Literature: Monetary (Holdings, part 10)
School Materials (Holdings, part 10)
Religious Materials (Holdings, part 10)
Publications File (Holdings, part 10)
Public Records File – Aldermen and Justices of the Peace (Holdings, part 10)
Public Records File – Economy Volunteer Fire Department (Holdings, part 10)
Public Records File – Tax Materials (Holdings, part 10)
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Manuscript Group 185
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2018-09-14T17:00:10-04:00