Old Economy Village will close for the winter season on
Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
The Great Garden Of George Rapp
Paradise at Old Economy Village
The Harmonists, a Christian Communal society, founded Old Economy Village in 1824. George Rapp, the founder, wasted no time in establishing his own "great garden" by 1826. Spanning approximately 4 acres, Rapp created his own paradise in the image of the Garden of Eden.
Inspired by the German formal gardens Rapp visited prior to arriving in the United States, paths were made to form a cross with a central focal point. The quadrants formed would each be rich in biblical symbolism in both structures & botanical life soon established. The northeast quadrant held fruiting trees with, of course, the apple being prominent. In the 1800's, native plants would fill flower beds along walks and hedgerows as well as white lilies, Lily of the Valley, Rose of Sharon. Various shades of roses including yellow and deep red varieties are noted in archived correspondences. Citrus trees were even grown in the greenhouse constructed in the south east quadrant where Hildegarde, the young, and apparently quite pretty, botanist, tended "rare" plants for George Rapp.
A pavilion, surrounded by a pond laden with lotus and fish, held the statue of Harmony. Symbolic of peace and unity, Harmony still looks out across the great garden today but in the form of a wooden replication of her predecessor.
Extending diagonally from the pavilion was a path leading into George Rapp's wilderness. The stone structure, one of only a few of its kind in the world, is now called the Grotto although by definition, it is not. Built with humble stones of early Ambridge, PA and a wooden door framed in rock that glitters ever so slightly in a nod to its peculiar deviation from the rest, it appears simple in its exterior. This structure was built in memory of George Rapp and originally had inner walls with murals likened to those of Greece. Humble on the outside but immaculate on the inside. This was the very definition of what Rapp and his Harmonist followers strived to be. The interior's restoration plans are in progress as of December 2024 but, regardless, the Grotto is still a hidden gem that draws guests of Old Economy every year.
Grape vines could be found trellised on walls of the buildings and are still fashioned in the traditional German style of the Harmonist's era. Catawba, Isabella & Concord would be the eventual majority of varietals grown after the failure of countless Vitis vinifera vines that Rapp imported prior. The vineyard was originally laid out with trellis rows running on a curve that arched from the western to northern garden walls. This orientation was changed to the current linear layout pictured left during one of many restorations to the property.
Wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages would be rationed to Harmonist workers and sometimes sold to outsiders during the age of cholera outbreak in our region. One concoction was simply referred to as "red juice" and probably didn't hold a candle to the wines crafted in Rapp's homeland. Hops still grow on the property but were originally cultivated in mass at a nearby parcel outside the walls of the great garden. The recipe for the beer brewed by the Harmonists is still used today by local brewers who help tend the unruly bines near the greenhouse.
The Present-day Great Garden …
While Rapp's garden has seen many transformations since its 1826 creation, it continues to draw the attention of both historians and horticulturalists and often serves as a breathtaking venue for weddings. Today it is cared for just as it was before, by the helping hands of a community and a young woman in the greenhouse with a peculiar love of plants. 2024 marked the beginning of restoration plans but, in any stage, it always remains a hidden paradise tucked away in the corner of Ambridge, PA.