270 Sixteenth StreetAmbridge, PA15003
United States
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Organization Information
Mission Statement
Old Economy Village interprets the history of the Harmony Society, a highly successful 19th century religious communal society, and preserves and interprets the unique material culture of the Society during its period of residence in Beaver County, Pennsylvania for citizens of and visitors to the Commonwealth. Goals To present exhibits, tours, educational programs, and promote research and publications which broaden the publicà ¢à  à  s understanding and appreciation of the history of the Harmony Society. Major themes to be presented include: à ¢à  à ¢ The Harmony Society, its founder George Rapp, and its growth and demise. à ¢à  à ¢ The religious and intellectual foundations of the Harmony Society. à ¢à  à ¢ The social structure of the Harmony Society and how it compared and contrasted with American society at large. à ¢à  à ¢ The daily life of the Harmony Society, including its material and intellectual culture within a national political and economic context. à ¢à  à ¢ The economics of the Harmony Society, from its inception to its demise, and how it fit within the national economic and political scene. à ¢à  à ¢ The Harmony Societyà ¢à  à  s technological and industrial pursuits and their impact on the Society, and western Pennsylvania. To work with the Harmonie Associates, Inc. and other groups, whose valued guidance and support enhance the mission and goals of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the site. Approved by PHMC 9/27/00
Description
Old Economy Village was the third and final home of the Harmony Society, one of Americaà ¢à  à  s most successful communal societies. The Society followed their religious leader, George Rapp, who immigrated from Iptigen, Germany in 1804 seeking religious, social and economic freedom. The group of approximately 800 farmers and craftspeople made their first home in Harmony, Pennsylvania, and then moved to New Harmony Indiana, staying 10 years in each location. In 1824, the Harmony Society returned to Pennsylvania, settling on the banks of the Ohio River in Beaver County and built à ¢à  à  Oekonomie,à ¢à  à  or Economy. Members originally constructed houses, barns, a store, textile factories, maintained gardens and sustained a level of industriousness that made the Society one of the most prosperous in the United States in the nineteenth century.
