Editing Harmony Society (section)

== Characteristics ==

=== Religious views ===
In 1791 George Rapp said, "I am a [[prophet]], and I am called to be one" in front of the civil affairs official in [[Maulbronn]], Germany, who promptly had him imprisoned for two days and threatened with [[exile]] if he did not cease preaching.<ref name="Arndt1">Arndt, ''George Rapp's Harmony Society, 1785–1847'', p. 30.</ref><ref name="Pitzer1">Donald E. Pitzer, ''America's Communal Utopias'' (Chapel Hill: [[University of North Carolina]], 1997) p. 57.</ref> To the great consternation of church and state authorities, this mere peasant from Iptingen had become the outspoken leader of several thousand [[Separatism|Separatists]] in the southern German duchy of [[Württemberg]].<ref name="Sutton1"/><ref name="Arndt1"/><ref name="Pitzer1"/> By 1802 the Separatists had grown in number to about 12,000 and the Württemberg government decided that they were a dangerous threat to social order.<ref name="Sutton1"/> Rapp was summoned to Maulbronn for an interrogation, and the government confiscated Separatist books.<ref name="Sutton1"/> When released in 1803, from a brief time in prison, Rapp told his followers to pool their assets and follow him on a journey for safety to the "land of Israel" in the United States, and soon over 800 people were living with him there.<ref name="Sutton1"/>

The Harmonites were Christian [[Pietism|pietist]] Separatists who split from the Lutheran Church in the late 18th century. Under the leadership of George Rapp, the group left Württemberg, Germany, and came to the United States in 1803. Due to the troubles they had in Europe, the group sought to establish a more perfect society in the American wilderness. They were [[nonviolence|nonviolent]] [[Pacifism|pacifists]] who refused to serve in the military and tried to live by George Rapp's philosophy and literal interpretations of the [[New Testament]]. They first settled and built the town of Harmony, Pennsylvania, in 1804, and established the Harmony Society in 1805 as a religious commune. In 1807, celibacy was advocated as the preferred custom of the community in an attempt to purify themselves for the coming [[Millennialism|Millennium]]. Rapp believed that the events and wars going on in the world at the time were a confirmation of his views regarding the imminent Second Coming of Christ, and he also viewed [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] as the [[Antichrist]].<ref name="Baumgartner">Frederic J. Baumgartner, ''Longing for the End: A History of Millennialism in Western Civilization'' (1999) p. 166.</ref> In 1814, the Society sold their first town in Pennsylvania and moved to the Indiana Territory, where they built their second town. In 1824, they decided it was time to leave Indiana, sold their land and town in Indiana, and moved to their final settlement in Western Pennsylvania.

[[Image:Sophia design.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Sophia (wisdom)|Virgin Sophia]] design on doorway in [[Harmony, Pennsylvania]], carved by Frederick Reichert Rapp (1775–1834).]]

The Harmonites were Millennialists, in that they believed [[Jesus]] [[Christ]] was coming to earth in their lifetime to help usher in a thousand-year kingdom of peace on earth. This is perhaps why they believed that people should try to make themselves "pure" and "perfect", and share things with others while willingly living in communal "harmony" ([[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] [[Christian communism#Biblical citations|4:32-35]]) and practicing celibacy. They believed that the old ways of life on earth were coming to an end, and that a new perfect kingdom on earth was about to be realized.

They also practiced forms of [[Esoteric Christianity]], [[Mysticism]] ([[Christian mysticism]]), and Rapp often spoke of the [[Virginity|virgin]] spirit or [[Goddess#Christianity|Goddess]] named [[Sophia (wisdom)|Sophia]] in his writings.<ref name="Versluis">Arthur Versluis, "Western Esotericism and The Harmony Society", ''Esoterica I'' (1999) p. 20–47. [http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/Versluis.html Michigan State University]</ref> Rapp was very influenced by the writings of Jakob Böhme,<ref name ="Versluis"/> Philipp Jakob Spener, and Emanuel Swedenborg, among others. Also, at Economy, there are glass bottles and literature that seem to indicate that the group was interested in (and practiced) [[alchemy]].<ref name ="Versluis"/> Other books found in the Harmony Society's library in Economy, include those by the following authors: [[Christoph Schütz]], [[Gottfried Arnold]], [[Justinus Kerner]], [[Thomas Bromley (1629–1691)|Thomas Bromley]],<ref>{{cite web | author = PasstheWORD | title = Thomas Bromley On-Line Manuscripts | publisher = PasstheWORD  | date = 2005-10-13 | url =http://www.passtheword.org/Thomas-Bromley/ | access-date = 2012-06-15}}</ref> [[Jane Leade]], [[Johann Scheible]] (''[[Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses]]''),<ref>{{cite web
 | author = Joseph H. Peterson | title = The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
 | publisher = Esotericarchives.com | year = 2005 | url = http://www.esotericarchives.com/moses/67moses.htm | access-date = 2012-06-15}}</ref> [[Paracelsus]], and [[Georg von Welling]],<ref>{{cite web |author=Georg von Welling |title=''Opus Mago-Cabalisticum''  |publisher=Frankfurt and Leipzig: The Fleischer Bookstore |date=1784|edition= edited and translated by Arthur Versluis, third  |url=http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/Archive/Welling.html |access-date=2012-06-15}}</ref> among others.<ref name ="Versluis"/>

The Harmonites tended to view [[Single person|unmarried]] celibate life as morally superior to [[marriage]], based on Rapp's belief that [[God]] had originally created [[Adam (Bible)|Adam]] as a dual being, having male and female sexual organs.<ref>Arndt, ''George Rapp's Successors and Material Heirs'', p. 147.</ref> According to this view, when the female portion of Adam separated to form [[Eve]], disharmony followed, but one could attempt to regain harmony through celibacy.

George Rapp predicted that on September 15, 1829, the three and one half years of the [[Woman of the Apocalypse|Sun Woman]] would end and Christ would begin his reign on earth.<ref name="Baumgartner"/> Dissension grew when Rapp's predictions did not come to pass. In March 1832, one third of the group left the Society and some began following Bernhard Müller, who claimed to be the [[Lion of Judah#Lion of Judah in Christianity|Lion of Judah]]. Nevertheless, most of the group stayed and Rapp continued to lead them until he died on August 7, 1847. His last words to his followers were, "If I did not so fully believe, that the Lord has designated me to place our society before His presence in the land of Canaan, I would consider this my last".<ref>Wilson, p. 11.</ref>

The Harmonites did not mark their [[Grave (burial)|graves]] with [[headstone]]s or grave markers, because they thought it was unnecessary to do so; however, one exception is George Rapp's son Johannes' stone marker in Harmony, Pennsylvania, which was installed by non-Harmonites many years after the Harmonites left that town.<ref>Arndt, ''George Rapp's Successors and Material Heirs'', p. 157.</ref> Today, Harmonist [[graveyard]]s are fenced in grassy areas with signs posted nearby explaining this practice.

=== Architecture ===

The Harmony Society's architecture reflected their [[Swabia]]n [[Germans|German]] traditions, as well as the styles that were being developed in America during the 19th century. In the early days of the Society, many of the homes were initially log cabins and later, Harmonist craftsmen built timber-frame homes. At Economy, their homes were mostly two-story brick houses "that showed the influence of their American neighbors."<ref>Don Blair, "Harmonist Construction. Principally as found in the two-story houses built in Harmonie, Indiana, 1814–1824," ''[[Indiana Historical Society]] Publications'' 23, no. (1964): 81.</ref> In general, Harmonist buildings, in addition to being sturdy and functional, were centrally heated, economical to maintain, and resistant to fire, weather, and termites.<ref>Blair, p. 82.</ref>

Once established at Harmony, Pennsylvania, the Society planned to replace the log dwellings with brick structures, but the group moved to the Indiana Territory before the plan was completed.<ref name="Arndt, p. 109">Arndt, ''George Rapp's Harmony Society'', p. 109.</ref> In Indiana, log homes were soon replaced with one- or two-story houses of timber frame or brick construction in addition to four large rooming houses (dormitories) for its growing membership. The new town also included shops, schools, mills, a granary, a hotel, library, distilleries, breweries, a brick kiln, pottery ovens, barn, stables, storehouses, and two churches, one of which was brick.<ref>Blair, p. 49–50.</ref>

In 1822 William Herbert, a visitor to Harmony, Indiana, described the new brick church and the Harmonists' craftsmanship:

"These people exhibit considerable taste as well as boldness of design in some of their works. They are erecting a noble church, the roof of which is supported in
the interior by a great number of stately columns, which have been turned from
trees in their own forests. The kinds of wood made use of for this purpose are, I
am informed, black walnut, cherry and sassafras. Nothing I think can exceed the
grandeur of the joinery and the masonry and brickwork seem to be of the first
order. The form of this church is that of a cross, the limbs being short and equal;
and as the doors, which there are four, are placed at the end of the limbs, the
interior of the building as seen from the entrance, has a most ample and spacious effect.... I could scarcely imagine myself to be in the woods of Indiana, on the borders of the Wabash, while pacing the long resounding aisles, and surveying the stately colonnades of this church."<ref name=usi/>

Frame structures were built on piers to keep the air circulating across the area's damp soil, while brick structures had a root cellar with a drainage tunnel. Inside, Harmonists built fireplaces to the left or right of center to allow for a long center beam, adding strength to support the structure and its heavy, shingled roof. "Dutch biscuits" (wood laths wrapped in straw and mud) provided insulation and soundproofing between the ceiling and floors. The exterior was insulated with bricks between the exterior's unpainted weatherboards and the interior's lath and plaster walls.<ref>Blair, p. 52–54, 76.</ref> Structures had standard parts and pre-cut, pre-measured timbers, which were assembled on the ground, adjusted to fit on site, raised in place, and locked into place with pegs and mortise and tenon joints.<ref>Blair, p. 57.</ref> Two-story floor plans for homes included a large living room, kitchen, and entrance hall, with stairs to the second floor and attic. In Indiana, Harmonists did their baking in communal ovens, so stoves could be substituted for fireplaces.<ref>Blair, p. 66, 71, 73.</ref>

=== Living styles ===

At Harmony, Pennsylvania, four to six members were assigned to a home, where they lived as families, although not all those living in the household were related.<ref name="Arndt, p. 109"/> Even when the house contained those that were married, they would live together as brother and sister, since there was a suggestion and custom of practicing celibacy.  In Indiana, Harmonists continued to live in homes, but they also built dormitories to house single men and women.<ref name=usi/>

Society members woke between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. They ate breakfast between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., lunch at 9 a.m., dinner at noon, afternoon lunch at 3 p.m., and supper between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.<ref>Bole, p. 145.</ref> They did their chores and work during the day. At the end of the day, members met for meetings and had a curfew of 9 p.m. On Sundays, the members respected the "Holy day" and did no unnecessary work, but attended church services, singing groups, and other social activities.<ref name=usi/>

=== Clothing ===

Their style of dress reflected their Swabian German roots and traditions and was adapted to their life in America.<ref name=Bole146>Bole, p. 146.</ref> Although the Harmonites typically wore [[plain dress|plain clothing]], made with their own materials by their own tailors, they would wear their fine garments on Sundays and on other special occasions. At Economy, on special occasions and Sundays, women wore silk dresses using fabric of their own manufacture.<ref name=Bole146/> Clothing varied in color, but often carried the same design. On a typical day, women wore ankle-length dresses, while men wore pants with vests or coats and a hat.<ref name=usi/>

=== Technology ===

The Harmonites were a prosperous agricultural and industrial people. They had many machines that helped them be successful in their trades. They even had steam-powered engines that ran the machines at some of their factories in Economy. They kept their machines up to date, and had many factories and mills, for example [[Beaver Falls Cutlery Company]] which they purchased in 1867.<ref name="Industrious Beaver Falls 1993" >{{cite book |last1=Anon |title=Industrious Beaver Falls |date=1993 |publisher=Beaver County Industrial Museum |location=Darlington, Pennsylvania |chapter=Gone but not forgotten: the Beaver Falls Cutlery Company}} This is based on {{cite book |last1=Anon |title=The Beaver Countian Vol III no.1 |date=1992 |location=Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania |pages=1–3 |chapter=The history and lore of Beaver Co.: the Chinese in Beaver Falls 1872}}</ref>

=== Work ===

Each member of the Society had a job in a certain craft or trade. Most of the work done by men consisted of manual labor, while the women dealt more with textiles or agriculture.

As Economy became more technologically developed, Harmonites began to hire others from outside the Society, especially when their numbers decreased because of the custom of celibacy and as they eventually let fewer new members join. Although the Harmonites did seek work-oriented help from the outside, they were known as a community that supported themselves, kept their ways of living in their community, mainly exported goods, and tried to import as little as possible.