A Brief Look at the History of New Harmony

The first production of The New Harmony Project's 2025-2026 PlayFest Indy season is soon to debut at the Athenaeum Auditorium on September 12th. This shining example of Southern Indiana's voice in the arts ramping up its scale so rapidly in just its second year is nothing to scoff at and it presents a perfect opportunity to look back at the history New Harmony and how it has grown to be such a beacon of artistic ventures.

Alex Morgan Imaging

New Harmony Early History

Located in Posey County, New Harmony was founded in the year of 1814. Should you look at the town's official website, like I did, you will find that it was initially home to a community led by George Rapp. Known as the Harmony Society, or the Rappites, they were a Lutheran Separatist movement that had come to Southern Indiana to create a spiritual sanctuary that could also serve as a productive powerhouse for the early 19th century.

This first Utopian experiment is the one most who have heard of New Harmony know of, but it was actually quite short lived. A bit over a decade after its founding, Harmony had been sold to a Robert Owen. Owen, hoping to create a utopian experiment of his own, renamed the town to what it is today and set upon creating a place that would attract scientists and the educated.

While Robert Owen was no doubt a significant force in cultivating a place for the arts, I would be lying if I said my mind did not first go to a more recent Owen when asked who had had the most influential hand in shaping New Harmony's art scene into what it is today. Instead, that honor goes to...

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Jane Blaffer Owen

Jane Blaffer Owen was a driving force in the revitalization of New Harmony throughout the mid to late 20th century. In the 50's she established the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation, an organization which would help direct philanthropic initiatives to preserve and update the historic town. But not content to simply maintain, Jane Blaffer Owen would also commission architects to create new works of public art such as the Roofless church by Philip Johnson and the New Harmony Labyrinth.

This initiative however wasn't just limited to architecture. In 1985 the Robert Lee Blaffer foundation would help create the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Pottery Studio, the site for the New Harmony Clay Project's residency program which is also supported by the foundation. During this same period an organization would start working towards supporting writers in the entertainment arts and this too would also see Jane Blaffer Owen's support - so much so that she would be made an honorary founding member. This organization? The New Harmony Project.

With this we are brought full circle, back to what began our look back at a quaint little town's history.

I hope you all find the time to see New Harmony for yourself but if that seems a little too out of your way, there are the chorus readings of PlayFest Indy that might give you a taste of the artistry to be found.

More information on dates and locations for PlayFest Indy 2025 can be found at the New Harmony Project's website located here.