Historic New Harmony acquires antique Harmonist artifacts

After nearly 200 years away, five pieces of Harmonie Society furniture are coming home to New Harmony, Indiana. Purchased from a private collector in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, one table, three chairs and a clothes press will join a bench in the David Lenz House, which was purchased several years ago.

Members of the religious communal group that built the town of New Harmony from 1814 to 1824 were excellent craftsmen and made nearly all of the furniture they used. When they sold the town to Robert Owen in 1825, they took everything that could be loaded in a flatboat or on a wagon back to where they built their final home near Pittsburgh.

Thanks to a gift from Dr. Christa C. Thurman Sala, the David Lenz House will now show daily life of the Harmonie Society more authentically. With her gift, Dr. Thurman Sala honored her late husband Dr. Lawrence S. Thurman who was the first curator at Old Economy Village, the last home of the Harmonie Society. Dr. Thurman also became a consultant to Jane Blaffer Owen, descendent of Robert Owen, as she began her preservation work in New Harmony. 

"I am gratified that all of the pieces, both literal and figurative, came together to enhance the visitor experience in New Harmony," said Connie Weinzapfel, director of Historic New Harmony.

Weinzapfel organized a trip to Pennsylvania and negotiated the purchase. Realizing the scarcity of the artifacts, and within just a few weeks, an arrangement was made for the transportation to New Harmony at no cost to USI.

For more information on the project, contact Connie Weinzapfel at 812-682-4488 or cweinzap@usi.edu.