Old Economy | |
 The Rapp house in Old Economy Village, Pennsylvania. | |
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| Location | Beaver County,Pennsylvania,USA |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Ambridge, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°35′46.17″N80°13′58.8″W / 40.5961583°N 80.233000°W /40.5961583; -80.233000 |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1824 |
| Architect | George Rapp and Frederick Reichert Rapp |
| Architectural style | 19th Century German-American |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000644 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Designated NHLD | June 23, 1965[2] |
Economy Historic District | |
 Harmony Society church in Old Economy Village | |
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| Location | Old Economy Village roughly bounded by PA 65, 12th, Merchant, and 16th Sts.,Ambridge, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°35′46″N80°13′55″W / 40.59611°N 80.23194°W /40.59611; -80.23194 |
| Area | 28 acres (11 ha) |
| Built | 1825 |
| Architect | Harmony Society |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001142[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 21, 1985 |
Old Economy Village is an historic settlement that is located inAmbridge,Beaver County,Pennsylvania,United States. Administered by thePennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, it lies on the banks of theOhio River and is surrounded by downtown Ambridge.
The village is the last of three settlements established by theHarmony Society in the United States (another in Pennsylvania and one inIndiana). Founded in 1824, it was designated as aNational Historic Landmark District in 1966 under the name of "Old Economy."[1][3]
TheHarmony Society was aChristian theosophy andpietist society founded inIptingen,Germany, in 1785. Due to religious persecution by theLutheran Church and the government inWürttemberg,[4] the Harmony Society moved to theUnited States between 1803 and 1804, initially purchasing 3,000 acres (12 km2) of land inButler County, Pennsylvania. On February 15, 1805, society leaders, together with about 400 followers, formally organized the Harmony Society, placing all of theirgoods in common.
The society was founded and led byJohann Georg Rapp (1757–1847) and his adopted son,Frederick (Reichert) Rapp (1775–1834), and lasted for 100 years – roughly from 1805 until 1905. Members of the society were sometimes called Harmonists, Harmonites, or Rappites.
The Harmony Society is best known for its worldly successes, eventually building three successive communities, first atHarmony, Pennsylvania (1804–1814), thenNew Harmony, Indiana (1814–1824), finally settling in Economy (nowAmbridge, Pennsylvania).
TheHarmonites named their last town Economy, after the spiritual notion of theDivine Economy. Here, under the business acumen and efficient management of Frederick Rapp, society members enjoyed such prosperity that, by 1829, they dominated the trade and the markets ofPittsburgh and down theOhio River. Accused of being amonopoly, the society faced pressure to dissolve. At this time, the community was not neglectful of matters pertaining to art and culture. Frederick Rapp purchased and installed a museum, containing fine paintings and manycurios and antiquities; they had adeer park, a floral park, and a maze, or labyrinth; the society also had a good orchestra, were fond of music, and gave much attention to its cultivation.
In 1832, the society suffered a serious division. Of 750 members, 250 became alienated through the influence ofBernhard Müller (self-styled Count de Leon), who, with forty followers (also at variance with the authorities inthe old country), had come to Economy to affiliate with the society. Rapp andLeon could not agree; a separation and apportionment of the property were therefore effected. This secession of one-third of the society, consisting mostly of the young men and women who did not want to maintain the custom ofcelibacy, reportedly broke Frederick's heart. He died within two years.
It also resulted in a considerable fracturing of the community. Nevertheless, the society remained prosperous in business investments for many more years to come.
After Frederick Rapp's death, in 1834, the business management passed successively into the hands ofGeorge Rapp, who died in 1847 (R. L, Baker and Jacob Henrici, 1847–69; J. Henrici and Jonathan Lenz, 1869–92; J. S. Duss, 1892–1903; Susie C. Duss, 1903–06).
The settlements were economically successful, producing many goods in a clothing factory, a sawmill, a tannery, and from their vineyards and distillery. Society members also produced high quality silk for garments.
The Harmonites were industrious and utilized the latest technologies of the day in their factories. In Economy, the group aided the construction of thePittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, established the Economy Savings Institution and the Economy Brick Works, and operated the Economy Oil Company, Economy Planing Mill, Economy Lumber Company, and eventually donated some land inBeaver Falls for the construction ofGeneva College. The society exerted a major influence on the economic development ofWestern Pennsylvania. But since the group chose to adoptcelibacy and the people in the group kept getting older, more work gradually had to be hired out.
The high-water mark of the society's prosperity was at the close of the administration of R. L. Baker in 1868; its wealth at that time being probably $2,000,000. By 1890, however, it was hopelessly in debt, on the verge of bankruptcy, with a depleted membership of aged people. The society was overwhelmed with litigation on the part of would-be heirs. J. S. Duss won the lawsuits and paid the society's indebtedness. The great strain which he had undergone undermining his health, he was forced to resign his trusteeship in 1903. There being but few members left, the remaining land and assets were sold under the leadership of Duss's wife, and the society was formally dissolved in 1906.
In 1916, theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired 6 acres (0.024 km2) and 17 buildings of Old Economy, which became the present-day historic site. Other parts of the society's land were acquired by theAmerican Bridge Company to expand the borough ofAmbridge- incorporated in 1905 and named after AMerican BRIDGE . Today, much of Ambridge outside of Old Economy Village is ahistoric district (the Economy Historic District) listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[1]
Johann George Rapp (November 1, 1757 – August 7, 1847) was the founder of the religious sect called Harmonists, Harmonites, Rappites, or theHarmony Society.
Born inIptingen,Duchy of Württemberg,Germany, Rapp became inspired by the philosophies ofJakob Böhme,Philipp Jakob Spener, andEmanuel Swedenborg, among others. In the 1780s, George Rapp began preaching and soon started to gather a group of his own followers. His group officially split with theLutheran Church in 1785 and was promptly banned from meeting. The persecution that Rapp and his followers experienced caused them to leave Germany and come to theUnited States in 1803.
Rapp was aPietist, and a number of his beliefs were shared by theAnabaptists, as well as groups such as theShakers. Rapp's religious beliefs and philosophy were the cement that held his community together both in Germany and in America – aChristian community andcommune, which in America organized as theHarmony Society.
The Harmony Society built three American towns, became rich, famous, and survived for 100 years – roughly from 1805 until 1905. By 1798, Rapp and his group of followers had already begun to distance themselves from mainstream society. In the Lomersheimer Declaration, written in 1798, Rapp's followers refused to serve in the military or attendLutheran schools. In 1803, when the government began to persecute Rapp's followers, he decided to move the entire group to the United States. The initial move scattered the followers and reduced Rapp's original group of 12,000 to many fewer persons.
In 1804, Rapp was able to secure a large tract of land inPennsylvania and started his firstcommune. This first commune, 'Harmonie', (Harmony),Butler County, Pennsylvania, soon grew to a population of about 800, and was highly profitable. At Harmony, theHarmony Society was created and its members contracted to hold all property in common, to submit to spiritual and material leadership by Rapp and associates, and adopted thecelibate lifestyle. In 1814, the first town was sold toMennonites for 10 times the amount originally paid for the land, and the entire commune moved out west toIndiana where their new town was also known as Harmony. Ten years after the move to Indiana the commune moved again, this time it returned toPennsylvania and named their town 'Ökonomie', Economy. The Indiana settlement was sold toRobert Owen, at which point it was renamedNew Harmony, Indiana.
George Rapp lived out his remaining days in the town of Economy, Pennsylvania, until August 7, 1847, when he died at the age of 89. The commune ultimately failed because the policy ofcelibacy prevented new members from within, and the majority of the outside world had no desire to give up so much to live in a commune. The society was formally dissolved in 1906.
Today, many of their remaining buildings are preserved and open to visitors. The entire village was designated as aNational Historic Landmark District in 1965.
