New Harmony Preservation During the 1970s and the Future

Abstract

New Harmony is an important historical town, not just within the United States but it has global significance as well. New Harmony still has a large number of the historic houses and buildings, many of which date to the Harmonist and Owenite periods. Many of these buildings were relocated after the town was declared a UNESCO world heritage site. It is difficult to understand where these structures were initially and how they fit into the town landscape today. The aim of this research was to track where these buildings were initially and to where they were moved. It also provides a brief background on the buildings and the historical significance of each. This research heavily relied on the use of the Historic New Harmony slide collection, and historical maps and photographs contained in the Don Blair collection housed in the University of Southern Indiana Archive digital collections. It also relied on the historical maps housed in the Working Men's Institute Archive in New Harmony and the Library of Congress. By knowing where these structures were initially located within the landscape a better understanding of the town and its space can be had.