The Many Faces of Church and Main

The Many Faces of Church and Main

Doing Business in Utopia The Harmonists and the Owenites

The Harmonists were the first people to live in New Harmony. They laid out the streets broad and straight in German fashion and began doing business. This building was built by the Harmonists but used as a granary. Later residents used it as a woolen mill. However, the Harmonists did manufacture textiles here.

From the Niles Register, Sept. 6, 1817 The Harmonists had been in Harmonie 3 years when this report was made. The following is an excerpt. They already had good houses, large work shops and extensive barns—one of them 100 feet by 45, and another 200 feet long and 45 wide; a steam mill, driving two pairs of stones; a very large brick house in the shape of an L, for Mr. Rapp, with an excellent and highly ornate garden, inferior to few in the United States; they have 1500 merino sheep, whose wool they manufacture into excellent broadcloths, with a large stock of cattle, hogs, etc. and carry on almost every trade and manufacture, as well for their own use as to make things for sale— among them are tin-workers, shoemakers, saddlers, joiners, carpenters, hatters, stocking and other weavers, tanners, Wheelwrights, blacksmiths, etc. ect.

Built by the Harmonists and used by them as a caster oil factory, this building was located just off Main on Tavern until torn down in 1921

The Harmonists built this building on the northwest corner of Main and Tavern and used it as a tavern. Later it was called the Monitor Tavern. This corner was known as Monitor Corner until the building burned to the ground in 1908. After another fire at that location in 1998, Harmonie Haus Cinema was built.

The Harmonists sold their town and businesses to the Owenites and business went on. Overflowing with intellectuals and chaotic in organization, the Owen community was never as successful in business as the Harmonists. However, they did find a unique way to pay laborers.

New Harmony, a trading center Main and Church its heart

Portion of Tyler, Fauntleroy & Co. accounts, October 1828.

Portion of a cargo list sent by Mr. Fauntleroy to New Orleans. Made up of pork and beef, including 27 barrels of miscellaneous pork, the value was $13, 115. 20

From the port of New Harmony to the port of New Orleans, 79 barrels of whiskey. Shipped by William Owen and Virgil Soper, 6 July 1835. Steamboats also went upriver as far as Lafayette, and often steamboats brought goods to New Harmony merchants to be sold in their stores. In the 1860 s steamboats were making daily runs from Evansville to New Harmony.

New Harmony shipped out meat, grain, lumber and whiskey and shipped in all the world had to offer. In the fall of 1841, the Twigg family needed blacking, nails, pepper and shoes for the family.

This early map from Harmonist time shows the Wabash flowing past New Harmony and the little stream that would eventually become the main channel. Because of the shoals south of town, the new channel was impassable to steamboat traffic. Harmonie

A new mode of transportation was changing the way America did business. This is the P. D. & E Branch in New Harmony ca. 1895 The ease and dependability of shipping by train squeezed out small hubs of commerce like New Harmony in favor of larger towns.

Main St. USA– New Harmony late 1800 to mid 20 th century

Northeast corner of Church and Main.

Main Street looking north.

Breith and Heckman buildings give Main St. a facelift.

Lichtenberger’s – serving New Harmony for 100 years. Located on the northeast corner of Main and Tavern.

Taken before 1908. Monitor Tavern on corner. Ford Store across the street from Tavern.

By 1929, the old Ford Store and Monitor Tavern are gone. The clock tower of Ribeyre Gym cans be seen where the Ford Store used to stand. The old Mumford house still stands, but not for long.

By 1930, the Mumford house is gone. A new Standard Oil Station serves the ever-growing number of cars.

Church Street looking east from Main. Ca. 1890

Taken in 1878 before the fire of 1880 and subsequent remodeling of building. Called No. 3 by the Harmonists, it is where visitors stayed when while in Harmonie.

On Church looking toward Main before the fire of July 1893 that destroyed the corner buildings.

“Chaffin corner” after the fire of 1893.

Church St. ca. 1930

Opera House as gas station

In 1943 New Harmony had 8 grocery and meat markets 1 bank 1 dry goods an clothing store 1 hatcher 1 clothing store 3 coal dealers 1 pool room 2 barber shops 1 picture show 1 telephone office 2 variety stores 1 beer café & sandwich shop 2 shoe shops 1 ice dealer 1 liquor and beer café 2 machine & blacksmith shops 3 restaurants 5 oil well supply depots 1 hardware store 1 railroad 1 lawyer 1 newspaper 2 drug stores 1 funeral director 5 filling stations 1 express office 1 flour mill 1 dentist 1 lumber yard 1 part-time doctor

2 cream stations 2 bulk oil depots Painters, paperhangers, insurance agents, carpenters, radio mechanics, electricians, and auto mechanics 1 general contractor 1 mule and stock dealer 1 veterinarian 1 magazine agency 1 furniture and department store 1 gravel plant 1 photographer 1 well shooter 1 municipal light and water plant 1 large suburban confectionary 1 public library

New Glass Station is Attractive The new Boyer filling station announces that it will begin to serve the public tomorrow. This station is enclosed in blue and cream glass and offers an attractive novelty, there being few in the middle-west. It is a handsome addition to the town. Mr. Boyer is planning to purchase part of the Shoultz lot in the rear of the station. This will give him more parking space for tourists who spend the night here and do not want to leave their cars on the street. At some later date Ed may see fit to erect two or three modern tourist cabins on the lot. 1936

The biscuit baking contest held at Fretageot’s store last Friday night was largely attended- there being a number of young girls registered for the game. Biscuits were baked on the famous Majestic Steel Range with Mrs. J. H. Johnson, Mrs. Kate Parde and Homer Lichtenberger as judges. The biscuit eating match for boys was won by Grover Deitz, who swallowed 9 buscuits in 6 ¾ minutes.

Golden Store ca. 1906

Percy Bennett’s store ca. 1920

New Harmony business houses are getting to be Chinese puzzles. What used to be grocery stores are now stocked with dry goods, face powders, canned goods, pastry, lingerie, fresh meats, auto accessories and clothing. The soft drink stands cannot be told from the general store as they handle everything from a lead pencil to a go-cart. The drug stores carry a complete line of dry goods, noonday lunches and heating stoves. The dry goods stores handle hardware, shot guns, tinware, chinaware, bananas and gasoline. The hardware stores carry fruits, shoes, neckties and take orders for dressed poultry. The only ones remaining in their line have been banks. They would probably have opposition if the rest of the business men had any money to loan. The clothing stores have as yet added no new departments. The mothers used to be able to tell their children to go down town after a pound of butter, a yard of Gingham, or a bottle of pop and they knew where to go, but now if the same mothers do not draw a map of where they want the children to go they are apt to bring home a pitch fork, a minnow bucket, or a set of dominos. 1927

Visit Historic New Harmony

By the second half of the 20 th century affordable cars, cheap gas and good roads had paved the way for shopping malls and chain stores. Main Streets and towns across the country were changing. New Harmony was changing more than most.

Lenz House heads to new location in historic district 1958

New Post Office-1968

The old

gives way

to the new-1959 construction of the Roofless Church

The depot moves from Church St. to North St

Harmonist homes are moved and remodeled for tourists. Interior of Solomon Wolfe House under construction.

Scholle House ready for tourists in 1967.

Dry goods stores and groceries gave way to antique and gift shops. Starting around 1970 New Harmony was home to…. . The Soup to Nuts Shop The Little Red Harmonie Haus Harmony Candlemaker Shoppe The Privy Shop Kopper Kettle Shoppe Hearts of Harmony Hoosier Exclusive Red Geranium Bookstore Cottage Craft Shop Foxfire Pottery Old Harmony Shoppe Gifts by Kern Crafty Goose St. Nick’s Christmas Shop Caboose Antiques, Etc. Gwen Koch Gallaries Decades of Design Perfect Arrangements Calico and Lace Mudpies Wicker and Gift Shop

Though Main and Church Streets have changed over the years 1905 They are still the heart of New Harmony – Our Town