Harmony, Pennsylvania

Geobox|Settlement
name = Harmony
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =
category = Borough
etymology_type = Named for
etymology =
official_name = Borough of Harmony
nickname =
motto =


image_caption = Rapp's Seat overlooking Harmony, PA and Connoquenessing Creek


flag_size =
symbol =
symbol_type =
symbol_size =
country = United States
country_

state = Pennsylvania
state_

region = Butler County
region_type = County
district = Jackson Township
district_type = Township
landmark =
river =
location =
lat_d = 40
lat_m = 48
lat_s = 10
lat_NS = N
long_d = 80
long_m = 7
long_s = 40
long_EW = W
elevation_imperial =
elevation_round = 0
area_imperial =
area_land_imperial =
area_water_imperial =
area_water_percentage =
area_percentage_round =
area_round = 1
population_as_of = 2000
population = 937
population_density_imperial = 2468.0
population_density_round = 1
established_type = Settled
established = 1804
established1_type = Incorporated
established1 = 1838
mayor =
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
postal_code =
postal_code_type = ZIP code
area_code = 724
area_code_type =
code2_type =
code2 =
free_type = School District
free = Seneca Valley school district


map_caption = Location of Harmony in Butler County
map1 = Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Butler County.svg
map1_caption = Location of Butler County in Pennsylvania
map1_locator = Pennsylvania
map2 = Map of USA PA.svg
map2_caption = Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
website =

Harmony is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 937 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 937 people, 409 households, and 267 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,468.0 people per square mile (952.0/km²). There were 434 housing units at an average density of 1,143.1/sq mi (441.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.15% White, 0.53% African American, 0.21% Native American, and 0.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 409 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the borough the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $40,833, and the median income for a family was $47,411. Males had a median income of $36,875 versus $25,357 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,693. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

History

Harmony was founded by the pietist Johann Georg Rapp and his Harmony Society in 1804. George Rapp came to America from Württemberg, Germany in 1803 in search of land for his followers. He was searching for a place for his followers to worship, farm and put into effect Rapp's communal religious teachings. In 1804, two groups of Harmonites purchased a tract of land in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

They formally established the Harmony Society in 1805 and lived in Pennsylvania for about 10 years before selling the Harmony property to Mennonites and moving on to New Harmony, Indiana. In 1824, they moved back to Pennsylvania, this time to Economy. The settlements were economically successful, producing many goods in a clothing factory, a sawmill, a tannery, and from their vineyards and distillery. A hotel was also run in Harmony. In Economy, the group aided the construction of the Pittsburgh 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 in Beaver Falls for the construction of Geneva College. The society exerted a major influence on the economic development of Western Pennsylvania. But since the group chose to adopt celibacy, they eventually died out when John S. and his wife Susanna C. Duss, the last surviving leaders of Harmony Society, died in 1951.

In 1814, the Harmony Society sold the town to a group of Mennonites lead by Abraham Ziegler. In 1869, the Mennonites built the stone wall around the Harmonite cemetery with the unique revolving stone door. The Mennonite community in Harmony lasted until around 1904, by which time the town was selling more and more individual plots. There's an old Mennonite meeting house on a hill near Harmony that was built in 1825.

In December of 1753, George Washington and Christopher Gist came through the area when it was then known as Murdering Town. In 2003, the borough commemorated the event of them passing through the area as part of the 250th Anniversary Commemoration of the French and Indian War.

Harmony's history, particularly that of the Harmony Society, is preserved at The Harmony Museum [http://www.harmonymuseum.org/] , operated in the town by Historic Harmony, Inc.

On a hill in Harmony, situated above Connoquenessing Creek sits a "seat" of stone (actually a rock formation). This seat was used by Rapp to watch over the commune and its members in their daily lives. Thanks to local Boy Scout Troop 457 (Zelienople, PA), a set of steps were built leading up to the seat.

ee also

* Harmony Society
* Harmony Historic District
* George Rapp
* New Harmony, Indiana
* Ambridge, Pennsylvania
* Old Economy Village
* Old Economy, Pennsylvania
* Economy, Pennsylvania

References

External links

* [http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/mg/mg310.htm John Duss papers, PA State Archives]
* [http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/mg/mg437.htm Karl Arndt Collection of Harmony Society Materials, PA State Archives]
* [http://www.harmonymuseum.org The Harmony Museum]
* [http://www.harmony-pa.us The Official Harmony Borough WebSite]