Join the Conversation
The people who came to New Harmony in 1825 didn't have all the answers and neither do we. That's why this bicentennial isn't only about looking backward, but also about inviting you into an ongoing conversation about questions that remain urgent today.
​
What makes a community thrive? How do we balance individual freedom with collective responsibility? Can education transform society? What does equality really look like in practice? These weren't just questions for Robert Owen, William Maclure, and their contemporaries. They're questions we're still wrestling with two centuries later.
This space is for your reflections, reactions, and ideas. Submit your thoughts about what worked about the Owen-Maclure experiment, what didn't, and what lessons we might carry forward. Respond to the prompts below, share your own New Harmony story, or propose questions you think others should consider. We review submissions regularly and feature selected responses here on the website.
​
The Owen-Maclure experiment may have lasted only two years, but the conversation it started has never stopped. Join us in keeping it alive.
Your voice matters in this ongoing inquiry
1
Featured Prompts
Every three months, we rotate 3-4 questions with a submission form below each. Submit your thoughts here.
We feature selected responses in Community Voices.
2
Share Your Connection
Do you have family connections to New Harmony or the Owen-Maclure community? Share your story.
​
Have you visited New Harmony? What surprised you most about the town's history?
​
Are you part of an intentional community today? What lessons from New Harmony's experience resonate with your own?
​
Share your connection here.
We're just beginning to gather responses to these prompts. Check back soon to see what others are thinking and submit your own ideas using the forms above. This space will grow throughout the bicentennial as more voices join the conversation.
​
Current Prompts:
​
1. If you could design an ideal community today, what would be your top three priorities? What would you be willing to sacrifice to achieve them?
​
2. How can communities honor their founding principles while remaining open to new ideas and changing circumstances?
​
3. In a community where property is shared, what motivates people to contribute their best work?
​
​
​