Harmony, Pennsylvania
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Harmony is a borough located in Butler County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 937.
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Geography
Harmony is located at 40°48'5" North, 80°7'39" West (40.801452, -80.127412)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²). 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 937 people, 409 households, and 267 families residing in the borough. The population density is 952.0/km² (2,468.0/mi²). There are 434 housing units at an average density of 441.0/km² (1,143.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 99.15% White, 0.53% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.11% from two or more races. 0.64% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 409 households out of which 23.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% are married couples living together, 6.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% are non-families. 27.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.29 and the average family size is 2.82.
In the borough the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $40,833, and the median income for a family is $47,411. Males have a median income of $36,875 versus $25,357 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $21,693. 4.5% of the population and 3.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.0% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
Harmony was founded by the Pietist Johann George Rapp and his Harmony Society. George Rapp came to America from Wuertemburg, 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 communistic religious teachings. In 1804 two groups of Harmonists purchased a tract of land in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
They formally established the society in 1805 and lived in Pennsylvania for about 10 years before selling the property 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 vinyards 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, and Economy Lumber Company. 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 survivors of Harmony, died in 1951.
- John Duss papers, PA State Archives (http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/mg/mg310.htm)
- Karl Arndt Collection of Harmony Society Materials, PA State Archives (http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/mg/mg437.htm)
Harmony in 1901
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