Somewhere in southwestern Indiana, along a bend in the Wabash River, there’s a town that makes absolutely no sense and perfect sense simultaneously.
New Harmony is what happens when religious idealists, scientific intellectuals, and contemporary artists all decide the same tiny spot is the ideal location for their dreams, and somehow all their visions coexist in a space smaller than most shopping malls.
This miniature marvel of a community has been the setting for two completely different attempts at creating utopian societies, which should tell you something about the kind of optimistic, ambitious, slightly unhinged energy that’s always characterized this place.
The first utopian experiment was led by a religious group seeking spiritual perfection through communal living and devotion…