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History · New Harmony

New Harmony dates to 1862, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1957 on and the census since 1860.

1862founded
0on the National Register
26%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Chris Grant · Public domain
Quick answers

How New Harmony began

When was New Harmony founded?

1862

New Harmony dates its founding to 1862 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 74 in 18602020 census: 236164 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1866.The full story ↓

What stands out about New Harmony’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of New Harmony are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost two-thirds of its people between 1870 and 1970, then grew 3-fold.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start New Harmony’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how New Harmony’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

New Harmony, census by census

0100200190019502000243 in 1870Low: 78

Lost two-thirds of its people between 1870 and 1970, then grew 3-fold.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New Harmony’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How New Harmony came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of New Harmony.

Read it all →

The town was originally settled as part of efforts to mine and refine iron in the area. Settlers built a crude foundry in 1852, but abandoned it soon after due to transport and logistics issues. [1]

The town of New Harmony was settled in 1862, by families driven from Fort Harmony when the fort had to be abandoned after most of its adobe walls were washed away during a month of heavy rains in January and February, during the Great Flood of 1862.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

New Harmony, 1862 to 1957

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1862
    FoundingNew Harmony is established
  3. 1866Post officeThe New Harmony post office opens
  4. 1870CensusPopulation peaks at 243
  5. 20th century
  6. 1957On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

New Harmony, decade by decade

Today4 recent
New Harmony, Utah2017New Harmony, UtahSandstone cliffs over trees (Unsplash)2016Sandstone cliffs over trees (Unsplash)Kolob Fingers from2007Kolob Fingers fromNew Harmony Valley from Entrance to Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park, Utah2005New Harmony Valley from Entrance to Kolob Canyons, Zi…
On the map

New Harmony on the map, 1957 to 2002

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Harmony. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

New Harmony on the 1957 USGS mapNew Harmony on the 1986 USGS mapNew Harmony on the 2002 USGS map1957New Harmony sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of New Harmony.

Famous people

Famous people close to New Harmony

Nobody well known was born in New Harmony itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Amanda RighettiAmerican actress · b. 1983
Brendon UrieAmerican singer and musician · b. 1987
Mike LeavittAmerican politician · b. 1951
Howard CannonAmerican politician · b. 1912
Jeffrey R. HollandAmerican educator and religious leader · b. 1940
A
Ally CondieAmerican novelist · b. 1978

Questions about New Harmony’s history

What year was New Harmony founded?

In 1862, according to Wikidata. New Harmony’s post office opened in 1866, and the census of 1860 counted 74 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.