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New Haven, Connecticut
John Davenport and Theophilis Eaton, joint leaders of a company of colonists who had arrived at Boston from England in 1637, searched in vain for a suitable place to settle near Massachusetts Bay. They turned to the land of the Quinnipiac in Connecticut. The colonists arrived at their new home on April 14, 1638. The next day, Davenport preached on “the temptation in the wilderness” from Matthew 4:1 and the new colony took its place on the shores of New Haven harbor. -
Germantown, Pennsylvania
A group of scholars, led by Johannes Kelpius, arrived in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1694, the year their founder, Johann Zimmermann expected the dawn of a new millennium. They took their name from The Book of A group of scholars, led by Johannes Kelpius, arrived in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1694, the year their founder, Johann Zimmermann expected the dawn of a new millennium. They took their name from The Book of Revelation woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a pla -
Ephrata, Pennsylvania
The members of the Ephrata Cloister were an internationally famous group of scholars who gathered under the leadership of the mystical Conrad Beissel. Believing that the highest spiritual attainment was possible only to celibates, Solitary Sisters and Solitary Brethren lived in separate monastic buildings. A third group, Householders, lived in family groups. -
HARMONY SOCIETY
Though Rapp's split with the church occurred in 1787, he did not bring his followers to America until 1804. The 1st settlement, called Harmony, was established in Butler County, Pa., and was such a success that Rapp feared his followers might grow idle. To prevent this, in 1814 he moved the settlement farther west to 24,000 acres of land near the Wabash River in Indiana. -
The Shakers
Like most reformist movements of the time, the Shakers were agriculturally based, and believed in common ownership of all property and the confessions of sins. Unlike most of the other groups, the Shakers practiced celibacy, or the lack of procreation. Membership came via converts or by adopting children. Shaker families consisted of "brothers" and "sisters" who lived in gender-segregated communal homes of up to 100 individuals. -
Old Economy, USA
Now a registered National Historic Landmark District, and largely surrounded by the town of Ambridge, Old Economy stands on the banks of the Ohio River. It was founded by the Harmony Society in 1824, one of three sister settlements with their origins in 19th century Germany theosophy. The Harmony Society was formed by German ex-pats under Johann Georg Rapp (1757-1847). Some 400 members acquired 3,000 acres of Pennsylvania, agreeing to hold their possessions in common. It survived for 100 years -
Nauvoo, USA
The name sounds Native American but is actually Hebrew. Coming from the Book of Isiah, and meaning 'to be beautiful', it was bestowed on the town by Joseph Smith Jr., the 19th century publisher of the Book of Mormon. By 1844 the population was 12,000, half that of Chicago. AP Photo The Nauvoo Temple, sold in 1849 and damaged by a tornado one year later, was re-built in 1999. As the Mormons withdrew the town was occupied by several hundred Icarians, members of a French utopian movement who -
Period: to
1840-1850 Utopial
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Brook Farm, or Ripley's Follow Me or Not
The commune was built on a 200-acre farm with four buildings and centered on the ideals of radical social reform and self-reliance. For free tuition in the community school and one year's worth of room and board, the residents were asked to complete 300 days of labor by either farming, working in the manufacturing shops, performing domestic chores or grounds maintenance, or planning the community's recreation projects. -
Fruitlands: A Utopian Community
Many in the group of residents saw manual labor as spiritually inhibiting and soon it became evident that the commune could not provide enough food to sustain its members. The strict diet of grains and fruits left many of the members malnourished and sick. Given this situation, many of the members left and the community collapsed in January 1844. -
Utopia, USA
Founded in 1844 in Clermont County, Ohio, and now mostly a ghost town, Utopia was settled by followers of the French socialist philosopher Charles Fourier. Believing the world was about to enjoy 35,000 years of peace, and that the waters would turn to lemonade, they were instead washed away when the Ohio river burst its banks. Thereafter the community was remodelled along anarchist lines, with newcomers being admitted only by invitation and 'labor notes' in place of money. In this form it survi -
Pullman's Capitalist Utopia
The utopian community had very rigid social class barriers, with the management and skilled workers living in tenements. Within 20 years the experiment failed miserably. Pullman began demanding more and more rent to offset company loses, while union sentiment grew among the employee residents. -
Equality Colony, USA
Established in 1897 in Skagit County, Washington, the colony was intended by its founders to show the rest of the state - and eventually all of America - how the country could be properly run on socialist principles. Basing its ideas on a book, Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward, the group acquired nearly 500 acres. At its peak the population reached almost 300, everyone drawing equal wages and women working two hours a day less than the men. Policy was decided at weekly town meetings but unfort -
Findhorn Foundation, Scotland
Founded in 1900 by Scottish evangelist John Alexander Dowie, Zion was planned out in its entirety before any building began. With the street layout said to have been based on the Union Flag, Dowie determined that all economic, social, political, educational and religious activities would be coordinated through his church.
Boasting 6,000 followers, Dowie had earlier founded the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church - with himself as First Apostle - and intended his new city to be free from all the -
Zion, USA
Founded by Scottish evangelist John Alexander Dowie, Zion was planned out in its entirety before any building began. With the street layout said to have been based on the Union Flag, Dowie determined that all economic, social, political, educational and religious activities would be coordinated through his church.
Boasting 6,000 followers, Dowie had earlier founded the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church. -
Sointula, British Columbia
An isolated community some 800 strong, Sointula is located on Malcolm Island and is also of Scandinavian origin Founded in 1901, the name meaning 'Place of Peace' in Finnish, the early settlers were coal miners keen to escape a harsh life back and run their lives on socialist principles. Unfortunately the community did not thrive, although many of its descendents still live on the island and the Sointula Cooperative Store is the oldest of its type in British Columbia. In 2004 the writer Bill Ga -
Letchworth, England
One of the first new towns, and the world's first Garden City, Letchworth was the creation of Ebeneezer Howard. In 1898 the social reformer had published To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform, a book laying out ideas which like Poundbury's were mocked in the press but struck a chord with many. Envisioning somewhere urban but attractive, with gardens for everyone and a multiplicity of open spaces, Howard also planned to underwrite this radical new development with something called 'Rate-Rent -
Yad Hashmona, Israel
Operating like a small, cooperative kibbutz in the Judean Mountains, the settlement was established in the 1970s by Finnish Christians keen to make a gesture of solidarity with the State of Israel. The name, meaning 'Memorial for the Eight', commemorates eight Jews betrayed to the Gestapo by the Finnish government in 1938. With a population of around 100, mostly now Israeli Jews, the settlement on the outskirts of Jerusalem has a number of attractions to keep it solvent. These include a convent -
Poundbury, England
An architectural experiment on the outskirts of Dorchester, Poundbury was built on Duchy of Cornwall land at the express wish of the Duke himself, aka Prince Charles. It has strongly divided opinion since the basic plan was developed in the 1980s by Leon Krier, the Luxembourg-born 'New Urbanist' architect. Chris Ison PA Poundbury was built at the express wish of Prince Charles Dismissed by detractors as mere pastiche (but very popular with residents), the building style is overtly traditi -
The Principality of New Utopia
New Utopia is a planned micronation to be built on sea platforms erected on a sea mount in the Caribbean, off the coast of Mexico. It is currently run by Prince Lazarus and Princess Maureen. They seem to have a desire to implement some of the theories of Ayn Rand. http://www.new-utopia.com/