There’s nothing concrete about the sense of peace one feels when walking the streets of New Harmony in Indiana, but there’s no denying that there is an uncanny utopian essence floating about the town.
New Harmony is a charming slice of America that was established in 1814 when charismatic leader Johann Georg Rapp bought the 20,000-acre settlement for just $2 per acre. Rapp was the founder of the Harmony Society, a group of Separatists from the German Lutheran Church, and it was he and his fellow “Harmonists” that set out to create a utopian communal society along the banks of the Wabash River in this Indiana settlement.
The Harmonists’ devout German work ethic and utopian ethos made the town into what some people called “the wonder of the West.” Although the group only stayed in the area for 10 years before moving on to other ventures, its legacy and ideals have been preserved in everything from the culture to the architecture, where buildings like the New Harmony Inn stand as reminders of the town’s tranquil past.
Now one of the most popular meeting venues in the town, the New Harmony Inn got its start as the Red Geranium Restaurant back in 1964, when it was a place for hungry tourists to experience the true flavor of the historical community.
“The operation soon grew into a reputable fine-dining experience in the region,” said Melissa Lingafelter, sales director for the New Harmony Inn Resort and Conference Center. “In 1974, Jane Blaffer Owen created the New Harmony Inn to offer overnight accommodations to the traveling guests. The 45-room hotel was designed to complement the Harmonist structures of the town, offering traditionally minimalist-style rooms with hardwood floors and simple furnishings.”
In 1986, the inn opened a conference center and a second dormitory with 45 conventional-style hotel rooms. The now 90-room hotel, surrounded by pastoral views and on the edge of the historical town of New Harmony, offers guests an unusual retreat from life’s modern pace; the modern conference facilities provide the perfect setting for small meetings, business luncheons, holiday parties, weddings and retreats.
Meeting Spaces
The interior of the main conference room at the New Harmony Inn Resort and Conference Center complements the organic landscape behind the walls with towering vaulted ceilings and grand windows that look out onto the graceful grounds. The 3,575-square-foot conference room can be divided into two separate spaces to accommodate up to 250 people maximum in each room, or groups can reserve the entire space for events of up to 400 people. The resort also offers two breakout rooms for groups of 16 to 30. The private gardens and canopied woodlands make for great settings for outdoor gatherings.
