Our History
Established by philanthropist William Maclure in 1838, the Working Men’s Institute set as its mission the dissemination of useful knowledge to those who work with their hands. After 170 years of continuous service, this goal is still at the heart of our mission.
Maclure, who was a business partner with Robert Owen in the communal experiment in New Harmony from 1825-1827, was devoted to the ideal of education for the common man as a means of positive change in society. At New Harmony, The Working Men’s Institute was one manifestation of this ideal.
The Working Men’s Institute in New Harmony was the first of 144 such institutions in Indiana and 16 in Illinois. It is the only one remaining. Many were absorbed by township libraries or Carnegie libraries. Yet the one in New Harmony remained.
Housed in a wing of the old Harmonist Church from 1838 until 1894, the Working Men’s Institute found a new home in our lovely Victorian Romanesque Revival building, which is now one of Indiana’s 72 National Historic Landmarks. With its arched windows, belt courses of stone and iconic tower, the WMI is an imposing landmark in historic New Harmony.
New Harmony’s Working Men’s Institute is rooted in Robert Owen’s utopian experiment here in the 1820s.This experiment was based on the belief that men and women are essentially rational individuals and can bring about lasting social harmony if properly taught and encouraged. Many idealists were drawn to Owen’s New Harmony by the opportunity to create a better world, and among the most ambitious of these was geologist William Maclure.
Maclure, a business partner with Robert Owen, was devoted to the idea of self-instruction for the common man as a means of positive change in society. His own schooling had left him very disappointed in both his teachers and traditional academic offerings. Formal education, he believed, benefited only the few at the expense of the many, and was not valuable for day-to-day living. He wanted the common working men to be able to teach themselves useful arts and sciences without outside interference. Maclure championed the establishment of public institutions for the dissemination of useful knowledge to “those who labor with their hands.” In these places the common working man could, by his own hard work, attain the knowledge that would free him from ignorance, dependency and fear.
Maclure established the New Harmony Working Men’s Institute in 1838. The concept proved popular and 143 other WMIs appeared throughout Indiana. Another 16 were established in Illinois. New Harmony’s WMI was the first one established and is the only one remaining.
The Working Men’s Institute continues to evolve in ways that help us fulfill our founder’s mission. Come for a visit and see for yourself what a valuable resource we have here in the heart of New Harmony.
Our Mission
The mission of the Working Men’s Institute set forth by founder William Maclure in 1838 is the dissemination of useful knowledge to working men and their families.
Maclure intended the Working Men’s Institute to bridge the information gap between the wealthy and the poor by providing libraries for average people. Today, the Working Men’s Institute still bridges the information gap by providing library services including public access computers to all of the people of Posey County.
Our Founder
William Maclure was born in Scotland in 1763. A highly successful mercantile career allowed him to retire at the age of 34 and devote his life to extensive travel. Maclure also pursued philanthropic and scientific interests, chiefly geology.
In 1807 he conducted the first geological survey of the United States. This resulted in Maclure’s 1809 Geological Map, the first geological map of the United States . As a result of this map, he is known as “The Father of American Geology.” Maclure also became the President of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1817, and served in that position for 22 years.
In 1826, Maclure joined social reformer Robert Owen in the utopian experiment at New Harmony, Indiana. There he guided the new community’s educational institutions and established the journal, Disseminator of Useful Knowledge. Although poor health caused him to move to Mexico in 1828, Maclure maintained his connections to New Harmony through correspondence with his associates. Maclure died in Mexico in 1840.
Today, the Working Men’s Institute is a public library, a museum and an archive. In each of these areas, we work to remain true to the original mission of William Maclure, bridging the information gap by providing library services including public access computers to all of the people of Posey County, and museums and galleries to all.
William Maclure was a man of science, a geologist and president of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. He also had very strong opinions on politics and education, many of shared by Robert Owen, who decided to recruit him for the utopian experiment that he was bringing his New Harmony.
When it came to education, Maclure felt that it only benefited the wealthy and the elite…that there was no place for the common working man to gain useful information. He felt that the common working man didn’t need Greek and Latin, or other “highbrow” subjects being presented at the universities of his day. He felt the laborers needed a place where they could learn useful information that would apply to their lives, their families, and the betterment of the community. That was the genesis of the Working Men’s Institute. Many of Maclure’s papers and correspondence can be found in our Archives.
One of our early benefactors was Dr. Edward Murphy, the town physician and a member of the Working Men’s Institute. A wealthy man, he loved New Harmony and paid for the construction of not only this building, but the Murphy auditorium next door. In our “Museum” section, you can read about some of his contributions to our art collection as well.
Our Archives include a vast collection of the Golden family, a show business troupe during late 19th and early 20th century and a very noteworthy family of New Harmony. We have all their music, all their plays, photographs and some costumes that they wore on stage.
The Working Men’s Institute continues to evolve in ways that help us fulfill our founder’s mission. We hope you’ll visit and see for yourself what an amazing treasure we have here in the heart of New Harmony.
Board of Trustees
Fred Frayser
President
Nathan Maudlin
Vice President
Tamara Allison
Treasurer
Christine Crews
Secretary
Connie Weinzapfel
Trustee
Educating our community with your support.
Your contribution enables the Working Men’s Institute to continue serving the public. Thank you for your generosity!
