Rapp

Rapp, GEORGE, founder of the sect of Harmonists, was born in Württemberg in 1770, and, after an attempt to restore the church of New Testament days in Germany, emigrated with his followers to Western Pennsylvania in 1803. There he established a settlement which he named Harmony (whence the early title of the sect, Harmonists or Harmonites). In 1815 the community removed to Indiana, and founded New Harmony (q.v.); but this was sold in 1824 to Robert Owen, and Rapp and his followers returned to Pennsylvania, where they built Economy, a village on the right bank of the Ohio, 15 miles NW. of Pittsburg, and engaged in farming. There Rapp died, 7th August 1847. Impressed with the certainty of the speedy second coming of Christ, his absorbing aim was to amass great wealth, to be placed then at the Lord's disposal. To this end he and his followers practised a rigid economy, and lived a life of toil and self-denial, in which celibacy formed a part; and with the same object, all things were held in common. As the years passed the community became wealthy indeed, and it is now the owner of great farms and dairies, and of vineyards that are famous, and is said besides to hold millions of dollars' worth of railway and bank shares. Its numbers, however, have not increased, and in 1890 did not exceed seventy.