For nearly seven decades, Jane Blaffer Owen was the driving force behind the restoration and revitalization of the town of New Harmony, Indiana. In this delightful memoir, Blaffer Owen describes the transformational effect the town had on her life. An oil heiress from Houston, she met and married Kenneth Dale Owen, great-great-grandson of Robert Owen, founder of a communal society in New Harmony. When she visited the then dilapidated town with her husband in 1941, it was love at first sight, and the story of her life and the life of the town became intertwined. Her engaging account of her journey to renew the town provides glimpses into New Harmony's past and all of its citizens-scientists, educators, and naturalists-whose influence spread far beyond the town limits. And there are fascinating stories of the artists, architects, and theologians who became part of Blaffer Owen's life at New Harmony, where, she says, "My roots could sink deeply and spread."

Foreword John Philip NewellForeword J. Pittman McGeheePreface Jane Blaffer OwenAcknowledgments Jane Blaffer OwenHistorical Note Connie A. Weinzapfel From Spoken to Written Words Nancy Mangum McCaslin 1. Twin Vows2. Indian Mound3. The Sixth Generation4. Harmonist House5. Harmonist Church and School6. Acquiring the Granary and Mansion7. May Day Fête8. Lipchitz9. Enter Paul Tillich10. Polio Epidemic11. Sir George MacLeod12. Iona13. Assy14. Kilbinger House15. Poet's House and Beyond16. Violets Down the Lane17. Enter Philip Johnson18. Cornerstone Dedication19. May Day Dedication of the Roofless Church and Barrett-Gate House20. Tillich Visits Houston21. MacLeod's Dedication of the Lipchitz Gate22. Estranged and Reunited: The New Being23. The Undying Dead24. Paul Tillich Park25. Paul Tillich Commemorative Service26. Open Windows27. Tumbling Walls28. Glass House29. Orchard House30. Rapp-Maclure-Owen House Restoration31. Art and Carol's GardenEpilogueEditor's NoteAfterwords:Life Was To Celebrate Anne Dale OwenThrough a Child's Eyes Jane Dale OwenBiography Jane Blaffer Owen and Kenneth Dale OwenNotesIndex