Harmony Museum

AUTHOR CRYTZER DISCUSSES GUYASUTA, SIGNS BOOK AT HARMONY MUSEUM MAY 10 5/10/2011

FLEA MARKET BENEFITS HARMONY MUSEUM 3/5/2011

CIVIL WAR ERA MUSIC PERFORMANCE AT HARMONY MUSEUM’S FEB. 12 HARMONIEFEST 2/12/2011

FLEA MARKET BENEFITS HARMONY MUSEUM 2/5/2011

HARMONY'S GERMAN SILVESTER NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION FOR FAMILIES

HARMONY, Pa. -- Harmony celebrates New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31 with the fifth edition of its family-oriented Silvester event reflecting the community’s historic German roots. The celebration includes two races in which hundreds of runners participate, and concludes with a fireworks show welcoming 2012 at 6 p.m. -- midnight in Germany.

On New Year’s Day a new event for the brave is scheduled, a "Freezin’ for a Reason" plunge into the Connoquenessing Creek as a fundraiser for the local Friends of the Park.

Harmony was founded in 1804 by German immigrants who organized here as the Harmony Society, one of 19th century America’s most successful communal groups. The local Silvester, which always attracts a few thousand visitors, is organized by the borough, Harmony Museum and Harmony Business Association. In Germany, New Year's Eve celebrations are commonly called Silvester, named for the 4th century Pope Sylvester whose death on the last day of 335 was commemorated with the feast of St. Sylvester.

Harmony invites families to enjoy an afternoon of Silvester activities on Dec. 31: 2-5 p.m., Harmony Museum: Tours ($1); children’s games and crafts (free); the short comedy film "Dinner for One," in English, a popular part of Silvester in Germany (free); Bleigiessen, the German tradition of examining the shape of a bit of melted lead to guess what the New Year may bring ($1); and, beginning at 3:30, a pork and sauerkraut dinner in Stewart Hall ($12). 3 & 3:45 p.m.: The 5th annual Butler Health System 5-K Run/Walk starts at 3 o’clock in the Main and Mercer Streets diamond at the center of the National Historic Landmark District, followed 45 minutes later by a new-this-year 1-Mile Fun Run. Post-race awards are presented at Grace Church Youth Center, Main Street. Entry forms are available from the Harmony Borough office, 217 Mercer Street (724-452-6780); registration is open until race time (5-K $25, 1-Mile $10).

All afternoon: In addition to music, beverages and snacks in the diamond, there is special shopping at local businesses, including Bottlebrush Gallery, The Exchange at Harmony, Francis’ Dolls, Harmony Emporium, Harmony Museum Shop, Linden Tree Antiques, Pearlette Jewelry, Salon by Marian Davis, Stohr Haus Bakery and Suzie’s Corner Shop. Dining and drinks are available at the Harmony Inn. 5:59 p.m.: Mayor Cath Rape begins, in German, the countdown to midnight German time, as this year’s honorary guest, Suzie Rape, starts the Sign Innovation ball drop at the corner of Mercer & Wood streets. Fireworks by Shively and the crowd singing "Auld Lang Syne" conclude Silvester. Eighteen hours later, at noon on New Year’s Day, the "Freezin’ for a Reason" plunge into the Connoquenessing Creek takes place at Harmony’s canoe launch at the west end of Jackson Street, with proceeds benefiting Friends of the Park. The Harmony Inn opens for participants at 10 a.m., with event registration -- $20 per person, participation limited to 200 plungers -- beginning there at 11 a.m. Each plunger receives a "Freezin’" T-shirt and a goody bag of items from area merchants. #### For more information contact: Harmony Borough: 724-452-6780 or www.harmony.pa.us Harmony Museum: 724-452-7341 or www.harmonymuseum.org "Freezin’ for a Reason": Chris Barnes, Harmony Inn, 724-452-5124, or Dave Strawbridge, Fox’s Pizza, 724-452-0511.

DECEMBER 11 "CANDLELIGHT" DINNER BENEFITS HARMONY MUSEUM OPERATIONS

HARMONY, Pa. -- The Harmony Museum presents its annual special Candlelight Christmas fundraising dinner on Sunday, Dec. 11, in the museum’s Stewart Hall, 218 Mercer St. at the center of Harmony’s National Historic Landmark District. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with a wine and cheese reception. Dinner is served at 5:30. Admission is $25 per person. The deadline for required prepaid reservations is Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 724-452-7341 or hmuseum@zoominternet.net. Candlelight proceeds benefit museum operations. Entree choices are beef, chicken or salmon Wellington, served with mixed greens salad vinaigrette with dried fruits and nuts, sweet potato casserole, roasted red skin potatoes and mixed vegetables, concluding with a specialty dessert. Beverages will be provided, but guests are welcome to bring their own. Regular guided museum tours will be available 1-4 p.m., with rooms decorated for Christmas, and the Yobp-Eckstein log house village and toy railroad display is a seasonal attraction in the Wagner House annex. The Museum Shop and Harmony’s other specialty shops and art gallery are open for the afternoon. Harmony’s recorded history began with George Washington’s late 1753 mission seeking withdrawal of French forces from the region, during which he stayed at a Delaware Indian village here. That mission helped spark the French and Indian War. Pacifist Lutheran Separatists from southwest Germany founded Harmony in 1804. Their Harmony Society became one of 19th century America's most successful communal groups. After their 1814 departure, resettlement was led by pacifist Mennonites. Harmony Museum exhibits interpret these and many other aspects of a remarkably rich area history. #### 11/20/2011 CONTACT: Kathy Luek, Administrator, 724-452-7341

NOVEMBER 26 WASHINGTON MISSION COMMEMORATION - SEE THE SHOT THAT COULD HAVE KILLED GEORGE WASHINGTON

PORTERSVILLE, Pa. -- History comes alive on Saturday morning, Nov. 26, when the public can join French and Indian War re-enactors to commemorate George Washington’s 1753 travels through Butler Country. Hikers will enjoy fresh air, great Moraine State Park scenery, and witness the drama of the gunshot that could have ended Washington’s life when he was just 21 years old. The annual commemoration is sponsored by the Harmony Museum, The Old Stone House and Washington’s Trail 1753. It starts and ends at the picnic shelter next to McDanels Boat Launch in the northwest corner of the park, accessed from West Park Road just off U.S. 19 and U.S. 422 north of Portersville. Plenty of parking is available. Back in November 1753, young Washington, newly commissioned a major by Virginia Lt. Gov. Robert Dinwiddie, volunteered to travel through Ohio Country territory to demand withdrawal of the French who were building forts on land also claimed by England and its Virginia Colony. French officers suggested instead that the British stay out of New France. The ultimatum Washington carried, as well as the military intelligence he obtained, were instrumental in starting the French and Indian War the following spring. Besides the one-hour hike, this year’s commemorative event includes refreshments, re-enactors of the 42nd Regiment of Foote, and the opportunity to discuss history with re-enactors playing the roles of Washington and his frontiersman guide, Christopher Gist. Author Brady Crytzer will also be on hand to sell, sign and discuss his book, "Major Washington’s Pittsburgh and the Mission to Fort Le Beouf". The event starts at 9:30 a.m., with guided hikes planned for 10 and 11 a.m. and noon. Leading each hike will be a Slippery Rock University history student who will read from the journals of Washington and Gist and explain the significance of Washington’s hazardous journey. Hiking slot reservations can be made by phoning the Harmony Museum at 724-452-7341. Admission is $5 per person, $12 per family, $15 for groups of five or more; payment will be collected at the event. Each hiking group will be limited in size, so participants are urged to reserve start times. The hike will cover about a mile of sometimes hilly, muddy terrain that is close to the historic Venango Path Indian trail followed by Washington. Hikers are advised to wear appropriate footwear as well as clothing suitable for the day’s weather conditions. #### Oct. 30, 2011 Contacts: John Ruch, Harmony Museum, 724-452-7341 Rod Gasch, Washington’s Trail 1753, 724-290-2129

HARMONY MUSEUM GERMAN DINNER

Saturday, October 8th. Two seatings: one at 4:30 p.m. and one at 6:30 p.m. Prepaid reservations required. Menu is a Buffet that includes: Sauerkraut soup, Beef Sauerbraten, Chicken cordon blue, bratwurst, spaetzle, potato pancakes, red cabbage, green beans ,cucumber salad, applesauce, and assorted desserts, iced tea, coffee and tea. $17 per person. You are welcome to bring your own favorite German beverage! Please phone 724-452-7341 to make your reservations.

GERMAN CHURCH HISTORY AUTHORITY TO SPEAK ON HARMONY SOCIETY ROOTS

HARMONY, Pa. -- The public is invited to a special evening program at the Harmony Museum on Tuesday, Sept. 27, during which professor and author Hermann Ehmer of Stuttgart, Germany, will discuss German roots of the communal Harmony Society that founded Harmony in 1804. The program begins with a 7 p.m. reception for Ehmer and his wife, Judith, a native of Ambridge, Pa. He will speak at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free at the museum’s Stewart Hall, 218 Mercer Street in the center of Harmony’s National Historic Landmark District. Ehmer, who holds a doctorate in theology, is a widely published scholar of German church history who retired last year as director of the National Protestant Church Archives in Stuttgart, a post he held 1988-2010. He studied Protestant theology at the universities of Tübingen, Heidelberg and Mainz. He continues to lecture on Württemberg church history at the University of Tübingen, founded in 1477, one of Central Europe’s oldest universities. Nearly 900 pacifist Lutheran Separatists came to Butler County from the Stuttgart area in the southwestern German duchy of Württemberg to escape militarism and enjoy freedom of religion with separation of church and state. Christ’s imminent return was a core belief. Although the society became one of 19th century America’s most successful communal groups, and an extraordinarily wealthy one, its adoption of celibacy assured its future would have a limit. When the Harmonists relocated to Indiana Territory in 1814, area resettlement was led by pacifist Mennonites. In 1824 the Harmonists returned to establish their third and final home, Economy, now Ambridge, in adjacent Beaver County only 22 miles from Harmony on the Ohio River downstream from Pittsburgh. The society was dissolved by its last members in 1905, and is commemorated there by Old Economy Village. However, Harmony’s recorded history began in 1753 with a Delaware Indian village visited by Virginia Maj. George Washington. He had been dispatched to the region with a demand for French withdrawal from British-claimed territory the French considered part of New France. The result was the French & Indian War, whose first shot was fired at Washington nearby by an Indian from another, French-allied tribe, but missed its mark. Ranked among the Pittsburgh region’s 25 most popular museums, the eight-property Harmony Museum interprets these and many other aspects of a remarkable area history. It is open for guided tours 1-4 p.m. daily except Mondays and holidays. Harmony is at I-79 exits 87-88, about 10 miles north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 30 miles south of I-80. #### CONTACT: Administrator Kathy Luek, 724-452-7341 9/11/2011

FALL FLEA MARKETS BENEFITS HARMONY MUSEUM

HARMONY -- A flea market will be held 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, September 10th and Saturday October 1st, in the Harmony Museum's Stewart Hall at 218 Mercer St. to benefit museum operations. Lunch will be available. Table rentals are $12 each, $20 for two. Vendors may set up Friday afternoon. Information and table reservations are available at 724-452-5860. ##### CONTACT: Administrator Kathy Luek, 724-452-7341 1/23/2011

HARMONY MUSEUM GERMAN DINNER

HARMONY, Pa. -- Beat this summer’s unrelenting heat on Saturday, Aug. 20, by returning to quaint old Harmony to dine on always-delicious German food in the cool comfort of the Harmony Museum’s Stewart Hall, 218 Mercer St., in the heart of the Harmony National Historic Landmark District. A treat offered several times a year for fans of ethnic food, the museum buffet this time around includes lemon caper chicken, bratwurst, pork schnitzel with mushrooms and peppers, German potato salad, mashed potatoes, spinach spaetzle, red cabbage, a seasonal vegetable, cucumber-tomato salad, and a homemade dessert. Iced tea and coffee is available, but diners may bring their own favorite German beverage without fear of a corkage fee. The charge is $17 per person for seatings at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., with proceeds supporting Harmony Museum activities. These periodic dinners have become so popular that it has become necessary for the museum to require prepaid reservations; walk-ins can no longer be accommodated. Phone 724-452-7341; credit cards are accepted. Harmony has been a cultural tourism destination for 200 years. Its recorded history began with an Indian village visited late in 1753 by Virginia Maj. George Washington on his mission as a volunteer to demand the French withdraw from British-claimed territory, sparking the French and Indian War. A few miles to the east, that war's first shot was fired at Washington by a "French Indian" who somehow missed his mark from only 15 paces. Indians long gone, Harmony was founded in western Pennsylvania's wilderness at the end of 1804 by the communal Harmony Society of pacifist Lutheran Anabaptist German Separatists who endorsed separation of church and state, adopted celibacy and believed in Christ’s imminent return. After the Harmonists moved to Indiana Territory in 1814, resettlement of its 9,000 acres was led by pacifist Anabaptist Mennonites from Lehigh County, Pa., who also were church-state Separatists The Harmonists returned to adjacent Beaver County in 1824 to establish Economie (now Ambridge) as their third and final home, where the society was dissolved in 1905 as Harmony’s Mennonite congregation also was fading away. In 1974, Harmony was designated Pennsylvania’s first National Historic Landmark District outside Philadelphia. Ranked as one of the Pittsburgh area’s 25 leading museums, the eight-property Harmony Museum interprets an extraordinary area history from Indians, Washington and the Harmonists to the 21st century's Marcellus shale natural gas production boom. The museum is open 1-4 p.m. daily except Mondays and holidays. Harmony is at I-79 exits 87-88, about 10 miles north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 30 miles south of I-80. #### CONTACT: Administrator Kathy Luek, 724-452-7341 7/31/2011

HARMONY MUSEUM PRESENTS 7TH ANNUAL GUN SHOW

HARMONY, Pa. -- The Harmony Museum will present its seventh annual antique firearms show and sale on Saturday, Aug. 13. The show will focus on 18th century muskets and fowling pieces as well as its usual emphasis of guns and accoutrements made or used in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The specialized show will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the museum’s Stewart Hall at 218 Mercer Street in Harmony’s National Historic Landmark District. Admission is $5; lunch and refreshments will be available. The public is invited to learn more about items from their own collections by bringing them for examination by exhibitors. Exhibited firearms are limited to those made before 1898. Many long arms at exhibitors’ booths will be guns designed for hunting and target competitions. Others will have military significance, and some will be of interest because of their advanced or unusual technology. Exceptional examples of Pennsylvania flintlock and percussion longrifles, often called Kentucky rifles because of their widespread use throughout the Ohio Valley, have also become collectible as valuable works of art. The show always includes percussion hunting and target rifles made in Harmony during the second half of the 19th century by Harmony gunsmith Charles Flowers. The one-time coal miner, who saw service with an artillery unit during the Civil War, was a gunsmith here from about 1850 until his death in 1897. Previously unknown examples of Flowers’ work have appeared at each previous show. Museum representatives have seen or learned of about 90 surviving rifles made by Flowers, including 10 owned and displayed by the Harmony Museum. Guided Harmony Museum tours will be offered hourly for an additional fee. Information about the antique firearms show and exhibitor registration can be obtained from the museum office at 724-452-7341 or www.harmonymuseum.org. Harmony has attracted cultural tourism for 200 years. The area’s recorded history began with an Indian village visited by young Virginia Maj. George Washington during his 1753 mission to demand the French withdraw from the region, helping to spark the French & Indian War. Nearby, the war's first shot was fired at Washington by a "French Indian," but missed its mark. The communal Harmony Society of German Lutheran Separatists founded Harmony in 1804, adopted celibacy and believed the return of Christ to be imminent. When they moved to southwest Indiana Territory in 1814, area resettlement was led by pacifist Mennonites from eastern Pennsylvania. The Harmonists returned in 1824 to establish their third and final home, Economy (now Ambridge) in Beaver County, where the society was dissolved in 1905 and is commemorated at the Old Economy Village historic site. Ranked among the Pittsburgh area’s top 25 museums, the eight-property Harmony Museum interprets the area’s extraordinarily rich history. It is open 1-4 p.m. daily except Mondays and holidays. Harmony is at I-79 exits 87-88, about 10 miles north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 30 miles south of I-80. #### CONTACT: Administrator Kathy Luek, 724-452-7341 7/10/2011

HARMONY MUSEUM RELOCATES THIS WEEKEND’S GARDEN FAIR

HARMONY, Pa. -- With the grounds of its Mercer Road barn annex inconveniently soggy from this spring’s incessant wet weather, the Harmony Museum is relocating its annual Herb and Garden Fair this Saturday (June 11) to the museum and town diamond in the center of Harmony’s National Historic Landmark District. Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, with lunch and snacks available. Gardeners may trade potted plants. Specialty vendors offer heritage vegetables, herbs, roses and other ornamentals, perennials, as well as decorative items for home, lawn and garden, and experts will answer gardening questions. Donors and exchangers bringing plants to the fair receive vouchers for other plants. The museum’s gardening specialists recommend that donated and exchange plants be potted well in advance to assure freshness. The Harmony Museum, at 218 Mercer Street, will maintain its regular guided tour schedule of 1-4 p.m. (admission charged); exhibits present the area’s remarkably rich history and aspects of pioneer life. The town’s specialty and antique shops, art gallery and restaurant are additional attractions. Harmony is among the region’s most significant historic places. In the mid-1700s the area was the site of the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Murdering Town, visited by young Virginia Maj. George Washington during his 1753 mission that sought -- unsuccessfully -- withdrawal of French forces from the region; a few months later Britain and France were at war. A "French Indian" fired the first shot of the French and Indian War at Washington nearby. The town was founded in 1804 by pacifist German Lutheran Separatists whose Harmony Society was 19th century America’s most successful communal group. When the Harmonists relocated to Indiana Territory, Mennonite Abraham Ziegler bought its holdings. The Harmony Society was dissolved in 1905 at its third and final home, Economy, now Ambridge in adjacent Beaver County. Harmony is one mile east of Zelienople at I-79 exits 87 and 88, about 10 miles north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 30 miles south of I-80. #### CONTACT: Kathy Luek, Administrator, 724-452-7341 6/5/2011

AUTHOR CRYTZER DISCUSSES GUYASUTA,SIGNS BOOK AT HARMONY MUSEUM MAY 10

HARMONY, Pa. – Author and history professor Brady J. Crytzer will discuss Seneca Chief Guyasuta and sign copies of his new book, "Major Washington’s Pittsburgh and the Mission to Fort Le Boeuf," during a Harmony Museum program on Tuesday, May 10. The public is welcome and admission is free. The event begins at 7:15 p.m. in the museum’s Stewart Hall, 218 Mercer Street at the center of Harmony’s National Historic Landmark District. Crytzer’s book will be available for purchase, and light refreshments will be served. In his book published in mid-April by The History Press, Crytzer’s explores George’s Washington’s experiences in western Pennsylvania, including his 1753 mission to demand French withdrawal from the Ohio Country, triggering the French and Indian War. During that mission, Washington stayed at a Lenni Lenape (Delaware) village at today’s Harmony and, nearby, was shot at by an Indian allied with the French. Crytzer’s illustrated May 10 presentation, "Guyasuta: Warrior’s Life, Patriot’s Legacy," will describe the role and legacy of Guyasuta in the region, covering the Seneca leader’s life from participation in Washington’s 1753 trek to Fort Le Boeuf (Waterford, Pa.) to his death in Mercer County during Washington’s presidency. Historians consider Guyasuta among the most influential Native Americans of his time. Born c. 1725 in what is now New York State, Guyasuta and his family moved into the Ohio Country while he was a child. He was an uncle of two important Senecas, Chief Cornplanter and Handsome Lake, an influential Iroquois Confederacy prophet. During the French and Indian War, he participated in the 1755 defeat of British Gen. Edward Braddock east of the Forks of the Ohio and of Maj. James Grant at Fort Duquesne in 1758. During Pontiac’s War in 1763 he fought at Bushy Run east of Pittsburgh and in the Senecas massacre of British soldiers in the Niagara River Gorge. Late in the American Revolution he took part in the 1782 destruction of Hanna’s Town, Pa., first seat of Westmoreland County, by the British and Indian allies. He also served numerous diplomatic roles throughout the second half of the 18th century on behalf of the Iroquois and British. When he died in 1794, he was buried at the Custaloga Town on French Creek near today’s Carlton in Mercer County. Crytzer, of North Fayette, is adjunct professor of history at the Community College of Beaver County. Last year he received the Donald S. Kelly Award and Donna J. McKee Award for outstanding scholarship and service in the academic discipline of history. He earned a master of arts degree from Slippery Rock University. Additional information about the Crytzer presentation and book signing can be obtained from the Harmony Museum at 724-452-7341 or www.harmonymuseum.org. Harmony has been attracting cultural tourism for 200 years. The area’s recorded history began with Murderingtown, the Indian village visited in 1753 by the 21-year-old Maj. Washington. The shot by a "French Indian" that could have changed American history is the subject of a museum exhibit and a dramatic painting displayed there, "The First Shot." The communal Harmony Society of German Lutheran Separatists founded Harmony in 1804. When they moved to southwest Indiana Territory in 1814, area resettlement was led by Mennonites from eastern Pennsylvania. The Harmonists returned in 1825 to establish their third and final home, Economy (now Ambridge) in Beaver County, where the society was dissolved in 1905 and is commemorated at Old Economy Village, a state historic site. All three sites are National Historic Landmark Districts. The eight-property Harmony Museum is open 1-4 p.m. daily except Mondays and holidays. Harmony is at I-79 exits 87-88, nine miles north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 30 miles south of I-80. ### 4/24/2011 CONTACT: Kathy Luek, Administrator, 724-452-7341

MAR. 5 FLEA MARKET BENEFITS HARMONY MUSEUM

HARMONY -- A flea market will be held 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 5, in the Harmony Museum's Stewart Hall at 218 Mercer St. to benefit museum operations. Lunch will be available. Table rentals are $12 each, $20 for two. Vendors may set up Friday afternoon, Feb. 4. Information and table reservations are available at 724-452-5860. ##### CONTACT: Administrator Kathy Luek, 724-452-7341 1/23/2011

CIVIL WAR ERA MUSIC PERFORMANCE AT HARMONY MUSEUM’S FEB. 12 HARMONIEFEST

HARMONY, Pa. -- With Civil War sesquicentennial observances beginning this spring, Historic Harmony presents a program of Civil War era music at its Harmoniefest dinner program Saturday, Feb. 12, in the Harmony Museum’s Stewart Hall, 218 Mercer St. Entertainers Nancy Egan and Tom Crytzer will perform a variety of 19th-century music, including compositions by Harmony childhood resident Stephen Foster. Historic Harmony, the historical society and preservation advocate that operates the eight-property museum, also will present four Heritage Awards and a commendation involving preservation, restoration and renovation activities, recognize volunteers and the service of four former long-time board members, and mark the 25th anniversary of its purchase of the Harmony Museum building. The 44th annual Harmoniefest begins at 6 p.m. with a wine and cheese reception. Dinner will be served at 6:30, with three entree choices offered: German style beef rouladen, nut-encrusted chicken breast, or crab cakes. Admission is unchanged at $25 per person, with a reservation deadline of Friday, Feb. 4. Proceeds benefit museum operations. Information and reservations can be obtained by contacting the Harmony Museum office at 724-452-7341 or hmuseum@zoominternet.net. Egan and Crytzer, sister and brother, are members of the respected Western Pennsylvania period band Home Front and perform frequently as a duo. Vocalist Egan delights in bringing history to life through music and reenactment, and is also active in Sweet Adelines as singer, director, coach and teacher. Guitarist and vocalist Crytzer is a student of the Civil War and gives presentations on the Battle of Gettysburg. His repertoire includes music of the 18th, 19th and early 20th century, and he also performs with Barbershop groups. Harmony was founded late in 1804 by pacifist German Lutheran Separatists led by George Rapp. They left the Stuttgart area to escape militarism and enjoy freedom of religion independent of state influence. They organized as the communal Harmony Society in February 1805, which was celebrated annually with a feast they called Harmoniefest. Their first American home, eventually numbering nearly 900 residents, encompassed the town as well as portions of today’s Jackson and Lancaster townships. The celibate Harmonists, who believed Christ's return to be imminent, relocated to Indiana Territory in 1814. They returned 10 years later to settle Economy, now Ambridge, on the Ohio River only 22 miles from Harmony, where 19th century America’s most successful communal group was dissolved in 1905. Historic Harmony’s version of Harmoniefest celebrates two and a half centuries of rich area history. It began with a Delaware Indian village visited by young Maj. George Washington during a 1753 mission seeking French withdrawal from the region, leading to the French & Indian War. Its first shot was fired at Washington by a "French Indian" east of Harmony. Harmony ranks among the region’s most significant historic sites, including Western Pennsylvania’s first National Historic Landmark District. When "second founder" Abraham Ziegler bought the Harmony Society’s holdings in 1815, his and other Mennonite families led the community’s rebirth. Other historical highlights include troops camping here on their way to support Oliver Hazard Perry's Lake Erie fleet and protect Erie from invasion during the War of 1812, songwriter Foster's brief residency as a youngster, Charles Flowers’ manufacture of fine percussion longrifles, and the area’s long involvement in oil and natural gas production. #### CONTACT: Kathy Luek, Administrator, 724-452-7341 1/23/2011

FEB. 5 FLEA MARKET BENEFITS HARMONY MUSEUM

HARMONY -- A flea market will be held 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, in the Harmony Museum's Stewart Hall at 218 Mercer St. to benefit museum operations. Lunch will be available. Table rentals are $12 each, $20 for two. Vendors may set up Friday afternoon, Feb. 4. Information and table reservations are available at 724-452-5860. ##### CONTACT: Administrator Kathy Luek, 724-452-7341 1/23/2011