List of American utopian communities


A list of American Utopian communities.

1800s

NameLocationFounderFounding dateEnding dateNotes
Old Economy VillagePennsylvaniaGeorge Rapp18241906A Harmonites Village. The Harmony Society is a Christian theosophy and pietist society founded in Iptingen, Germany, in 1785.
NashobaTennesseeFrances Wright1825 1828 An abolitionist, free-love community.
New HarmonyIndianaRobert Owen18251829Harmonites Village
New Philadelphia ColonyPennsylvaniaBernhard Müller18321833A libertarian socialist community
Oberlin ColonyOhioJohn J. Shipherd and 8 immigrant families18331843Community based on Communal ownership of property
Brook FarmMassachusettsGeorge Ripley
Sophia Ripley		18411846A Transcendent community. Transcendentalism is a religious and cultural philosophy based in New England.
North American PhalanxNew JerseyCharles Sears18411856A Fourier Society community. The Fourier Society is based on the ideas of Charles Fourier, a French philosopher.
Hopedale CommunityMassachusettsAdin Ballou18421868A community based on "Practical Christianity", which included ideas such as temperance, abolitionism, Women's rights, spiritualism and education.
FruitlandsMassachusettsAmos Alcott18431844A Transcendent community.
Skaneateles CommunityNew YorkSociety for Universal Inquiry18431846A Society for Universal Inquiry and Reform community.
Sodus Bay PhalanxNew YorkSodus Bay Fourierists18441846A Fourier Society community.
Wisconsin PhalanxWisconsinAlbert Brisbane18441850A Fourier Society community.
Clermont PhalanxOhioFollowers of Charles Fourier18441845A Fourier Society community.
Prairie Home CommunityOhioJohn O. Wattles
Valentine Nicholson		18441845A Society for Universal Inquiry and Reform community.
Fruit HillsOhioOrson S. Murray18451852A community based on Owenism and anarchism. Maintained close contact with the Kristeen and Grand Prairie Communities.
Kristeen CommunityIndianaCharles Mowland18451847Founded by Charles Mowland and others who had previously been associated with the Prairie Home Community. A Society for Universal Inquiry and Reform community.
Bishop Hill ColonyIllinoisEric Jansson18461862A Swedish Pietist religious commune.
Spring Farm ColonyWisconsin6 Fourierite Families18461848A Fourier Society community.
Oneida CommunityNew YorkJohn H. Noyes18481880A Utopian socialism community. Oneida Community practices included Communalism, Complex Marriage, Male Continence, Mutual Criticism and Ascending Fellowship.
IcariansLouisiana, Texas,
Nauvoo, Illinois,
Iowa, Missouri, California		Étienne Cabet18481898A group of egalitarian communes based on the French utopian movement, founded by Étienne Cabet, after led his followers to the United States.
Amana ColoniesIowathe Community of True Inspiration1850s1932The Amana villages were built one hour apart when traveling by ox cart. Each village had a church, a farm, multi-family residences, workshops and communal kitchens. The communal system continued until 1932.
Raritan Bay UnionNew JerseyMarcus Spring
Rebecca Buffum		18531858A Fourier Society community.
Aurora ColonyOregonWilliam Keil18531883Christian utopian community
Free Lovers at Davis HouseOhioFrancis Barry18541858A community based on Free love and spiritualism.
Reunion ColonyTexasVictor P. Considerant18551869A utopian socialism community.
Octagon CityKansasHenry S. Clubb
Charles DeWolfe
John McLaurin		18561857Originally built as a vegetarian colony.
Workingmen's Co-operative Colony Kansasfollowers of James Bronterre O'Brien18691874A community based on the political reform philosophy of Chartist James Bronterre O'Brien.
Danish Socialist ColonyKansasLouis Pio18771877A utopian socialist community
New MexicoJohn B. Newbrough
Andrew Howland		18841901A community in which members would live peaceful, vegetarian lifestyles, and where orphaned urban children were to be raised.
Home, WashingtonWashingtonGeorge H. Allen
Oliver A. Verity
B. F. O'Dell		18951919An intentional community based on anarchist philosophy
NuclaColoradoColorado Cooperative Company1896Established following the Panic of 1893. Originally called Piñon.

1900s

NameLocationFounderFounding dateEnding dateNotes
Arden VillageDelawareFrank Stephens
Will Price		1900Currently ActiveAn art colony founded as a Georgist single-tax art community.
Zion, IllinoisIllinoisJohn Alexander Dowie19001907A Utopian Christian religious community, reorganized following fraud allegations and founder's death into modern city.
East Wind CommunityOzark County, Missouriunknown1973presentA secular and democratic community in which members hold all communities assets in common.
Equality ColonyWashingtonNorman W. Lermond
Ed Pelton		19001907Socialist Colony
Fairhope Single Tax Corporation, Fairhope, ALAlabamaFairhope Industrial Association1894currently still in operationFairhope was first settled in 1894 by Georgist. The Single tax experiment was incorporated as the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation under Alabama law in 1904. The municipality of Fairhope was incorporated in 1908.
The Farm Lewis County, TennesseeStephen Gaskin1971presentHippie Buddhist-inspired vegetarian community. De-collectivized in 1983.
Freeland AssociationWashingtonDissident members of the Equality Colony19001906A socialist commune. The first settlers dissident members of the nearby Equality Colony. While the Freeland Association dissolved in 1906 the census-designated place of Freeland, Washington continues to exist.
PostTexasC.W. Post1907now Post, Texas
Llano del RioCaliforniaJob Harriman19141918Unbuilt project by architect and planner Alice Constance Austin with strong emphasis on shared domestic work
Twin OaksVirginia1967currently active