Colony Restoration Project
Sponsored by: French Icarian Colony Foundation of Corning, Iowa
A Unique Heritage
Similar to the German settlement now celebrated in Iowa as the Amana Colonies, the Icarian Colony was located near Coming. While Amana was based on religious principles, Icaria was a secular social experiment that advocated Christian principles. The Icarian movement was born in France in the mid-1800's, then moved to the U.S. and dissolved some 50 years later, making it the longest lived, non-religious utopian community in American history. During the life of the movement, Icarians also established shorter lived settlements in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and California. The Amana Colonies flourish today and serve as one of Iowa's points of pride, enhancing our educational and cultural communities and infusing Iowa's economy with millions of tourism dollars each year. However, few Iowans know much about Icaria ... one of the most fascinating and unheralded facets of our State's rich and proud history.
The French Icarian Colony Living History Museum
Our vision is to re-create the grounds of the original New Icarian Colony to serve as a living resource for tourists and scholars. Development of a French Icarian Colony Living History Museum will strengthen the economy of the region and will enrich the cultural life of Iowa.
Enthusiastic supporters and generous county, state and federal grant programs have already provided for:
- An Architectural History Evaluation of the colony's former Dining
Hall
- A Comprehensive Inventory of Icarians' Contributions to the Culture,
Agriculture and Early Transportation Systems of Iowa
- An Icarian Museum Exhibit and K-12 School Curriculum
- A Tourism Feasibility Study of the French Icarian Colony
- Restoration of the Icarian Cemetery on the original site
- Purchase of the 38-acre tract of Icarian land
- Purchase of the former New Icaria. Dining Hall
- Construction of a new basement for the Dining Hall, faced with the limestone and brick salvaged from the original basement under the supervision of an historic preservationist.
Just as the Dining Hall was the heart of the Icarian Colony life, the restored Hall will become the heart of a planned living history museum complex. Plans also include:
- Moving an already-restored Icarian schoolhouse to the sit
- Building a visitors center, museum, amphitheater and barn
- Rebuilding small log cabins to serve as educational and tourism
sites
- Rebuilding harness, blacksmith, carpentry and seamstress shops
As with the original sites, orchards, vineyards, fruit and vegetable gardens will be included along with livestock and two-story frame dwellings.
Full development of the French Icarian Colony Living History Museum is planned to take decades. But the immediate needs of the French Icarian Colony Foundation are simple: We must secure sufficient financial support to move the project forward by hiring a professional, full-time director who can coordinate and manage the critical two years ahead.
Progress to Date
In the past decade, the Adams County Tourism and Historic Preservation Network and the French Icarian Colony Foundation have coordinated a series of planning and fund-raising initiatives to rebuild the grounds at the original Colony site. Through a public participatory process, the project has secured substantial local financial support from the City of Coming, the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the Adams Community Economic Development Corporation, the Adams County Icarian Society, local residents and Icarian descendants from across the nation. And the following agencies and programs have provided support totaling nearly $275,000:
- Iowa Department of Transportation
- State Historical Society of Iowa Historic Resource Development
Program
- State Historical Society of Iowa's Certified Local Government
Program
- Iowa Humanities Board Iowa Department of Economic Development
- Rural Innovation Grant