THE CATHEDRAL LABYRINTH
New Harmony, Indiana, is a fascinating place. It was founded in 1814 by a group of German immigrants who built a thriving village. Then they sold the whole place to Robert Owen in 1825 and moved to Pennsylvania, where they built another village. In all, they built three towns, and each of them had a hedge labyrinth. (There is a reproduction in a nearby state park.)
Now, New Harmony also has a labyrinth. Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Jane Blaffer Owen (married to Kenneth Owen, descendant of Robert Owen), the town has been under restoration and improvement for the past 50 years. When it came time to make an exact copy of the Chartres labyrinth, in polished granite, I escorted the architects to Chartres, France, to see and measure the real thing. That's me on the left (top photo) and architect Rob Sovinski on the right. Head architect was Kent Schuette.
Not only is the New Harmony labyrinth magnificent, but the park in which it is located was made specifically for the labyrinth, imitating the dimensions of the nave of Chartres Cathedral. A fountain was added so that people could wash their feet before or after walking the labyrinth. It was dedicated in October, 1998, by the Rector of Chartres Cathedral, Chanoine Francois Legaux (since retired).
Measuring the labyrinth.
Dedication service in fall, 1998.
The labyrinth in early spring, 1999, as the plantings are just starting to come up.
The matt and polished surface of the granite distinguishes the path and line.