Encyclopedia of American Communes, 1663-1963
by Foster Stockwell

ISBN: 0786404558
1998. 267pp., hardback
$35.00

Description from the Publisher:

Swanendael was established in 1663 by Mennonites from Holland: 41 people settled in an area near Lewes, Delaware. These "souls", as they were called, shared all things, refused to keep slaves, practiced toleration for all but Catholics and "stiff-necked Quakers", and had the first free school in the New World. America was the ideal location for many communes. Its unspoiled and inexpensive land encouraged social experimentation. This encyclopedia details the over 500 communes established in America, from Swanendael through Tolstoy Farm, founded in 1963. Entries include years of operation, leaders, brief history, a discussion of extant buildings or artifacts, and sources for further study.

In entries ranging from a short paragraph to several pages, depending on the information available and the commune's impact, describes over 500 experiments in communal living in the North American English colonies and the US. Includes the name, the years it operated, the community's leaders, a brief history, a discussion of extant buildings or artifacts, and sources for further study. The alphabetical main listing is augmented with a chronological list and a list of cooperative farms and communities set up by New Deal programs, which were closely modelled on the successful communes. Extensively cross- referenced. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

About the Author
Foster Stockwell is a publishing consultant for Chinese publishers and authors. He is also the author of A Sourcebook for Genealogical Research: Resources Alphabetically by Type and Location (2004) and A History of Information Storage and Retrieval (2001). He lives in Des Moines, Washington.