History of the Harmony House and Robert A. Macoskey Center

“We must become the change we wish to see in the world.” –Ghandi

Description/ Early Permaculture Design/ Community/Grants/ Demonstration Site

Description

An on-campus facility that serves host to a variety of education, research and social activities associated with the MS3 Program. Conceived by the late Robert A. Macoskey, this Center promotes the transition to sustainable systems through education, research and demonstration. The Center includes organic community and makre gardens, a small wood lot, a composting research and demonstration project, and a restoration ecology project. Harmony House, a multipurpose renovated farmhouse located at the Macoskey Center, serves as secondary space and as a gathering area for program activities. The building also contains a library, student workspace, and serves as the residence for two graduate assistants. It has been redesigned for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and utilization of environmentally friendly materials. The Center is a result of the on-going combined efforts of MS3 students, faculty and administration, MS3 alumni and local community members.

Early Permacutlure Design

    The opportunity to use the Patterson farmhouse and surrounding farmland was gained through negotiations with university administration. Permission was officially granted by President Robert Aebersold on December 4, 1985, with the understanding the ALTER would bear the necessary costs in labor, equipment, and materials... Macoskey reported in an October 8, 1986 letter that the University had given its approval to proceed with the renovation of the Patterson house and the implementation of the Permaculture Design proposed by Dan Hemenway and his Permaculture class.

    The design generated for the Patterson homestead laid the foundation for developing the site as a model of permaculture design in the Allegheny watershed region. Hemenway's students' report recommended an extensive retrofit of the existing farmhouse, calling for a passive solar greenhouse, a composting toilet and graywater system, a root cellar, and a solar/wood hot water system. The acre immediatly adjacent to the house would showcase various gardening methods, a divirsified, multi-storied orchard, a springhouse, and other elements demonstrating the process of integrated, permaculture design. Subsequently, the areas further away from the house would reflect other scaled uses, such as grain cultivation, an ecologically managed woodlot, and community garden areas. In addition to the site details, the report recommended developing links to Slippery Rock University departments such as environmental studies and the sciences, as well as the food service department (in order to start a composting project and provide organic produce) (Claire Anderson, 1999).

 Community

    By January 1987 more than 100 students, faculty, and people from the surrounding communities had shown up to help. A sampling of what occurred follows.

They dug the 30 x 15 x 5 foot irrigation pond, BY HAND.

They cleared brush and planted trees and hedges.

They removed a large spruce that would have shaded the future greenhouse and made $400 selling Christmas decorations made from it.

Two permaculture workshops, one by Ted Simanek, the other by Darrell Frey and Dawn Shiner, were offered in the summer of 1987.

On May 2-3, 1987, 50 members of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and 25 ALTER Project faithful hauled leaf mould and mulched hedges,gardens, and berry bushes; laid wood chips for paths; double-dug the Zone 1 garden beds; and performed some maintenance on the pond.

By June 1987, ALTER had purchased a trailer and a shredder/chipper.

On March 17, 1988, and May 18, 1988, more permaculture workshops were instructed by Simanek, Frey, and Shiner.

During November, 1988, a seven-week permaculture workshop started.

Grants

    Between fall 1986 and February 1988 they were able to accomplish things outside the house, but it became clear that thay would be unable to continue with the renovation of the house without more sibastantial funding...Robert A. Macoskey made formal presentations of the ALTER idea to agricultural, environmental, edaucational and energy groups throughout western Pennsylvania.  They recieved $3,000 per year between 1985 abd 1988 from the university to operate...Finally in August of 1989 they were awarded for their perseverance by the reciept of a $55,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Office. In addition, they recieved $25,000 from SRU plus $5,000 from State Senator Tim Shaffer. (Kris Macoskey 1992)

Demonstration Site

    According to (Bob) Kobet (architect), the intention of Harmony House as a demonstration project was to reflect three primary areas of study inherently related to sustainable systems: energy conservation, human ecology, and permaculture practices, as they related to a building's relationship within the natural environment. The overarching goal of the project would be to unite academic theory and practical solutions and to serve as an experiemental site where individuals could test various ideas and concepts related to sustainability.

    Although he primarily limits his thesis to the design of the home, Kobet noted that the residence must demonstrate permaculture design practices and on-site food production. Specific principles that applied to the house and site design called for the establishment of a community that would support and encourage the interaction of occupants and visitors with the house's surroundings; for a consideration of nutrient cycling and energy flows which would take place between the house and the site; and for the adherence to permaculture design principles as future expansion, outbuildings, and related activities were proposed. (Claire Anderson 1999)