The North American Phalanx

Artist Unknown Artist

Periodca. 1850 - 1855

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions12.3 × 15.6 in. (31.2 × 39.6 cm)

InscribedInscribed on the reverse, "Phalanx House N. J."

ClassificationsLandscapes & Still Life

Credit LineGift of the Bucklin Family, 1936

Object number934

DescriptionAn overview of the residence structures of the North American Phalanx, a utopian community in Colts Neck, Monmouth County. The main residence appears in the right middle distance. The three-story section with a wide veranda contained common rooms such as a dining hall, grand salon, library, kitchen, etc. The two-story wing to its right consisted of private apartments for families. A second long three-story residence structure in the left middle distance is connected to two early farmhouses on its left end. In the foreground is a white picket fence, and beyond it a small pond with two small boats or canoes filled with people. Between the pond and the residence structures are formal gardens with an arbor to the right.
Curatorial RemarksFollowing dissolution of the North American Phalanx in 1856, founding member John Bucklin purchased much of the community's property and buildings. His family continued to reside in the Phalanstery building until their remaining real estate and canning facility were sold in 1943 to Laird & Co..NotesThe North American Phalanx was a utopian community founded in 1843 on the social theories of Charles Fourier. During the winter of 1843/44, the long three-story residence attached to two early farmhouses was erected. It measured forty by eighty feet. The building contained long halls on each floor with suites of rooms for families on the first and second floors, and quarters for bachelors on the third floor. The farmhouses were converted into a dining room and kitchen. The larger three-story building, called the Phalanstery, was constructed in 1847 to handsome designs. The first floor contained a large reception room, and office and a library. The second floor, reached by an elegant staircase finished in oiled wood, was divided into two, three and four room apartments for families. A passageway at the extremities of the structure led to quarters for unmarried members on the third floor. Off to its right, a long wing was constructed containing apartments where families preferring seclusion could live quietly. Another wing built off the rear contained the grand salon, which measured seventy feet long and thirty-nine feet wide, with a ceiling height of sixteen feet. The room served as a dining area, lecture hall, and center for social activity. At one end of the salon, just over the entrance, was a musicians' gallery containing a grand piano. In the basement under the salon, the latest appliances known at the time for cooking were installed. The area had running water, and a two-horse power steam engine that provided energy for cooking, heating, and laundering. The grounds of the community were landscaped with many large trees and numerous gardens. Paths were prepared for members and their guests to take walks. Several artificial ponds were located on the property that were used for bathing and canoeing in warm months, while providing ice in winter for storage in nearby cellars.

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