Main content

Macedonia Cooperative Community Records

Notifications

Held at: Swarthmore College Peace Collection [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore 19081-1399

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

The Macedonia Cooperative Community was formed in 1937 in Habersham County in northern Georgia by Morris Randolph Mitchell (1895-1976), an educator who later served as the first president of Friends World College. The Macedonia Cooperative Community, which took its name from a nearby Baptist Church, was comprised of families who worked collectively on dairy, agricultural, forestry, and woodworking projects that provided the economic underpinnings of the community.

Originally established as an economic cooperative, Macedonia later passed through two distinctive phases before it folded in 1958. At the end of World War II, an infusion of conscientious objectors, who had been engaged in Civilian Public Service and/or had served prison terms during the war, joined the community, bringing an emphasis on pacifism. The eighteen pacifists worked at various forms of farming and at a small woodworking factory which they built. The wage system was discarded, and the entire operation was run on a communal, subsistence basis. In 1949 the Macedonia community applied for membership in Peacemakers as a local cell group. The last stage of Macedonia was during the time (1953-1957) when its members explored the possibility of merging with the Society of Brothers (Bruderhof), with whom they had already been working to make toys and other wooden items to sell. In 1958, Macedonia became officially part of the Society of Brothers, and the Community's property was sold at public auction on June 27, 1958.

Morris Mitchell quit his role of financier and public force for the Community in 1948, but retained an active interest in it until its demise.

This collection is rich in details about what went into the establishment and maintenance of this utopian community, seen especially in the many letters exchanged between Morris Mitchell and Elvin Roberts, which portray Mitchell's intense enthusiasm for all that he hoped to accomplish there, and his great attention to specifics (including sketches of Mitchell's ideas for the cabins to be built, etc.). Other correspondents include Henry W. Dyer, Henrik F. Infield, W. Elmore Jackson, Morris Keeton, Henri Lasserre, George Meany, Edward R. Miller, Barbara Jaynes Mitchell, David Newton, Lucille Roberts, Norman J. Whitney, E. Raymond Wilson, Arthur Wiser, and Wilmer Young.

Researchers may wish to consult the book Searching for a Viable Alternative: The Macedonia Cooperative Community, 1937-1958 by W. Edward Orser, available in the Book Collection.

Box 1 contains MCC administrative records and information about Morris Mitchell. Boxes 2-5 contain Mitchell correspondence; and Box 5 also contains reference files about the surrounding Habersham county communities.

Gift of Morris R. Mitchell and others, 1962-1979 [Acc. 62A-060, Acc. 71A-253, Acc. 75A-141, Acc. 77A-045, Acc. 79A-051]

This collection was processed by, and the finding aid was created by Anne Yoder, Archivist, in January, 2006.

Photographs were removed to the Photograph Collection. A blueprint of a January 1938 survey of Morris Mitchell's land (826.15 acres) in Habersham County (Georgia) was removed to the Oversized Items Collection: Documents.

Publisher
Swarthmore College Peace Collection
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

All or part of this collection is stored off-site. Contact Swarthmore College Peace Collection staff at peacecollection@swarthmore.edu at least two weeks in advance of visit to request boxes.

Copyright to the Macedonia Cooperative Community records created by the organization has been transferred to the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Copyright to all other materials is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Use Restrictions

None.

Collection Inventory

Archival Resource Key. Purpose, 1937-.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence of Barbara Jaynes re: history of MCC (and her attempt to gather photographs), 1940-1941.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Scope and Contents

photos removed to Photograph Collection

Archival Resource Key. Legal records: Articles of Incorporation.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Legal records: Agreements, etc.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Financial records.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Community life and work: Reports, etc.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Community life and work: Macedonia Forest Products / Macedonia Co-Op Blocks.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Community life and work: Community Playthings (made in association with the Woodcrest Community Society of Brothers).
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Community life and work: Decision to become part of the Society of Brothers (Bruderhof), and sale of property, 1957-.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Community life and work: Media coverage; periodical articles about Dr. Mitchell and the MCC.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Miscellaneous.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: Biographical information, 1895-1976.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: Finding aid for material at University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, North Carolina).
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: Notes and mss. articles.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: Personal involvements and work.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: Efforts/work for Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) re: opposition to Universal Military Training (UMT), 1947.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: Correspondence with/about C.O. Henry Dyer in Sandstone Prison and their parole, etc., 1946.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Scope and Contents

includes his papers written for Community Study Course and critiques/comments by Dr. Arthur Morgan

Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: Correspondence with/about C.O. Charles [Chuck] Worley and C.O. David Newton in Sandstone Prison and their parole, etc., 1946.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Dr. Morris R. Mitchell: correspondence with/about the American Federation of Labor (Southern Office) as Director of the Southeastern Cooperative League, 1947-1949.
Box DG 071: 1 [off-site box SCPC-5053]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1938.
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1939.
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1940.
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1941.
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1942.
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1943.
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1944 (January-May).
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1944 (June-December).
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1945 (January-September).
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1945 (October-December).
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1946 (January-June).
Box DG 071: 2 [off-site box SCPC-5054]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1946 (July-December).
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1947.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1948.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1949.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, ca. 1940s.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1950-1952.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1953.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1954.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1955.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1956.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, ca. 1955-1956.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1957.
Box DG 071: 3 [off-site box SCPC-5055]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1958.
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, undated.
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence with American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) staff persons, 1939-1944.
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1937.
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1938 (January-April).
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1938 (May-September).
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1938 (October-December).
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1939.
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1941-1942.
Box DG 071: 4 [off-site box SCPC-5056]
Scope and Contents

[nothing for 1940]

Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1939.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence to Elvin (and Lucille) Roberts, 1941-1942.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Scope and Contents

[nothing for 1940]

Archival Resource Key. Correspondence with Blanche Rosenberry, 1946.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence with Blanche Rosenberry, 1947.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence White Plains land tract, etc., 1955.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Archival Resource Key. Mss. of teaching booklet (?) by ?? re: Habersham County, Georgia.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Archival Resource Key. Reference material: Misc.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Archival Resource Key. Reference material: Mimeographed booklet "History and Resources of the Hills of Habersham County", 1937.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]
Archival Resource Key. Reference material: Survey "Conditions in Habersham County, Georgia, As Told By Census Material" by the Community Planning Group of New College, 1937.
Box DG 071: 5 [off-site box SCPC-5057]

Print, Suggest