The MacLeod Barn Abbey Retreat Center

The MacLeod Barn Abbey, built in 1976, was named after one of Jane Owen’s spiritual mentors, George MacLeod, founder of the Iona Community in Scotland.  Jane Owen wrote: “My favorite place in New Harmony is the Barn Abbey because of its simplicity and intimacy, especially during Benedictine retreats. It didn’t need an architect; our barn builders were natural architects. They knew the proportion and soundness of the structure.” The building is situated with a view of the Wabash River and Tobi Kahn’s Shalev:Angel of Compassion, a sculpture commissioned by Jane Owen in 1993.  The project was overseen by Robert Hatch, a restoration architect from Connecticut.