View source for Harmony, California

{{Short description|Unincorporated community in California, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Harmony
|official_name            = 
|settlement_type          = [[Unincorporated area|Unincorporated community]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = File:Harmony Glassworks.jpg
|imagesize                = 300px
|image_caption            = Harmony Glassworks, part of the old Harmony Creamery plant, 2016
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map              = California
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of California
|pushpin_mapsize          =
|image_map                = 
|map_caption              = Location within San Luis Obispo county
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = California
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 
|area_land_km2            = 
|area_water_km2           =

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[United States Census, 2000|2000]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 18
|population_density_km2   = auto

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_ft             = 
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|30|31|N|121|1|22|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}

<!-- Area/postal codes & others -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
|postal_code              = 93435
|area_code                = [[Area codes 805 and 820|805]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               =
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              =
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}
[[File:Harmony wedding chapel.jpg|thumb|Harmony [[wedding chapel]] ]]
[[Image:harmony,ca townsign.jpg|thumb|Town sign for Harmony, California on SR&nbsp;1]]

'''Harmony''' is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] located in [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo County]], California. It is home to the former Harmony Valley Creamery, a dairy [[cooperative]] that closed in 1955. It lies north of [[Cayucos, California|Cayucos]] and south of [[Cambria, California|Cambria]] on [[California State Route 1|SR 1]], near the junction with [[California State Route 46|SR 46]].

==History==
The town of Harmony began as a dairy settlement in the late 19th century started by Swiss immigrants living near the Italian border.

Harmony was founded in 1869 around several dairy ranches and a creamery. The operation changed hands repeatedly because of rivalries that led to a killing. In 1907, owners and ranchers agreed to call off their feud and called the town by its present name as a symbol of their truce.

The Harmony Valley Dairy Co-op was founded in 1901. As the town grew, it soon hosted a dairy management office, dormitories for employees, a livery stable, a blacksmith, and later a gas station. A school was built, and a feed store and post office gave Harmony official status as a community. At its peak, the creamery employed 10 workers, producing high quality dairy products, including butter and cheese that gave Harmony name recognition statewide. The creamery purified butter by cooking it in the traditional Swiss way, clarifying and giving it a golden color—old-world dairymen claimed butter produced by this method never turned rancid. Tourists traveling Hwy 1 often stopped for fresh buttermilk, and famed publishing magnate [[William Randolph Hearst]] stopped often in Harmony on his way to his opulent home in San Simeon, 12 miles northwest, as did many of the Hollywood celebrities who were frequent guests of Hearst.

Increased grazing land fees and dairy industry consolidation led to the closure of Harmony's creamery around 1955. The town, which still has a part-time post office, lost population until the 1970s when it was rediscovered by California's young counter-culture population, many of whom were looking for a rural lifestyle where they could practice traditional crafts away from the pressures and technology of urban life. Many of the town's historic landmarks, including the main creamery, were restored and reopened as restaurants and shops.

In 1979 Harmony was featured by KABC in Los Angeles with a live broadcast of the Ken and Bob Company radio show.  [[Ken Minyard]] and [[Robert Arthur (radio announcer)|Bob Arthur]] were the hosts and featured artist Jehry Miller singing his hit song "Harmonizing in Harmony Population 18".  Jehry Miller, along with producer Stephen G. Scott of Los Angeles, also wrote the Ken and Bob Company theme song.

Since the 1970s, Harmony has ridden cycles of prosperity and neglect. It has been home to upscale restaurants, crafts, ceramics and art. More recently, Harmony became a town in name only; a single restaurant remained, but went through several owners before closing in the late 1990s. A small cadre of artisans keeps Harmony alive, with retail shops selling art objects, locally hand blown glass, and pottery, but the town faces an uncertain future. Harmony was recently put up for sale. Helping keep the town alive is Harmony Cellars, a boutique winery and tasting room, about 1/4 mile south. The winery opened in 1989 and in 2006 produced about 6,000 cases of Central Coast varietals such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

[[Harmony Headlands State Park]] contains the native Indian thistle (''Circium brevistylum''), which looks similar to the invasive bull thistle (''Circium vulgare''). ''[[Conyza canadensis]]'' is another native that looks similar to a weed in the same genus.

In 2014, Harmony was purchased by Alan VanderHorst and his family, who plan to restore and preserve the 2.5-acre historic town.<ref>[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/07/03/3139403/town-of-harmony-sold.html ''Town of Harmony sold,'' The Cambrian, July 3, 2014]</ref>

==Layout==
[[Image:harmony,ca town nov07.jpg|thumb|350px|right|The town of Harmony, California, November 2007]]
Harmony is one paved street off of SR 1. The main structure is a U-shaped building, the former creamery, with the open area being a small plaza. On the far side of the structure is the Harmony Pottery Shop. On the near side is the former post office and a lounge for visitors.

There was a restaurant, but it closed in 1997. The post office was in operation until April 11, 2008.  There is a [[wedding chapel]] in the rear, and gardens nearby.

Harmony Glassworks now lies at the north-west end of the street. Founded in 2007 and open daily, the shop is a gallery, studio and school, which offers beginner classes in glassblowing techniques.

== Geography ==

===Climate===
Harmony has a mild, maritime-influenced [[Mediterranean climate]] with rainy winters, dry summers, and little seasonal temperature variation.

{{weather box|single line=Yes|location=Harmony, California|width=60%
|Jan high F = 	64.3	|Jan mean F = 	53.0	|Jan low F = 	41.8	|Jan precipitation inch = 		3.72
|Feb high F = 	64.6	|Feb mean F = 	53.9	|Feb low F = 	43.1	|Feb precipitation inch = 		4.10
|Mar high F = 	66.3	|Mar mean F = 	55.0	|Mar low F = 	43.6	|Mar precipitation inch = 		3.50
|Apr high F = 	65.2	|Apr mean F = 	54.8	|Apr low F = 	44.4	|Apr precipitation inch = 		1.20
|May high F = 	65.8	|May mean F = 	56.7	|May low F = 	47.5	|May precipitation inch = 		0.40
|Jun high F = 	66.5	|Jun mean F = 	58.5	|Jun low F = 	50.4	|Jun precipitation inch = 		0.08
|Jul high F = 	68.7	|Jul mean F = 	60.9	|Jul low F = 	53.0	|Jul precipitation inch = 		0.01
|Aug high F = 	69.7	|Aug mean F = 	61.4	|Aug low F = 	53.1	|Aug precipitation inch = 		0.03
|Sep high F = 	69.6	|Sep mean F = 	61.0	|Sep low F = 	52.4	|Sep precipitation inch = 		0.21
|Oct high F = 	70.1	|Oct mean F = 	59.7	|Oct low F = 	49.2	|Oct precipitation inch = 		0.88
|Nov high F = 	69.4	|Nov mean F = 	57.1	|Nov low F = 	44.9	|Nov precipitation inch = 		1.63
|Dec high F = 	64.0	|Dec mean F = 	52.8	|Dec low F = 	41.6	|Dec precipitation inch = 		3.04
|year high F = 	67.0	|year mean F = 	57.1	|year low F = 	47.1	|year precipitation inch = 		18.81
|source=PRISM Climate Group{{Cite PRISM|access-date=May 20, 2020|lat=35.5149|lon=121.0340}}
}}

== Featured in media ==
In episode 3 of the Korean drama ''[[The Heirs]]'' ({{Korean|hangul=왕관을 쓰려는자, 그무게를 견뎌라-상속자들|rr=Wangkwan-eul Sseuryeoneunja, Geumugereul Gyeondyeora-sangsokjadeul|lit=The One Who Wants To Wear The Crown, Bear The Crown}}) produced by [[Seoul Broadcasting System]], the main characters played by [[Lee Min-ho]] and [[Park Shin-hye]] visit the town of Harmony and the winery located there.

In the 4th episode of the [[HLN (TV network)|HLN Kids]] Network's ''Gerbda'', Harmony is mentioned on a list of tourist destinations read by Buster, a character played by [[Matt Walsh (comedian)|Matt Walsh]].

Harmony is featured as an artists' colony in the [[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]] episode "The Case of the Absent Artist" (season 5, episode 23; 1962), under the name "Port Harmony".

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.harmonyca.com/history.html History of Harmony (partial)]
*[http://www.beachcalifornia.com/harmony.html Beach California page on Harmony, CA]
*[http://www.harmonyglassworks.com  Harmony Glassworks]

{{San Luis Obispo County, California}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Unincorporated communities in San Luis Obispo County, California]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in California]]