Back in 1880, English author Thomas Hughes led an experiment that attempted to answer the question: can a perfect society exist?
He sought to build a utopian colony for British expats in the American South and settled on Tennessee. Hughes' work partly grew in reaction to the economic depression plaguing Victorian England, a time during which "second sons" were left jobless as, by birthright, they did not receive any part of their families' estates. In this new society, folks could find work without having to worry about social class distinctions, all the while practicing Christian socialist ideals "of equality and cooperation."
At its inception, Rugby was populated by about 300 people from both England and America. Geographically speaking, the area was chosen for its "resort-like" qualities that proved effective in the construction of a slew of buildings, including the three-story Tabard Inn, named after the Southwark hosterly in the famous Canterbury Tales.
Sale of alcohol was banned, the town established its own newspaper (The Rugbeian), a free public library was available to all and croquet and tennis courts were built. A mere five years after its establishment, the city opened a university, Arnold School.
Although seemingly floruishing since inception, the town had to deal with plenty of lawsuits over land titles and an eventual typhoid epidemic killed a number of residents. Newspapers around the world kept a close eye on the colony, ridiculing Hughes' idea and reporting on the author's failed side projects, including the establishment of a tomato cannery that failed given the farmers' inexperience.
By 1900, the town was all but dead.
In the 1960s, one Brian Stagg decided to turn the area into a historic landmark by setting up the Historic Rugby Foundation, through which he restored dilapitaed buildings based on original designs. The destination entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Today, nearly 100 peope live in Rugby's historic homes and the Historic Rugby Foundation hosts tours of the area complete with costumes and more.