Moravian Community, Bethlehem, Northampton County

Before we dive into this week's quest, I'd just like to draw your attention to something new. As of a few days ago, the blog now has its own dedicated Twitter account! I'm using it to follow assorted historical organizations and news outlets and to help spread the word about events and discoveries in the commonwealth. Of course, I'm also using it to promote the blog itself. So if you've got a Twitter, please give MarkerQuest a follow.

For this week, we're going to mosey back to beautiful downtown Bethlehem and take a look at the Moravian community.

The marker stands on the corner of 
Main and Church Streets at the Central
Moravian Church

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might be thinking, "We've done that already. Lots." You wouldn't be wrong, either. But while several of the buildings in the Moravian community at Bethlehem have markers of their own, so does the community as a whole, and this post will focus on some of the buildings which don't have individual historical markers.

As I explained back when telling you about the first house in Bethlehem, the Moravians trace their roots to the mid-15th century and the teachings of Jan Hus, founder of the Unity of the Brethren in what is now the Czech republic. They were gradually driven underground, but resurfaced thanks to Count von Zinzendorf, who appears in so many of my posts that I've decided to give him his own tag. In 1722 he welcomed a group of Protestant refugees from the region known as Moravia to his estate in Germany, where they established the community of Herrnhut, and because of their origins they became known as the Moravians. From there, with Zinzendorf's support, they branched out into the world to spread their faith. After a few false starts here in what eventually became the United States, they settled in 1741 on a tract of land sold to them by William Allen; where the Lehigh River meets the Monocacy Creek, they put down roots and began constructing what became the Moravian Community of Bethlehem. They built a log cabin, which served as housing for everybody for the first several months, and when the good Count came to visit for Christmas, he gave the community the name of Bethlehem.

The second building, also constructed in 1741, was the Gemeinhaus, which literally translates as "community house." This was where they worshiped, and it has its own marker so we'll get to that another day. They continued to fell their white oaks and construct more buildings over the next few years, several of which are still with us and which are considered the finest surviving examples of 18th century Germanic architecture in the entire country. The Single Sisters' House (1744), the Bell House (1744), the Single Brethren's House (1748), the Old Chapel (1751), the Sun Inn (1758), and the Waterworks (1762) are all still standing and all have their own markers. So does God's Acre, the cemetery, which was established on ground selected by Zinzendorf for the purpose in 1742. PHMC representatives have spent a lot of time in Bethlehem.

One portion of the community which does not have a PHMC marker, but does have plenty of informational signage erected by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, is the Colonial Industrial Quarter. This includes a reproduction of the 1762 springhouse (seen at left), which provided the Moravians with clean potable water and also functioned as cold storage for cheese, butter, and vegetables. The Waterworks later transmitted the water at a greater capacity to the community at large, but the little spring off of the Monocacy continued to be Bethlehem's water source all the way until 1912, when it was sadly found to be contaminated. 

The Quarter also includes the archaeological ruins of the butchery, dye house, pottery, and oil mill. These have been reduced to not much more than their foundations, but signage from HBM&S provides insight into the purposes of the buildings. Touring many of the Moravian buildings sometimes requires a fee, but the Quarter is outdoors and visitors are always welcome to explore. Following the paved path up the hill will bring visitors to the Blacksmith Complex, established in 1750. Prior to this, the blacksmith, nailsmith, and locksmith worked wherever

they could find space, but in that year the complex was created to allow them to work together and share their resources and knowledge. This roomy building, which looks like two houses put together, is filled with authentic tools (like those seen at right) and plenty of information. It's opened to the public at various points throughout the year, such as during the Christmas season when Bethlehem is filled with holiday shoppers and tourists; but the place isn't just for show. Although it's been suspended in recent years due to the you-know-what, there is hope that HBM&S will again be resuming their Blacksmithing 101 program. Interested students can arrange to participate in a course where they are taught smithing in the same way that the Moravians did it, with the same kinds of tools they used, and the course is designed to take a student from a complete novice all the way to a full understanding. So if you've ever watched Forged in Fire on the History Channel and thought this would be something to try, keep an eye on the website for when the course is offered again.

Moving along Main Street are more buildings erected by the Moravians, including the aforementioned Sun Inn and, of course, the Central Moravian Church. HBM&S runs a visitor center and gift shop beside (and partially within) what is known as the Goundie House, once the home of Johann Sebastian Goundie. Built in about 1810, it's believed to be the first home in Bethlehem made from brick rather than wood or stone. Goundie was a leading citizen among the Moravians, being a brewmaster, fire inspector, and civil servant; during the nearly fifty years he lived there, he held a number of public roles in Bethlehem, including mayor. He also owned several rental properties and invested in many businesses besides his own, like the Easton Bank. Much of his home has been preserved as a free museum, such as the room seen at left, though several rooms are devoted to selling local crafts.

I've mentioned it in other posts, but the Moravian Community is on the short list to become one of the next UNESCO World Heritage Sites. As of this writing, we could be as little as two years away from seeing this become a reality. For almost 300 years, the heart of Bethlehem has been home to "some of the most important structures and sites relating to the Moravians in the New World." It's an exciting time to be participating in history - for Bethlehem, for the Lehigh Valley, for all of Pennsylvania - so if you get the chance, go and explore the beautiful not-quite-15 acres of heritage.

---

Sources and Further Reading:

"Visit, Explore, Experience Historic Moravian Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: A National Historic Landmark District," published by the Historic Bethlehem Preservation Association

Moravian Walking Tour and Guide Book, published by the Moravian Historical Society, 2014

History of Bethlehem at BethlehemPA.org

Hay, Bryan. "Bethlehem could be on World Heritage List by 2024." WFMZ Channel 69 News, September 21, 2001.

Moravian Community at the Historical Marker Database

---

Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.