Pennsylvania is home to a myriad of fascinating religious history sites, and one of the best to visit is the Moravian Museum in Bethlehem.
The Moravian Museum is located in the heart of the city within the Moravian’s Gemeinhaus. This meeting house was built in 1741 and is not only the oldest building within the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site but is also the largest log cabin in continuous use in the United States.
The Moravians came to Pennsylvania from the Czech Republic, looking for the religious freedom promised by William Penn, much like other sects such as the Amish and the Harmonists. They settled in an isloated community that they dubbed Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1741.
Over the years, I’ve visited Bethlehem many times and have taken several guided tours of the city and its historic buildings. However, wanting to learn more, I decided to visit the Gemeinhaus, which is the home of the Moravian Museum.
Guided tours of the building are offered on most days and are a great way to learn about the history of Bethlehem, PA and the Moravians that settled here with their interesting customs and beliefs.
Tours last around 45-60 minutes and take you through a portion of the Gemeinhaus. This building is in amazingly authentic condition, and, minus some modern upgrades like electricity, it looks nearly exactly as it would have looked nearly three centuries ago.
After a brief introduction to the site and the Moravians in general, tours head into the building, starting with the Saal. This is where the Moravians worshipped, and it looks much as it would have when they lived here.
During your time in this room, docents offer some great information about the Moravians beliefs and how they worshipped in this space. I was fascinated to learn that, when this building was complete, the entire community lived in this one building.
As you head through the rest of the building, some rooms are set up as they would have been centuries ago, while others contain objects related to the history of the community.
Along the way, the guides offer a weather of information about the spaces and the objects in them, while also allowing you time to look around and appreciate the items on displays.
Items range from everyday tools to beautiful pieces of art and even the oldest firefighting apparatus in the United States. There really is something for anyone that loves history to appreciate here.
Probably the most interesting item, however, was a chair said to have been used by the Marquis de Lafayette.
During the American Revolution, Bethlehem was an important medical community, and many soldiers would come to the Lehigh Valley to recuperate from their wounds. One of these was the Marquis de Lafayette, who spent two months in town after being shot in the leg during the Battle of Brandywine.
Seeing a chair connected to one of the most important men of the Revolutionary War was quite exciting.
Overall, I really found the Moravian Museum to be quite interesting, and even having visited other Moravian sites in the region, I definitely learned something new and quite enjoyed my visit.
So, even if you’ve taken some of the walking tours offered by Historic Bethlehem or even visited the Moravian Historical Society in nearby Nazareth, PA, I still highly recommend checking this site out.
Looking for even more things to do in the area? Check out Lost River Caverns, America on Wheels, and the Allentown Art Museum.
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