Gemeinhaus-Lewis David de Schweinitz Residence | |
Gemeinhaus-Lewis David de Schweinitz Residence, October 2011 | |
Location | 66 W. Church St., Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
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Coordinates | 40°37′7″N75°22′52″W / 40.61861°N 75.38111°W |
Built | 1741 |
Part of | Historic Moravian Bethlehem District (ID12001016) |
NRHP reference No. | 75001658 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | May 15, 1975 [1] |
Designated NHL | May 15, 1975 [2] |
Designated NHLDCP | October 6, 2012 |
The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, also known as the 1741 Gemeinhaus and the Lewis David de Schweinitz Residence, is a historic house museum at 66 West Church Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Built in 1741 to house the early Moravian community as well as the community's place of worship, the Saal, it is the oldest surviving building in Bethlehem, the largest surviving log house in continuous use in the U.S. and also significant for its association with the botanist and mycologist Lewis David de Schweinitz (1780–1834). [3] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975. [2] [4] The building is part of the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District which was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 2012 and later named to the U.S. Tentative List in 2016 for nomination to the World Heritage List. [5]
The former Moravian Gemeinhaus (meaning Community House) is located in the historic heart of Bethlehem, at the northeast corner of West Church Street and Heckewelder Place. It is a 2+1⁄2-story log structure, covered by a gable roof and sheathed in wooden clapboards. The front roof face is pierced by six small shed-roof dormers, and the facade is ten bays wide, divided into two five-bay sections each with a center entrance. Its oldest portion, built in 1741, is the oldest surviving structure in Bethlehem. The building reached its present shape by 1743. [4]
The Gemeinhaus building complex includes some of the oldest buildings in Bethlehem such as: the 1746 Bell House, 1751 Old Chapel, and 1744-1772 Single Sisters’ House. The house was originally built by the Moravian settlers who founded Bethlehem as a home for its entire community (numbering 80 individuals) and later for the married clergy and officers. It served as the location within which they conducted their education, medicine, worship, and home mission work, and served in this role for many years. [6]
In its early years, the Gemeinhaus was the location of communal dining and cooking. The Sisters prepared daily meals in the lower level for the community, soon numbering over 100 people, until a separate kitchen was built within the Bell House. The second floor of the building contained the Saal, the largest room in the building and the earliest place of worship in Bethlehem. It was here that the first funeral occurred for a man named Johannes Mueller (first person to be buried in God's Acre Cemetery) on June 27, 1742. The first wedding in Bethlehem (Johann Zander and Johanna Magdalena Mueller) took place on July 8, 1742, as well as the historic “Great Wedding” where 28 couples were married in the same service by 7 clergy on July 15, 1749. By late 1749 the community had grown too large (over 200 people) and a bigger space was needed. They built their second place of worship in 1751, now called the Old Chapel, as an addition to the Gemeinhaus. [6]
Residency within the Gemeinhaus changed over the years as the population of the community grew. As other buildings were constructed, residents moved into the new choir houses including the Single Brethrens’ House, the Single Sisters’ House, the Bell House, the Widow's House, and later small homes for individual families. By 1761 there were 650 people in the community, and by 1843 there were 865. By 1796 the Gemeinhaus was home to the clergy and their families only and was commonly referred to as “the Clergy House.” By the mid-nineteenth century further homes had been built and the Gemeinhaus was no longer needed as a “Clergy House.” By 1869 only one clergyman remained: the Rev. Peter Ricksecker, a missionary to the West Indies. [6]
Thereafter rooms within the building were rented out by the Trustees of the Moravian Congregation of Bethlehem and it was listed as apartments in the 1920 city directory. In 1923 a circle of the Union of King's Daughters and Sons, an ecumenical organization, established a King's Daughters Home in the Gemeinhaus for the care of elderly women. This lasted until 1964 when the King's Daughters Home moved to a more suitable building. The Gemeinhaus opened as a museum on April 30, 1966. [6]
Music was an important part of worship for the Moravians. The first keyboard instrument, a Knolten spinet, arrived for the Saal from England on January 25, 1744. A pipe organ was later installed in June 1746. They memorized hundreds of hymns and sang them by heart, sometimes in the form of polyglot singing, often in their own native or known languages. At one point in time there were as many as 13 different languages spoken within the community and sung within the Gemeinhaus Saal. Other musical instruments accompanied the singing including horns, brass, and stringed instruments, some of which are on display there today. [6]
The Gemeinhaus was the location of the first medical office in Bethlehem established by Dr. John Adolph Meyer in 1742, whose practice is believed to be the forerunner of the earliest hospital concept in America. Based out of a small room in the Gemeinhaus (a space that is now a restroom) Meyer along with eight male and seven female nurses provided care for the community with innovative medical practices that were well ahead of their time. [7] Meyer later opened Bethlehem's first apothecary in 1743 within the building, which later moved into the Bell House until a laboratory was constructed along present-day Main Street in 1752. The 1752 Apothecary, part of the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, was the oldest pharmacy in continuous operation in the United States up until its closing in the 1950s. [8]
The first classes in the nation to educate girls in a broad curriculum similar to what boys were taught were instituted in 1742 by Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf. Her classes were held in the Gemeinhaus and even predated the first classes for boys in Bethlehem by a month. The classes for girls were later moved to the Bell House in 1749. [6]
It was here that Lewis David de Schweinitz was born in 1780; his father was a Moravian clergyman, and he also became an official in the church. It was his childhood home until the age of seven, when he was sent away to school at Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and was again his home from 1822 until is death in 1834. While at Nazareth, de Schweinitz cultivated an interest in botany and mycology, interests that he followed when his church duties permitted. He wrote a number of important early papers, including the 1831 "Synopsis of North American Fungi", that were groundbreaking in their depth and organization. At his death he was considered the nation's leading mycologist. [4]
Today the building houses the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem and contains historic artifacts, artwork, furnishings, clothing, instruments, books, tools, and manuscripts that tell the story of Bethlehem's founders. Visitors can learn about early Moravian communal living, missionary work, and their progressive educational system and medicinal practices on guided tours. Among the notable collections one can find original Gustav Grunewald paintings, historic maps and prints of early Bethlehem, the Till Piano, and examples of silver, tin, red and yellow-ware pottery, and clocks made by the early Moravian artisans.
Some other unique items within the museum collection can be found in the Fire Engine Annex. Sitting on display are the two earliest fire engines of Bethlehem: the Perseverance (purchased in 1763) and the Diligence (purchased in 1792). [9] Also on display are historic fire-fighting tools such as fire buckets and helmets, as well as a section of wooden pipe from the original pumped water system of the 1762 Waterworks.
The 1741 Gemeinhaus is presently under the care of the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem which is part of Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Among its total population as of 2020, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19,343 were in Lehigh County. It is Pennsylvania's seventh-most populous city. The city is located along the Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River.
Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, was a German Lutheran pastor sent to North America as a missionary, requested by Pennsylvania colonists.
Moravian University is a private university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The institution traces its founding to 1742 by Moravians, descendants of followers of the Bohemian Reformation under John Amos Comenius. Founded as a girls school in 1742, the College itself was founded as the Moravian College and Theological Seminary in 1807 and was accredited in 1863. In 2021 the College was elevated to a University. Moravian University uses the foundation of the Girls school as their foundation date which makes them the sixth-oldest college in the United States.
Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, which was originally settled by the Moravian community in 1766. It features a living-history museum which interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents had restored buildings earlier. As the Old Salem Historic District, it was declared a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1966, and expanded in 2016. The district showcases the culture of the Moravian settlement in North Carolina during the 18th and 19th centuries, communal buildings, churches, houses and shops.
God's Acre is a churchyard, specifically the burial ground. The word comes from the German Gottesacker, an ancient designation for a burial ground. The use of "Acre" is related to, but not derived from the unit of measurement and can be of any size. In the early 17th century the term was used as a translation of the German, but by the end of the century, it was accepted as an English term.
Lewis David de Schweinitz was a German-American botanist and mycologist from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Considered the "Father of North American Mycology," he also made significant contributions to botany.
The Bethlehem Waterworks, also known as the Old Waterworks or 1762 Waterworks, is believed to be the oldest pump-powered public water supply in what is now the United States. The pumphouse, which includes original and replica equipment, is located in the Colonial Industrial Quarter of downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, between the Monocacy Creek and Main Street. It was declared a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1971, an American Water Landmark in 1971, and a National Historic Landmark in 1981. The building is a contributing property to the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District which was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 2012 and later named to the U.S. Tentative List in 2016 for nomination to the World Heritage List.
Bethabara Historic District encompasses the surviving buildings and archaeological remains of a small Moravian community, that was first settled in 1753. Located in present-day Forsyth County, North Carolina, it is now a public park of the city of Winston-Salem. It was designated National Historic Landmark in 1999.
The Single Brothers' House was built to house the Single Brethren, the unmarried men, of the Moravian Congregation of Salem, now Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is part of Old Salem Museums & Gardens and open as an Old Salem tour building to visitors. It is located at 600 South Main Street, at Academy Street, on the southwest corner.
Graceham Moravian Church and Parsonage is a historic church building and parsonage located at 8231 Rocky Ridge Road, MD 77 in Graceham, east of Thurmont, Frederick County, Maryland. It is a two-story Flemish bond brick church built in 1822, and covered with white stucco because of deteriorated masonry. The church was built as an addition to the adjacent meeting house and parsonage built in 1797. This building and the church's cemetery having uniform flat gravestones represents Maryland's only remaining 18th century Moravian settlement.
The Tannery is a historic tannery building constructed by the colonial Moravians in Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It is a limestone building built in 1761, and is part of the Bethlehem Colonial Industrial Quarter.
The Whitefield House and Gray Cottage are two historic homes on the Ephrata Tract in Nazareth, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Construction on both buildings began in 1740, by Moravian settlers who moved to Nazareth after the failure of their mission to Native Americans and Europeans in the Savannah, Georgia area, 1735–1740. The two structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1980. The Ephrata Tract and its buildings are owned by the Moravian Historical Society, and act as the Society's headquarters.
Central Bethlehem Historic District is a national historic district located in Bethlehem in Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area of eastern Pennsylvania.
Henry Antes was an early 18th-century settler of Pennsylvania, an architect and builder and a leader of the Congregation of God in the Spirit and then the Moravian Church. He is considered one of the most important religious/political leaders of the time, specifically because he preached tolerance and understanding.
Linden HallSchool for Girls is an independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 6–12 located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1746 and is the oldest girls' boarding and day school in continuous operation in the United States.
The Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District encompasses a complex of the oldest surviving buildings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The National Historic Landmark District is a subset of the larger Central Bethlehem Historic District which is specifically focused on the early buildings constructed by the Moravians who settled the city in the 18th century. The district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012 for its unique assemblage of communal religious buildings and history. In 2016 it was named to the U.S. Tentative List for nomination to the World Heritage List.
The Moravian Historical Society in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1857. Its mission is to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the rich culture of the Moravians. It is the third oldest historical society in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Moravian Historical Society is housed in the 1740-1743 Whitefield House on the Ephrata Tract in downtown Nazareth. The Moravian Historical Society is affiliated with the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the repository for records of the Moravian Church in North America, Northern Province.
The Colonial Industrial Quarter in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is considered America's earliest industrial park. Established by the colonial Moravians along the banks of the Monocacy Creek, the ten-acre site contains historic buildings such as the 1762 Waterworks, 1761 Tannery, 1869 Luckenbach Mill, 1748/1834 Gristmiller's House, reconstructed 1764Springhouse and 1750Smithy, as well as ruins of the original 1749Pottery, 1752Butchery, 1765Oil Mill, and 1771 Dye House. This location was chosen to take advantage of a spring that supplied potable water and the power supplied by the Monocacy Creek's flow for the craftsmen and trades of early Bethlehem.
The Single Sisters’ House is an historic building located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania constructed by the Moravian settlers as a Choir House for the Single Brethren in 1744, and is part of a larger building complex that also contains the 1741 Gemeinhaus, 1746 Bell House, and 1751 Old Chapel. As the community grew it was re-purposed for the Single Sisters’ Choir in 1748. A fine example of Colonial Germanic style architecture, a portion of the house is still used as apartments for single women in Bethlehem with the other portion used as a museum and programming space.
The Goundie House is a historic building located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1810 for the Moravian town brewer John Sebastian Goundie, it is believed to be the first brick residence in Bethlehem and the first private home to reflect the American Federal style. The house is now used as a museum and exhibition space and for pop-up vintage shops. It is a contributing property to the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District, which was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2012 and later named to the U.S. Tentative List in 2016 for nomination to the World Heritage List.
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