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52-795: The Colonial Industrial Quarter 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 . The Colonial Industrial Quarter is also known as the location of several annual events and festivals including the Historic Turkey Trot 5K , Musikfest , and Celtic Classic . “Established in 1741, this area eventually housed thirty-two industries which employed advanced technological methods to produce

104-484: A chapel. The next addition that was made was the last addition made to the building. The addition included a building that was raised above the building on a basement and it was the first time that architectural detail was included in a Moravian building. The Single Sisters' House is located on West Church Street near the Bethlehem Public Library. The Single Brethens' House was a building that served

156-449: A collecting tower where Central Moravian Church now stands. The water flowed from the tower into five locations on the hillside for use by the community. It stands today essentially unchanged from its original form with the stone structure, wheel pit, and pump area still intact. It underwent restoration in 1972 in which the building, waterwheel, and pumping mechanism were restored using original 18th century master craftsmen's drawings found in

208-529: A dig at the site. The Smithy complex, located adjacent to the Pottery ruin along Main Street, was constructed in 1750 and later expanded in 1761. The complex consisted of workrooms and forges for the nailsmith, locksmith, blacksmith, tinsmith, gunsmith, and gunstock maker with blacksmithing operations continuing until around 1829. The original Smithy complex was dismantled and converted into brownstone dwellings in

260-484: A growing community, the log structures were replaced by larger limestone buildings during the late 1740s through the early 1770s. By the mid-1750s the number of trades had grown to approximately 50, making it the largest concentration of industries in the American Colonies of the time. When John Adams visited this community, he called Bethlehem a “ curious and remarkable town ” stating to his wife Abigail in

312-464: A letter (April 1777) that “ They have carried the mechanical Arts to greater Perfection here than in any Place which I have seen …They have a fine sett of Mills. The best Grist Mills and bolting Mills, that are anywhere to be found. The best fulling Mills, an oil Mill, a Mill to grind Bark for the Tanyard, a Dying House where All Colours are dyed, Machines for shearing Cloth .” By the mid-1800s, many of

364-541: A mid 1700s Blacksmith Shop with skilled artisans demonstrating 18th century techniques, open to the public to view and also take blacksmithing classes. Leading down the hill between the Smithy and Pottery ruin is a footpath known as Ohio Road which follows an early American Indian trail and bridge across the Monocacy Creek. The original bridge and road appear on a Plan of Bethlehem dated 1766. The current stone bridge

416-482: A more efficient system required enlargement of the plant, as well as more powerful machinery. Hans later built the limestone Waterworks in 1762 to meet these needs and received thirty shillings in payment for his work. The limestone Waterworks building is located in the floodplain of Monocacy Creek in the Colonial Industrial Quarter , an important part of the historic district of Bethlehem. It

468-778: A variety of products making Bethlehem nearly self-sufficient.” The first workshops of the Colonial Industrial Quarter were initially built as small log structures. By 1743 the Moravians built a saw mill, soap mill, wash houses, grist mill, oil mill, tannery, blacksmith shop, and brass foundry. By 1747, thirty-five crafts, trades, and industries were established including butchery, tawery, clockmaker, tinsmith, nailor, pewterer, hatter, spinning, weaving, cooper, dye house, community bakery, candlemaker, linen bleachery, fulling mill, saddlery, tailor, cobbler, flax processing, wheelwright, carpenter, and mason. To compensate for

520-594: A wooden reservoir or distributing tank built within the little square, the site now occupied by the Moravian Church. The pipes were bored hemlock logs which had been floated down the Lehigh River from Gnadenhuetten on the Mahoning." Persistent issues with leaking and bursting pipes kept this first structure from being fully completed, despite switching from wood to lead pipes. Growing demand for water and

572-412: Is a 2-1/2 story building, built out of limestone rubble, that is about 24 feet (7.3 m) square and covered by a red tile roof. It is set over an otherwise open holding pit, which was originally fed by a wood-lined trench from a nearby spring. There are doors on three sides, one of which is at a higher elevation owing to the sloping terrain; it provides access to a storage area on the upper level, while

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624-462: 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 historical assemblage of communal religious buildings and history. In 2016, it was named to the U.S. Tentative List for nomination to

676-642: Is a tributary of the Lehigh River in Northampton County . The museum property includes a connected series of 18th-century stone buildings which includes the 1744-1772 Single Sisters' House and the 1746 Bell House , both of which served as communal living facilities, and the 1751 Old Chapel . Also part of the complex, the Lewis David de Schweinitz Residence is a National Historic Landmark for its association with botanist and mycologist Lewis David de Schweinitz who used to take up residence in

728-622: Is believed to be the first pump-powered water supply to be implemented in what is now the United States. Boston had a municipal water supply as early as 1652, but it was only powered by gravity . This European style of technology for municipal water distribution was not matched in America until the Philadelphia water system was completed in 1801. Archaeological studies were conducted at the waterworks site in 1964 and 1972. In 1972

780-669: Is currently awaiting restoration. Outside the Miller's House is the Miller's House Garden, patterned on a Germanic four-square plan from 1870. The garden contains period flora such as vintage roses and herbs and is cared for by the Bethlehem Garden Club . Historic Moravian Bethlehem District The Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District encompasses a complex of the oldest surviving buildings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania . The National Historic Landmark District

832-521: Is left of the building originally constructed in 1752, with only the foundation walls extant. Illustrations from the 18th century show a two-story building that acted as a slaughter house, providing meat for the community and hides for the Tannery next door. It was converted into a laundry and cleaning business by the early 20th century and was later torn down as part of the Urban Renewal project in

884-552: Is located in the Colonial Industrial Quarter of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania , between 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

936-639: The World Heritage List . In 2024, it became a World Heritage Site, together with other Moravian church settlements in Denmark , Germany , and the United Kingdom . The Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District occupies a discontiguous 14.7-acre (5.9 ha) area of central Bethlehem. Its central core consists of the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem and adjacent properties, located at Main and West Church Streets east of Monocacy Creek , which

988-532: The 18th century. Bethlehem was settled in 1741, and was the first successful community established by German Moravians in North America . It became a central point for later Moravian settlements across what the present-day eastern United States . Because some of its earliest communal buildings were built in stone, they have survived into the 21st century. These buildings housed the community's single men and women, then segregated by gender, and served as

1040-407: The 1960s. Little remains today other than the foundation. The Dye House, a limestone building constructed in 1771, stood as a two-story, three-bay building with a one-story section to the west where the dyeing operations occurred. Natural substances such as indigo (blue), madder (red), logwood (purple), and fustic (yellow) were used to dye fabrics such as linen, cotton, and silk. Initially built along

1092-466: The Grist Mill (today Luckenbach Mill) tail race . As the community grew, so did the tanning operation, and a larger, more permanent stone structure was built on the west side of the tail race in 1761. Leather was both an important material and a valuable commodity in early Bethlehem, making the need for the tannery all the greater. By the 1760s the colonial Moravians processed 1000–2000 animal hides at

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1144-486: The Monocacy Creek was and still is prone to flooding. Damages to the buildings from high water and debris were noted in historic records. The many floods left behind silt and soil which, over the centuries, raised the ground level of the Colonial Industrial Quarter nearly six feet. Most notably the entrance to the Tannery at present day is a few steps below ground level, but back in 1761 it was a few steps above. The Colonial Industrial Quarter's buildings and ruins are owned by

1196-608: The Moravian Archives collection. The waterwheel was later damaged from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and was repaired in 2009 through funding from a Save America's Treasures Grant. The building's original purpose is interpreted at this site today on guided tours. The Oil Mill ruin sitting across from the Waterworks represents the Oil Mill building constructed circa 1765, though it was not the first Oil Mill constructed in

1248-455: The Quarter. The first Oil Mill was built in 1745 and was much smaller than the later Oil Mills, with oil seed pressing as its only operation. Early artistic renditions of the original mill suggest it was not a water-powered operation due to a lack of waterwheels in contemporary drawings. It was rebuilt as a log structure in 1752 approximately 200 feet south of the original location. This new mill

1300-586: The Sisters House after it was built. The original version of the Single Sisters' House was built in 1744 and was a two-story stone building that lacked a basement and a kitchens. At the time, a second version of the Sisters' House was constructed, adding a northern wing. The northern wing included a few new changes to building which were a new dormitory a larger dining area and in the later future

1352-479: The Tannery annually and produced a large variety of leather products such as clothing, shoes, harnesses, and machinery parts. The Tannery was operated by the Moravians until 1829 and tanning ceased in 1873 due to the rising price of tanbark. The building was then used for various operations and eventually deteriorated to the point of becoming a tenement house surrounded by a junk yard. It was restored between 1968 and 1971. The Butchery archaeological ruin represents what

1404-534: The U.S. Tentative List in 2016 for nomination to the World Heritage List . The first waterworks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania was designed and built by millwright Hans Chistoph Christensen from Denmark in 1755 to more efficiently bring water from the spring at the bottom of the hill to the top of the hill where most of the living quarters could be found. This spring provided a flow of 800 gallons per minute, enough to provide water for drinking, cooking, and bathing, as well as water in case of fire. The first building

1456-407: The building to provide storage for meat, eggs, cheese and butter, fresh fruit and vegetables. In 1764, a larger log structure was erected, and a similar building was later reconstructed in the 1970s. The spring provided water to the city of Bethlehem until the early 1900s when it was capped due to contamination. The Tannery was originally built as a small log structure in 1743 along the east side of

1508-410: The building, the waterwheel, and the pumping mechanism were restored using the original 18th century master craftsmen’s drawing in the collection of the Moravian Archives. In 2004 the waterwheel sustained damage from Hurricane Ivan , and through a Save America's Treasures Grant was restored in 2009 using those same drawings. Sections of the original wooden pipes used by the Waterworks are on display at

1560-445: The building. The museum also manages properties near the creek, including the industrial 1761 Tannery building, and Bethlehem Waterworks , which is also a National Historic Landmark as the first pump-driven North American municipal water supply. This area, known as the Colonial Industrial Quarter , is also archaeologically significant, as the early Moravians developed it industrially from an early period. Non-museum properties in

1612-513: The city of Bethlehem and under long-term lease to Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites , a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Pottery ruin can be found along Main Street, Bethlehem, just west of Central Moravian Church . The building was constructed of limestone in 1749 and measured 32 ft. x 35 ft. with two stories. Historically, it was used as a pottery where the potter made roof tiles for buildings, tile stoves for heating, and plates, cups, bowls, pie plates and other necessities. Later

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1664-445: The city’s growth continued but the power supplied by Monocacy Creek could not match. Both the Waterworks and the Oil Mill used the same tail race to supply the power for their needs and by the early 1800s the Oil Mill had to halt productivity for two days out of the week so the Waterworks could fill the town’s reservoirs. The Waterworks operations were later relocated to the Oil Mill building in 1832 due to an increase on water demands from

1716-684: The district include the 1803-06 Central Moravian Church , the God's Acre , a Moravian burial ground, and the 1758-60 Moravian Sun Inn , located further up Main Street. The Sun Inn was created as a place for non-Moravian people to stay when they visited Bethlehem at the time. The Sun Inn was used during the American Revolution . Its guests during the era included George Washington , Martha Washington , Benjamin Franklin , Samuel Adams , John Hancock , John Adams , and other notable Americans of

1768-447: The earliest places of worship in the colonial era . Bethlehem remained under strong Moravian religious influence until the early 19th century, when the community began to become more secular. One of the living facilities segregated by sex in this area was called the Single Sisters' House and it is a place where single Moravian women would live before they were married or after they were widowed. There were three significant additions to

1820-425: The early 20th century. Standing in its place today is a full reconstruction done in 2004 upon the original foundations and based upon various archival resources found within the collections of the Moravian Archives. The reconstruction was crafted using limestone taken from a local 18th century barn being torn down, and includes the original Smithy's vaulted cistern which was still intact. Today the 1750 Smithy interprets

1872-482: The facilities operations such as buckwheat, millet, barley malt, split peas, and tobacco snuff, making it one of the most versatile facilities and profitable industries in 18th century Bethlehem. By the early 1800s, the changing economy in Bethlehem created operational deficits that could not be overcome and the mill's operations came to an end in 1814. For the next hundred years it was used by tenant millers and then as

1924-456: The first floor became the clothmaker and stocking weaver's shop. The second floor became home to thirteen widowers in 1758. The Pottery stood until the early 20th century when it was partially dismantled and converted into brownstone dwellings. A wall fragment and foundations of the original building, which were saved in the 1960s during Urban Renewal, are all that remain today. Yale University Department of Anthropology and Archaeology also conducted

1976-510: The first individual residence for a master of a trade. The building was made of limestone with one story and a basement as a home for the miller and his family. In 1834 the house was enlarged and it was used as a residence until the 1970s, then used as programming space and offices for Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites until the late 1990s. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The building

2028-530: The grist mill tail race in 1746, an addition for a second dye house was constructed in 1752 next to the site of the present-day ruins. Operations in the Dye House ceased in the 1830s after which the building was used for storage and dwellings. In the 1930s the house was partially dismantled with the stone being used for the construction of other structures. Today the remaining ruins, consisting of foundation, walls, and window openings, are an archaeological site that

2080-447: The original 18th century buildings were converted into other uses and some were torn down. By the 1950s, the area had become an automobile junk yard. Civic and cultural interest in the city's history pushed for preservation of the Colonial Industrial Quarter and following a period of urban renewal in the 1960s, the site was cleaned up. This allowed archaeological studies and restoration work to proceed as funds were raised. The area along

2132-433: The other two provide access to the mechanisms on the inside. The machinery includes a replica waterwheel, reproduced from the original master craftsman's drawings which were preserved. In colonial Bethlehem, water power replaced human and horse power. The wheel was originally turned by water supplied from the creek and provided the power needed to move water up to the settlement above. The power generated by one water wheel

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2184-508: The relocated Waterworks for 81 years. Due to insurmountable water contamination within the spring that caused an outbreak of typhoid and dysentery, it was shut down in 1913. The Oil Mill was demolished in 1934 as a project of the Works Progress Administration with the stones used for retaining walls along the Monocacy Creek. Only the foundations of the Oil Mill remain today. The first Springhouse, constructed in 1747,

2236-484: The same purpose except it was a place where single and widowed Moravian men would live. The Single Brethens' House is located on Main Street. Bethlehem Waterworks 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,

2288-596: The town that the 1762 Waterworks could not meet. The Oil Mill operated as the new Waterworks for 81 years, serving the continually growing community well into the early twentieth century. Water quality from the spring soon became a major issue with epidemics of typhoid and dysentery being traced to the water supply and, under order of the Pennsylvania Commissioner of Health, the waterworks operations were shut down permanently in January 1913. The system

2340-472: Was a small stone structure built over the spring to make use of the water's very cold temperature to provide storage for perishable foodstuffs. Flowing at a rate of one million gallons per day, the spring's water overflow spilled onto large rocks on the earthen floor where the Moravian's placed their dairy products, vegetables, and redware pots full of milk. Each choir house in the community had its own shelf in

2392-403: Was a wooden structure designed by Hans and described by Robert Rau as "the machinery was placed in a frame building, 19 by 22, a few yards east of the oil and bark mill, whither the spring water was led by a conduit into a cistern. The pump was made of lignum vitae (a hard and heavy tropical wood), the cylinder being five inches in diameter. The water was forced through wooden pipes up the hill into

2444-420: Was constructed in the early 1800s and today serves as a pedestrian walkway. The Waterworks , a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (declared 1971), American Water Landmark (declared 1971), and National Historic Landmark (declared 1981), was built in 1762. It is considered to be the first municipal pumped water system in America; an undershot waterwheel powered three pumps and forced spring water to

2496-474: Was erected later that year, though portions of the 1751 mill's north and east walls are still visible. The mill remained one of the longest-lasting industries in the Colonial Industrial Quarter, receiving modern upgrades of steam power in 1877, an Allis roller mill system in 1882, and a 25,000 bushel grain elevator in 1893. The Luckenbach Mill was in continuous use well into the 20th century, gradually switching from flour to grain before all milling ceased in 1949. It

2548-550: Was investigated by the Yale University Department of Anthropology and Archaeology. The Grist Mill underwent several building iterations before it became the building known today as the Luckenbach Mill. The original wooden flour mill was built in 1743 and due to flood damage was later replaced by a limestone structure in 1751. This building was destroyed by a fire in 1869 and the building seen today

2600-457: Was purchased in 1952 by an auto parts dealer who turned the whole Colonial Industrial Quarter area into an automobile junkyard. The building was restored in 1982. Presently the structure houses event and educational space as well as the Library and Archives for Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites. The Grist Miller's House was built in 1784 after the end of Bethlehem's General Economy and was

2652-494: Was the equivalent of 100 men and an undershot waterwheel powered three cast-iron pumps, forcing the water through pipes (originally wooden, later lead) into a collecting tower located nearly 94 feet uphill where Central Moravian Church stands today. From the tower, gravity carried the water into five separate cisterns on the hillside to be used by the various Choir houses. Hans' system was imperfect, with overpressure bursting wooden pipes and other problems. Conflict later arose when

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2704-504: Was the site for various industrial processes and used one undershot waterwheel to process oilseeds, tanbark, and hemp. The 1752 Oil Mill produced 750–1550 gallons (2800–5900 liters) of linseed oil annually. A fire damaged the 1752 Oil Mill beyond repair on November 18, 1763, and a new, larger stone Oil Mill was constructed in 1765 on the location of the present-day ruin. This mill featured two undershot waterwheels with additional machinery for grinding groats. Additional products would be added to

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