Moravian Preservation Master Plan.indb - Society for College and ...

Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
historic residences is narrow and reflects the typical
urban scale of what remains of this early twentiethcentury
residential block (see figure 5-112).
Contributing features:
• Enclosure formed by Colonial Hall
Land Use
The Colonial Hall character area was set aside
primarily for residential use until Colonial Hall
was built in 1929. Afterward, uses were mixed and
included both residences and offices.
Circulation Features
Three city streets border the Colonial Hall character
area: Main Street to the west, Elizabeth Avenue to
the north, and Locust Street to the south. These
three streets are asphalt-paved and have curb and
gutter systems. Main Street has a central planted
area installed in 2003 to unify the two sides of
Main Street and create a safer pedestrian crosswalk
(Moravian College 2003). All three streets are also
lined with concrete sidewalks as is typical of the
rest of downtown Bethlehem.
Figure 5-113. Colonial Hall ca. 1950s, with shrubs lining the
front walkway (Moravian Church Archives).
A number of concrete walkways curve through
this character area, connecting the Colonial Hall
buildings with other areas within the block and
to the sidewalks that edge the surrounding streets
(see figures 5-109 and 5-114). Colonial Hall is itself
accessed by a walkway that extends from the
gateway on Main Street to its terraced entrance
plaza (see figure 5-82). The walkway also connects
Colonial Hall directly with Comenius Hall, located
to the west across Main Street. The terraced
entrance plaza for Colonial Hall was constructed in
2001 and presents a complex of stone and concrete
stairs, ramps, and planting beds centered on the
new entrance created by the addition that connects
the two buildings. Other than the streetscape
sidewalks, the central walkway that leads to the
entrance plaza appears to be the only other historic
feature still remaining.
Contributing features:
• Streetscape sidewalks
• Central walkway
Views and Vistas
When Colonial Hall and its addition were first
constructed, a third wing had been planned, which
would have completed the enclosure of what was
to be a college quad that would have been axially
oriented to Comenius Hall. The third wing was
never constructed and although for many years
the axial orientation was still strong through the
placement of the straight walkway between the
two buildings, that relationship was altered with
the construction of the new entrance plaza at the
corner of the ell (figure 5-115 and see figure 5-82).
This strong axial relationship is further weakened
by the placement of two trees that block the central
Figure 5-114. Rolling lawn to the south of Colonial Hall (JMA
2008).
Figure 5-115. Close-up view of the recently-installed terraced
entrance plaza at Colonial Hall (JMA 2008).
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 5 • Cultural Landscapes • 119