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Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
main entrance” (Moravian College 1958). The main
entrance and belvedere reconstruction occurred
some years later, but shutters have not been
reinstalled.
Signifi cance
Main Hall is significant for its historic function
as the Moravian Seminary for Women’s reception
rooms and dormitory, a function which continues
in the present time. It was one of the first buildings
in Bethlehem to feature a flat-roofed Italianate
style, and also among the first to boast modern
technology (central heat, gas lighting and interior
plumbing). Main Hall is also significant as the first
of Moravian’s Church Street buildings to undergo
exterior restoration and was thus an important
component of the beginnings of Historic Bethlehem
and historic preservation initiatives in downtown
Bethlehem. The rehabilitation work coincided with
the building’s centennial, and it was described as
being “at once a modern fireproof dormitory and an
eloquent example of a mature building beginning
its second century of service” (Moravian College
1958).
The historic frame wing and back porches at the
west end were removed as part of the restoration
effort.
The interior of the building retains a good amount
of integrity on the first floor where the parlors are.
Other areas of the building, notably those areas
used as dormitory rooms, have been renovated
with modern finishes, partitions, closets, doors,
carpeting, and dropped ceilings. The installation of
the modern fire stairs also altered the floor plan.
Figure 8-125. Main Hall during restoration, ca. 1958 (Moravian
College Archives).
Figure 8-124. Main Hall, ca. 1929 photo of home economics
kitchen (Moravian College Viewbook [1929]).
Integrity
Main Hall underwent significant exterior restoration
and interior renovation work during the late 1950s
to update it as a modernized dormitory. The exterior
retains a great deal of integrity, including original
windows and trim, though some elements date
from the 1958 work. As mentioned, some historic
elements such as the exterior shutters are missing
and were not recreated during the restoration work.
Figure 8-126. Main Hall, historic hallway, plaster moldings, and
curved walls on first floor (JMA 2008).
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 8 • Historic Buildings • 211