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Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
Moravians of the colonial period believed that the
Economy system was the most economical means
of establishing themselves in the New World. In
exchange for basic needs, each community member
gave his or her labor to support the Moravian
community and its important missionary work.
Keeping the focus on the community rather than
individuals and families enabled the colonists
to unanimously work toward the dual goals of
evangelizing the Native Americans and keeping
the settlement going as the home base for and
supporter of the missionary work.
Unlike Bethlehem, other Moravian settlements were
unable to maintain the communal living system.
Their lack of direct contact with the church leaders
at Herrnhut, coupled with pressure to lead lives
more in keeping with non-Moravian neighbors,
caused these settlers to live as individual families.
Bethlehem retained its system until 1762, at which
time it too shifted toward nuclear families and
away from choirs. Still, Bethlehem remained closed
to non-Moravian residents until 1845 (Schamberger
2008, personal communication).
Figure 3-1. 1766 plan of Bethlehem (Murtagh 1967:15).
Moravian Bethlehem
Bethlehem’s plan was derived from the
self-sufficient planned community model
developed at Herrnhut and refined at the newer
towns of Nisky and Kleine Welk nearby (figures 3-1,
3-2, 3-3, 3-4). Common characteristics of the three
European plans included the siting of the major
buildings around a central square; the placement
of the central square to connect with major access
roads; a Gemeinhaus which housed the community’s
chapel and dominated the center of the town; large
houses for the different choirs; gardens associated
with each choir house; spaces to house girls’ and
boys’ boarding schools; a Congregational Inn; an
apothecary; a store; and industrial shop buildings
such as tanneries and tobacco and soap factories.
Nisky’s central square was laid out in formal
gardens, and another garden, later replicated in
Nazareth (figure 3-5) and Bethlehem as the “pleasure
gardens,” featured both a formal section and an
asymmetrical informal section. The Nisky garden
was intended as a recreational space for the boys’
boarding school (Murtagh 1967:9-11).
Between 1741 and 1758, Bethlehem was constructed
along these same lines and incorporated many of
the same planning features. The settlement grew
in a carefully planned and orderly fashion, given
the oversight of Count von Zinzendorf and the
Figure 3-2. Engraving of Herrnhut, 1722 town plan (Murtagh
1967:8).
Figure 3-3. Engraving of Nisky, 1742 town plan (Murtagh
1967:8).
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 3 • College Context • 36