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

Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
(figure 5-40 and see figure 5-16). A four-piered brick
gateway once provided access from Main Street
into the Sundial Garden and the Playing Fields,
beyond. A narrow path, lined with silver poplars,
led from the pedestrian opening in the gateway to
the main path towards the central green.
• Paths leading to the Playing Fields
Southwest campus entrance with brick
columns
• Granite cobble gutters
Views and Vistas
A number of historic illustrations depict views of
what became the Hurd campus in the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries (figures 5-41 and 5-42 and
see figures 5-9 and 5-12). It is not known if these were
actual views or imagined and idealized images of
the town and college. Because the old Hill-to-Hill
Bridge has been demolished it is not likely that the
view to the Pleasure Grounds from that point is still
available. However, these historic views present an
overall picture of the historic landscape setting of
the campus.
Figure 5-40. Path to the playing fields along the bluff. Note old
root cellars visible to the right (Moravian College Archives).
In general, the few circulation features remaining
from the historic period are in good condition. The
main path into the Pleasure Grounds is currently
maintained in asphalt in what appears to be its
original alignment, although the cobbles on its
edges differ in character from the original granite
gutters. In addition, the sidewalk along Church
Street, is cracked and uplifted in places, creating
a tripping hazard. In areas where paving is not
adequately sized, turf has been worn away at the
edges from foot traffic and service vehicle parking.
Contributing features:
• Main Street
• Church Street
• Sakon Place
• Church Street sidewalk
• Service road in Pleasure Grounds space
(originally the main path)
• Passage between South and New Chapel/
Peter Hall
• Passage between Single Brethren’s House
and Main Hall
Missing features:
• Small paths in Pleasure Grounds
Historic photographs show framed vistas of the
Pleasure Grounds as seen through the passageway
under South Hall and between the Single Brethren’s
House and Main Hall (see figures 5-33 through 5-37).
From the South Hall passageway, an axial view to
Figure 5-41. View of the Pleasure Grounds of the Hurd Campus
as seen from the southwest (Moravian Souvenir 1856).
Figure 5-42. View of the Hurd Campus as seen from the
southwest, 1784 (Moravian Souvenir 1856).
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 5 • Cultural Landscapes • 85