Announcement Correction

Received a note from the Nazareth Moravian Church in regard to an announcment in the US and Key - please note the following will take place on Nazareth Day, July 18 (not 19 as the announcment reads):

"The Outreach Committee of the Nazareth Moravian Church is pleased to announce that they will again be providing Children’s Activities on July 19th from 10 am to 2 pm, during the Nazareth Days’ Festival. There will be a moon bounce and a dunk tank.

We will also be offering a free Child Identification Program (CHIP). CHIP is operated by the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation which gives law enforcement and recovery officials the necessary materials to find missing children. All items generated during a CHIP event are given to the child’s family. No copies are retained by the Masons or any government agency. "

A Cadet's Tale to Open

The Morning Call announced that the Whitfield House will open "A Cadet's Tale" (read the article here):

A Cadet's Tale: The Story of Nazareth Hall: The story of the celebrated boys' school established by the Moravians in Nazareth in 1743. Opens Thursday. Whitefield House, 214 E. Center St., Nazareth. 610-759-5070. http://www.moravianhistoricalsociety.org .

NASD Purchases former Property

The Express-Times reports (read it here) that the NASD bought back the Kern House from the Moravian Historical Society.

In short, the NASD sold a building for $75,000, then bought it back for $125,000, and did so without a plan of how we would use it.

The long story, ten years ago, Nazareth owned both the Kern House and its neighbor, now the law office building of Gary Asteak on the Circle. The two buildings housed the administration offices. The Kern House had the business offices, and the other building the Superintendent and Asst. Superintendent.

The decision was made to convert the main floor of the HS Annex (former middle school) to central administration offices, which meant the district could sell the two properties in the Borough.

The Kern House was sold to the Moravian Historical Society for $75,000. The sale price was low in order to allow the Society to invest in the building to create a museum and educational center that would benefit the district's students.

Since that time, there have been some open houses at the Kern House, but the resources to open another museum didn't materialize. The Society had considered sub-leasing the site to a bank for a set number of years and use the lease money received to seed the museum, but the NASD indicated doing so was against the terms of the sale.

According to the article, a recent crisis at the museum led the Society to make a decision on the Kern House and they offered sale back to the school district for $125,000.

The article notes

"Lesky said the district isn't sure how the Kern House will be used. "We're looking at the options," he said.

Upcoming Holiday Events

Thanks to Nazareth Borough for posting these upcoming holiday events on the home page of their web site (visit the site here):

November 23^rd – Christmas Exhibit

Opens at the Whitfield House.
Information: Moravian Historical Society,
610-759-5070
director@moravianhistoricalsociety.org
www.moravianhistoricalsociety.org

December 4^th - Borough Tree Lighting

Takes place on the Circle.
Brass ensemble from Nazareth High School performs until Santa arrives bringing gifts.
Near-life size manger scene.
Information: Nazareth Chamber of Commerce, 610-7549-9188, www.nazarethchamber.com
December 9^th - Colonial Christmas hosted by the Jacobsburg Historical Society.Enjoy an old fashioned Victorian Christmas with cooking, crafts and games of the colonial era at the Old Henry homestead “Museum of the Pennsylvania Longrifle.” Live music and period dress. Information: Jacobsburg Historical Society, 610-759-9029.

December 13^th - Candlelight Walking Tours

Guided walking tours to 6 locations, each with its own entertainment. Information: Moravian Historical Society, 610-759-5070, director@moravianhistoricalsociety.org www.moravianhistoricalsociety.org

December 27^th - Nazareth Towne Open House

An evening featuring holiday decorations, lights, music, entertainment and refreshments hosted by a dozen churches and organizations. Information: Moravian Historical Society, 610-759-5070, director@moravianhistoricalsociety.org www.moravianhistoricalsociety.org

Halloween Walking Tour

The Morning Call reports on the Halloween Walking Tour (read about it other area attractions):

Tunnels and Other Tales: Walking Tour of the Phantoms and Fables of Nazareth: Tours leave from the Whitefield House at 6 and 7:30 p.m. and includes guided tour, museum admission and refreshments. Reserve tickets by 5 p.m. the day of the tour. Oct. 21-26. $7; $5, students. Moravian HistoricalSociety, 214 East Center St., Nazareth, 610-759-5070.

The History of Nazareth Hall

I love the articles that James Wright produces in the Express-Times on local history, particularly when it is in Nazareth. Today he has an article on the Nazareth Hall. Located off the Circle on Center Street, he tells a brief history of the building from its original design as a home for Count Zinzendorf to its current use of apartments (read the article here) and rightly points out its being one of the most historic of buildings in this area.

Moravian Historical Society Events

Learn more about these great events: http://www.moravianhistoricalsociety.org/calendar.php

Sunday, June 1
Nazareth Moravian Church worship on lawn, 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, June 14
Arts & Crafts Festival, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sunday, July 13
Nazareth and Schoeneck Moravian Churches worship on lawn, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, August 31
Nazareth Moravian worship on lawn, 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, September 20
"Share the Heritage" Dinner -- tentative date.

Sunday, October 12
MHS Annual Meeting and Vesper at Schoeneck Moravian Church. Business meeting 2:30 p.m., Speaker 3:30 p.m., Vesper luncheon 4:30 p.m.

Friday - Thursday, October 24
30 Tunnels and Other Tales Tours -- Friday and Saturday 6:00 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday for bus tours by appointment.

Saturday, December 13
Christmas Candlelight Walking Tours of Nazareth

Saturday, December 27
Nazareth Towne Open House

Countless Thanks

The Morning Call has an article on Susan Dreydoppel, who served her last day as Executive Director of the Moravian Historical Society (read it here).

Susan was the first full-time Executive Director, beginning in 1989. To summarize her accomplishments would be unfair as too many would be forgotten or left unmentioned.

Her knowledge and insight will be sorely missed, but so too will her role as ambassador and connector or bridge, if you will, between the society and so many other groups and organizations in town.

In the article she mentions her energy running low, well, that probably has something to do with the investment of it she made for our community.

I very much hope to see Susan continue to be involved in the community, but if she chooses not to, she has already given much more than most others and it would be easily understood and appreciated that she could use some time off.

To Susan, best wishes and good luck in all your future endeavors and thank you for all you've done!

Holiday Cookies

It would seem everyone loves cookies and this morning I came across an article from the Idaho Statesman that mentions the Moravian Sugar Cookie as a modern perfection (read it here). It also explains to readers that Moravians came to Nazareth in the mid 1700s and that more recently a State House Bill attempted to make it the state cookie, but a legislative debate took place pitting chocolate chip vs. sugar cookie with no resolution.

Spirited Tours of Nazareth

The Express-Times reports on the Moravian Historical Society's annual walking tour that highlights ghouls, mystery, and hidden tunnels in the borough (read about it here).

You can call 610-759-5070 for tickets or more info.

Moravian Museum Display

Celebrating 150 years with 150 items, the Moravian Historical Society is today featured in the Morning Call (read it here).

The feature includes photos and a video clip.

Among the items noted are a lock of George Washington's hair and the first violin made in America.

The Museum at the Whitefield House is open daily from 1 to 4 p.m.

Moravian Seminary Founding Celebration

As noted here earlier this week, the Morning Call today reports on the service held Tuesday in Bethlehem celebrating the founding of the Moravian Theological Seminary (read it here).

The Seminary was first located in Nazareth and later moved to Bethlehem.

Moravian Theological Society Celebrates 200th Anniversary

According to a press announcement released by Moravian College, the Moravian Theological Seminary will celebrate its 200th year anniversary today, Tuesday, October 2, 2007.

The release notes:

An historical document found in the vault of the Moravian Church Archives in Bethlehem, Pa., described the establishment of the theological seminary as "an unassuming, four-panel letter written in German script dated 1807." Penned by the Elders of the Moravian Church headquartered in Herrnhut Germany, the document authorized Moravians in North America to establish a theological seminary in conjunction with Nazareth Hall, a Moravian school for young boys located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

And:

Founded in 1807, the Theological Seminary became a program of the Nazareth Hall School for Boys in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Young men would receive training to serve the Church in its new setting, and in 1858 the Moravian Church Synod authorized the establishment of a collegiate program to be held in conjunction with the Seminary. Because many Moravian clergy were needed to fill pastorates and stations in the mission field, and to teach in the Church's schools, the institution developed the character of a teacher's college as well as a theological seminary.

You can read the release here and visit the 200th link here.

150 Years of Moravian Historical Society

The Express-Times reports on the upcoming 150th business meeting of the Moravian Historical Society (read it here), which will celebrate with an exhibit displaying 150 items.

According to the article, the Society is the 3rd oldest in Pennsylvania and items will include:

• A lock of George Washington's hair.
• A bone from a wooly mammoth.
• A sorcerer's stone from Nicaragua.
• An 'electricity machine'

There are also more traditional items such as paintings, documents, books, etc, collected by the society and its members over time.

A traditional dinner will be held on October 14 along with the official meeting and tickets are available $10 per person (learn more).

A Lock of Washington's Hair in Nazareth

As far as anyone can tell President George Washington neither slept, nor visited Nazareth, but the Whitefield House does have a lock of his hair.

Historian and Nazareth teacher James Wright has an article on Washington's visits to Northampton County in the Express-Times (read it here).

In the article he notes:

One interesting relic from Washington's 1782 visit still exists.

While in Bethlehem, Washington gave a lock of his hair -- the 18th century version of a modern autograph -- to a young Moravian girl named Roseanna Beidleman.

The hair was preserved in a locket and can still be seen at the Whitefield House in Nazareth.

New Nazareth Map Online

This past week Google released "MyMaps". This product allows you to take a standard Google Map and put your own items on it.

Given my inclination to enjoy all things Nazareth, I decided to create a historical Nazareth map. I found a fantastic article by Susan Dreydoppel of the Moravian Historical Society (read it here) and used it to get my map up and running. In my haste to get this post up today, there are inconsistencies, but it can be edited and added to over time.

Feel free to nominate locations to be added to this map by posting in the comments or sending me an email at editor@newsovercoffee.com.

In the future I'd like to use the maps for business listings, crimes, and other purposes.

Let me know what you think.