Moravian Archives, Bethlehem

10/16/2026

More Friday Finds! ✨ History on the Move ✨
Last week we shared before-and-after photographs from 1935 and 1938, showcasing major changes to Bethlehem's Main Street in the area of Musselman Jewelers, the Moravian Book Shop, and Central Moravian Church, following a decision made in April 1935 to demolish Greiner Jeweler and move a section of the Simon Rau drugstore north a distance of 28 feet to open up the green space adjacent to Central Moravian Church.

Here are some photographs showing the the Rau building (today's Musselman Jewelers) on the move!

10/16/2026

👀 👀 👀!

Preview our 26-27 season of music…

13th Biennial Bach Vocal Competition for American Singers

Saturday, October 24 • 3:30pm
Peter Hall, Moravian University
Tickets are FREE

Presented by the Bach Choir of Bethlehem in collaboration with the American Bach Society.

Finalists will perform before a live audience and a panel of distinguished judges, including Christopher Jackson, Meg Bragle, and Jessica Beebe. The first-prize winner will receive a $3,000 career-development grant and the opportunity to appear as a soloist with the Bach Choir in a future season.

RSVP today: https://bachchoirofbethlehem.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/events/a0SUw0000077altMAA

10/16/2026

56 years ago today! On October 15, 1970, this newspaper clipping highlighted preparations for Lititz Moravian’s lantern tour. Today, October 15, 2026, we’re looking back at that history—and ahead to this year’s Departed Spirits Tour!

Join us Saturday, October 24th, as we bring local Revolutionary War history to life. Grab your tickets early—this event does sell out!

10/09/2026

Coming Soon - Moravian History Store at the Star and Candle Shop 2026!

10/09/2026

More Friday Finds! ✨ 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 & 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 ✨

These photographs from 1935 and 1938, possibly taken from the roof of Hotel Bethlehem looking southeast, showcase major changes to Main Street in the area of Musselman Jewelers, the Moravian Book Shop, and Central Moravian Church. The Greiner Jeweler building was removed altogether, and a section of the Simon Rau & Co. drugstore was raised up and moved north in its place, opening up the green space between the store fronts and the church. What other major changes do 𝑦𝑜𝑢 see?

Stay tuned for a follow-up post where we show you the actual buildings on the move!

10/09/2026

We will be closed Monday, October 12th in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. See everyone on Tuesday, October 13th!

10/08/2026

✨Now Streaming! ✨
Significant Moments in Christian Wedsted's Latin Poems
Lecture by Dr. Aaron Palmore

Watch now --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RakwHBGXQn4&t=10s

Missed our latest lecture or looking for an encore? Dr. Aaron Palmore’s lecture "Significant Moments in Christian Wedsted’s Latin Poems" is now available to stream!

Want to take in other recorded lectures? Check out our YouTube library!
https://www.youtube.com/
✨

10/07/2026

Celebrate fall in Trappe at a family-friendly Harvest Fair held on the grounds of the Speaker’s House. Enjoy live music, delicious food, 18th century trade demonstrations, colonial kids’ games, and locally-made artisanal wares. Learn how sauerkraut was made and savor the smell of open hearth cooking. Meet General Peter Muhlenberg and explore his replica officer’s tent, made possible by a grant from Americana Corner.

Crafters include Almosta Ranch Alpacas, Huberhaus Pottery, Liberty & Co, Loghouse Pottery, Emily Smucker-Beidler, Far View Farm, The Springerle House, and Richard Allen. There will also be countless demonstrations such as candle making, hearth cooking, tinsmithing, colonial medicine, and more!

Free parking will be available at St. Luke’s Fellowship Church, 200 W. Main Street (directly across from the Muhlenberg House) and the Trappe Shopping Center. Limited handicapped parking is also available on-site at the Speaker’s House and Dewees Tavern.

Location: Tickets can be purchased on-site at the Speaker's House.

Cost: $5 (includes all three museums). Kids are FREE.
Visit historictrappe.org/harvest-fair to learn more!

10/07/2026

Christmas Lovefeast: A Tradition That Continues Through the Years

Christmas in 1904 looked a little different around Church Square as featured in the Lititz Record Express —but some things haven’t changed.

Despite what appears to be a snow-covered December day, the Moravian community gathered for special Christmas Vigil services, continuing a beloved tradition of worship, music, candlelight, and fellowship.

More than 120 years later, that tradition continues at Lititz Moravian Church!

Join us this Christmas season for our 2026 Christmas Vigil Services:

🎄 Saturday, December 19 — 5:00 PM & 7:30 PM
🎄 Sunday, December 20 — 5:00 PM
🎄 Christmas Eve, December 24 — 5:00 PM & 7:30 PM

Come experience the beauty of a Moravian Christmas Vigil—with familiar traditions, beautiful music, candlelight, and the timeless message of Christ’s birth.

Admission tickets will be available to the public beginning Monday, December 7, through www.eventbrite.com.

Whether this tradition has been part of your Christmas for generations or you're experiencing it for the very first time, come be part of this beloved Moravian tradition.

✨Traditions endure. The Light still shines. ✨

10/03/2026

in 1907, the cornerstone of Moravian University's (then Moravian College) Harvey Memorial Library was laid by Augustus Schultze during an outdoor ceremony. Evidence of this moment exists at MAB, but also, very fittingly, with our friends at the Moravian University Archives at Reeves Library. The University Archives holds the actual gavel used by Schultze during the event (!!) and we both hold photographs documenting the event.

While our institutions happen to only be steps away from each other, this sparks an interesting commentary on how objects documenting a specific history find their way into different collections. It also speaks to the value of archival research and access across institutions as a means to gain a fuller picture of a specific moment.
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Photos: PhotOVR 0249 and PhotDCM 023, Moravian Archives Bethlehem
Gavel: Moravian University Archives