Moravian Oral Tradition



Single Brother's House
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Moravians have been a lively presence in America for hundreds of years. Not surprisingly there is an abundance of Moravian lore. The tales may be urban myths, strange truths or campfire tall tales. You decide.

Here is a piece of Moravian oral tradition for your consideration.

Moravian College, in Bethlehem, PA, was founded in 1742, which makes it America's sixth oldest college. The building that currently houses the music department at the college, the Brethren's House, built in 1748, was originally the residence of the single men of the Moravian Community.

The building later was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary War. George Washington himself came to visit in 1783. The building was a witness to much suffering.

Ghosts reportedly roam the building at night. Many of the ghostly activities are believed to be caused by the spirits of those men who spent their lives for our nation and their final moments in the Brethren's House. It is also said that the Brethren's House is haunted by the ghost of a Revolutionary War nurse. Hummm. So, what do you think?

Image - Dear Diary

Artifact of Colonial Williamsburg

“I'd love the chance to read someone else’s diary but I'm sure they'd hate me for it!”

That is what one person said about the fantasy of finding someone's diary - and reading it. 

This edition of Moravian Ruminations features a diary - one that you can read - guilt free.  Let me set the stage with historical context.

The Moravians in Bethlehem, PA had as a goal the acquisition of a large tract of land in America. They sought territory on which to build a central town for administration, with trades, industries, and schools. The town, they hoped, would be a leaping off point from which to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Indians. These were Gospel people who wanted to share what God had given them by His grace.

Happily, land was comparatively cheap in North Carolina. Lord Granville, the proprietor, made an attractive offer to the Moravians. Bishop Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg, superintendent of Moravian affairs in Pennsylvania, was commissioned to select a suitable site. With five of the brethren he set out from Bethlehem the 25th of August, 1752. Late in December a site was selected. A tract of 98,985 acres was surveyed, purchased and named Wachovia.

A party of twelve single men set out from Bethlehem in October of 1753. They had six horses and a wagon loaded with their effects. The party included a minister, a business manager, a physician, multiple carpenters, a gardener, several farmers, a baker, a tanner and a shoemaker.

It is the account of their journey that is given in this diary which was written most likely by Brother Grube. The original document is preserved in the Archives of the Moravian Church at Winston-Salem, North Carolina; the translation which is here printed is by  Adelaide L. Fries.

Notice as you read the diary how much time was given to communal prayer. Also note the overarching sense of well-being and joy in the midst of a daunting journey. Indeed, from the beginning Moravians in America were numbered among the Savior's happy people.

I hope you enjoy the diary (click here).