Nazareth (PA) – If Pennsylvania Was the Holy Land
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand, “no, ” was all he said
The Weight, The Band
The immortal words of the the Band, details the experiences of a weary traveller that encounters a group of odd characters, including the Devil in the town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. I did not plan on visiting the city, I had enough to do in Bethlehem, but when I heard about this place I knew I had to make the trip.
Table of Contents
Geography
Nazareth is located in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, an industrial region of Pennsylvania. The city is located a few miles north of Bethlehem and is located east of Allentown.
A Brief History
Moravian Beginnings
Just as the city of Bethlehem nearby, the town was founded by Moravian settlers. Moravians are a protestant sect from Bohemia (Present day Czech Republic), once persecuted in their homeland due to their religious beliefs. They first migrated to the southern city of Savannah in 1735, before their eviction in 1739. They were transported to Philadelphia and invited to settle on a property in Pennsylvania, by a preacher called George Whitefield. Owing to a difference in doctrine he soon kicked them off his rural “Barony” but the land was bought by the Moravian church in Europe. The settlement we know today came into being in 1741, when Count Zinzendorf, their German benefactor came to America for 14 months to finalize the land purchase. This was in fact the first of the Moravian settlements in the Lehigh Valley, as the city of Bethlehem was founded shortly after, (as it would be!) on Christmas of 1741. Zinzendorph would spend that Christmas singing hymns with his followers. The name Nazareth makes reference to the city in Israel of the same name, an important name to a very religious people.
In the meantime, the colonists completed the Whitfield Manor and families began to trickle in from Europe. They would be housed in the Manor at first, in lines with the communal living traditions of the Moravian people. Since many of the Moravians came from Germany (many had sought refuge from Moravia on the estate of tolerant Count Zinzendorf) they were called the Pennsylvania Dutch, “Dutch” being a corruption of the word “Deutsch” meaning German.
Development of the Colony
As the years advanced, the self-reliant and hardy Moravians sought to modernize. The Moravian colony was opened to those of different religious beliefs in 1856 and many Lutherans moved to the town. The expansion of New York City and subsequently New Jersey offered new development opportunities for eastern Pennsylvania. Polish and Italians Catholics were prominent among the new citizens of the town. Polish pierogies can be found throughout the Lehigh Valley and the community is still strong. The boom continued with the expansion of the Interstate system but took a big hit with the closing of Bethlehem Steel in the 1990’s.
What to do in Nazareth
I stopped at a 1950’s style diner, just on the outskirts of town for a greasy breakfast. You can eat for fairly cheap in the Lehigh Valley and my hungry stomach was thoroughly satisfied. I drove into town, down Broad Street directly to the Center Circle, the main square of the city.
Center Square
When Zinzendorf planned the city he envisioned a Moravian Church at its center. The masonry structure was completed in 1861 and is the fourth iteration of the Moravian Church. The first being a shrine in the Whitfield house. If you notice there are two doors to the church, as per Moravian tradition the entrances for the boys and girls choirs are gender specific. Since we arrived around Christmas time, a nativity scene was built on the central lawn in front of the church.
The central square is surrounded by stunning masonry and stone houses . At the center stands a Civil War era cannon, erected in 1906. It now serves as a WW1 memorial. In the early 2000’s the council wanted to move this cannon to another part of town, but push-back from the community stopped the project from going forward. Center Square was built on a piece of land referred to as “New Nazareth” by the Moravians. If you look at the layout of the square, it is shaped like a cross, reflecting the deep religious beliefs of the town founders.
Main Street
Going south from Center Square, you will be on Broad Street. If you plan on going out for supper or doing some shopping this is a great place to start.
A favorite place of locals to grab a drink is the Birthright Brewing Company but a variety of establishments exist.
Martin Guitars
The famous guitar manufacturer, Martin (C.F. Martin & Company), has a factory and museum to the north of the town, at the exterior of the center but for any music lover a visit must be paid to the original factory structure. It is also located on the north side of the old town at 10 W North St. The guitars were known for their handmade craftsmanship but are now assembly line built.
Memorial Park
Just west of the City Center, you will find Veterans Memorial Park. At the edge of the park is a stone building that is the current home of the Nazareth Borough Council.
Facing this park, to the north, is Nazareth Hall. This stone structure, with an obelisk on the front lawn, was originally built in 1954 as a home for Count Zinzendorf. The settlers of Nazareth had long harbored hope that their benefactor would come to live out his days in North America but he never returned to the Americas. The building later served as the Moravian College, a renowned school that would move to Bethlehem.
Historical Society
Located on the east side of town, the historical society of Bethlehem is housed in a stone building once meant to house George Whitefiled. On the premises you will find a few old wooden colonial era cabins. The building was once the center of Moravian Pennsylvania and now serves as an open air museum to its predecessors.
Conclusion
Tiny Nazareth makes for a good half day trip. If you wish to maximize the use of your time here, I would recommend hitting a bunch of the Nazareth micro-brews. For such a small town it sure punches above its weight and is absolutely worth exploring in its own right. Bethlehem may be the bigger center but Nazareth is still a force to be reckoned with.
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