The Gemeinhaus

Bethabara being a Moravian Protestant community, of course one of the first things built was a Gemeinhaus, or church.  Construction on the two-story log building began in 1755 and was complete in 1756.  July 8, 1762 an organ, brought from Bethlehem, was set up in the "Saal," or meeting hall, and the sound of an organ was heard for the first time in North Carolina.  Three or more services were held daily, sometimes in English for the benefit of visitors.

In 1788 a second Gemeinhaus was built, this time of stone, and today is the oldest surviving Moravian church in the Southeast, and the ONLY surviving colonial German church with attached living quarters in the United States!  It's fieldstone walls are almost TWO FEET THICK.  Services were held in this Gemeinhaus until 1953 when a new structure was built a few miles away.  Two hundred years of prayers were lifted from this one spot.  Cool!

The exterior walls were covered in plaster and etched to look like classier construction.

Shutters were used to keep the cold out - or Indians out in the event of an attack during the French and Indian War.

 

Substantial steps were built.  Wooden steps wouldn't have lasted very long in the weather.

I'm thinkin,' after my quick trip to Texas, that we could use some stone steps on the front of our home, too, because of the sun damage to our steps.  We've got some pretty good size iron ore rocks - but none as flat as these big babies!