Colonial Industrial Quarter

The Colonial Industrial Quarter is the name given to the area between the Monocacy creek and Main Street where major heavy industries were located such as leather tanning, grist milling, potting, oil milling, smithing. These industries were heavily dependent upon water power, which is why they were located along the Monocacy creek. 

During the 18th century this Industrial Area was a busy, crowded, noisy, smelly place. Hides from the butchery polluted the creek waters in which they were washed. Tree bark to be used in the tanning process was scattered about. Tanning, butchering, and oil milling all produced strong unpleasant odors, and the sounds of machinery working, water wheels creaking, and frightened animals bellowing was likely overpowering. Realizing this, the Moravians planned their community so that their living quarters would be far enough away from the industrial quarter, at the top of the hill on Church street that they would not be disturbed, but close enough that they could easy commute to their workplaces and efficiently transport the raw materials they were producing to the various workshops located in the choir houses.

Smithy -  Reconstructed in 2004 from repurposed 18th century materials, this building was used for several trades such as blacksmithing, tin-smithing (aka whitesmithing), nail-smithing, lock-making, and gun making. Its use was discontinued in mid-1800s and it was later demonished when it fell into disrepair.

 

Pottery Building - Located next to the smithy. Only one wall remains.

 

Grist Mill - The grist mill was first built in 1743. It used  water from the creek to spin large water wheels that powered grounding wheels to make flour and cornmeal. A second mill was built in 1751, but burned down in 1869. The Mill you see today, known as the Luckenbach Mill, was the third mill built in 1869 and it was in use up until 1949.

 

Dye Works - Only the ruins of this building can be seen today near the grist mill.

 

Spring House - The Spring House is a log house built over a natural spring to protect the potable water from animals. The house, which was always cool inside, but never froze over, served as a storage facility for foods that needed to be kept cold. This also served as principal water source of Bethlehem until 1907.

 

Tannery, Tawery, & Butchery - This building, first built in 1743 (same time as Gemeinhaus and Grist Mill), was used for tanning beams and dying animal hides. The Tawery (no longer standing) was known as the white tannery and produced softer leathers for gloves, cloths, and book bindings. The Butchery (also not standing) was next door.

 

Waterworks - The waterworks, a national historic landmark, was built in 1754 to pump fresh water from the springhouse three-hundred yards up the embankment into a water tower next to the community houses (where Central Moravian Church is now located). It is considered to be the first municipal waterworks in North America.

 

Oil Mill - No longer existent, this mill was located next to the waterworks. It was here that flaxseed was crushed to make linseed oil (used to preserve wood and make paint). This structure was burned to the ground by angry neighbors during the French and Indian War. It was later rebuilt, but ultimately dismantled in the 1930s as part of a beautification project.