1751 Old Chapel

By 1749, the community of Bethlehem had grown to over 200 people and a larger place of worship was needed.  The Old Chapel (64 West Church Street) was constructed of native limestone in three months in 1751 as an addition to the Gemeinhaus. This structure has a basement and two stories with a one-story attic and shed dormers. The lower level originally housed the dining room for the Married People’s Choir.  

The building is 20.1 m x 9.8 m and used the northeastern end of the Gemeinhaus and the western end of the Bell House for a portion of its walls.  Doorways from the Bell House and the Gemeinhaus were added to provide entrance into the Chapel since there was no exterior entrance into the building.  Women and girls entered through the Bell House and men entered through the Gemeinhaus. Three stone buttresses were added on the west side and one on the east side at the time of construction. In 1864 a narrow two-storey stone addition was constructed to provide a choir loft and entrance from the exterior into the building.