Gemeinhaus • 1788

Gemeinhaus . 1788. The Gemeinhaus, meaning “congregation house” in German,. In 1756, three years after their arrival in Wachovia, the Moravians completed construction on the first Gemeinhaus in Bethabara. This log structure not only served as a worship space, but also as a meeting space for the community and a place of refuge during the French and Indian War. Although the building is now gone, the field stone foundation remains inside the palisade fort. , Between 1756 and 1788, Moravians worshipped in this first Gemeinhaus, holding services in both German and English so “strangers,” or non-Moravians, could attend. Worship included scripture readings along with instrumental music and singing. Music played a central role in Moravian church services, and on any given day you could hear trumpets or trombones announcing the “homegoing,” or death, of a church member, a wedding, or a special festal day for one of the choirs. Lovefeasts and Easter sunrise services, both of which are still practiced by Moravians today, were celebrated in the first Gemeinhaus. By the late 1780s, the building was in a bad state of deterioration, and the congregation needed a new place to worship. , In 1788, Bethabara received approval from church elders to construct a new Gemeinhaus along the main road into town. Knowing a new church was badly needed, the Wachovia community came together to give all of their spare time to the building's construction. , Who built it? , Starting in January 1788, residents of Bethabara, Bethania, and Salem worked together to begin conatraction of the new Gemeinhaus, Workmen quarried atone in Bethania and hauled it to Bethabara with a team of oxen, while others worked to cut timber. By April the field stone cellar was laid. Timbers were cut and the field stone cellar had been laid by early April. By spring, door and window frames were built and set into the masonry walls. By the end of May, the roof was raised, and by summer the entire roof was shingled. Almost 14,000 bricks were brought to Bethabara to complete the kitchen chimney and gables. , On November 26, 1788, less than a year after construction began, the new Gemeinhaus was completed and ready to be consecrated. Crowds from Salem and Bethania joined Bethabara residents as they entered the old log Gemeinhaus one last time. Trombonists played as the congregation walked from the old structure to the new. They entered the Saal as a chorus sang Hallelujah, joining in as they sat on the backless pews brought from the old worship space. Brother Koehler led the consecration service, followed by a Lovefeast (a simple meal of bread and coffee shared in fellowship) to celebrate the important day. , On November 17, 1903, exactly 150 years after the Moravians settled Bethabara, a huge sesquicentennial celebration was held at the Gemeinhaus to honor the lasting significance of the early settlement. Hundreds of people descended on Bethabara in their horse-drawn carriages to recognize the legacy of the Moravians in Wachovia. , The Gemeinhaus would continue to serve the Bethabara congregation for 165 years, until a new church was built further up the street in 1953, where they continue to worship. Today, the Gemeinhaus is one of the few extant buildings of its kind and is a unique architectural gem in the City of Winston-Salem. , [Captions] , . Center: Lovefeast mug. , . Right: Sesquicentennial Celebration, November 17, 1903.