One of the oldest historical societies in Pennsylvania, the Moravian Historical Society was established in 1857 to preserve the history of the Moravian Church. The Protestant denomination was undergoing a major change at the time, transforming several “closed” communities in which only members of the church could live to “open” communities. The founding members wished to preserve the church’s history and customs which they feared might be forgotten.
The new society was offered a room in the 1740 Whitefield House, one of the oldest Moravian buildings erected in America, as a place to store and use the documents, books, and artifacts which they were collecting. In 1871 the society was given the use of the entire second floor of the Whitefield House, and that became the permanent home of the society and its museum. The second floor of the building has thus been a museum for over 125 years.
In 1978 the society acquired the entire Whitefield House, the nearby Gray Cottage, built of logs in 1740, and the surrounding land known as the Ephrata Tract. The Moravian Historical Society now owns and maintains the historic property, the oldest existing Moravian site in North America.
Additional Information
- Hours of Operation:
Museum Open 7 Days a Week
Sunday to Friday 1pm to 4pm
Saturday 10am to 4pm
Whitefield Office hours:
Monday to Friday
9am to 5pm
- Cost/Fees:
Adults $5.00
Students (age 6 to 18 with ID) $3.00
Seniors (age 65 and older) $3.00
Children (age 5 and under) FREE
Family (up to 6 people) $12.00
Members are always free.
- Features:
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Events
Exhibits
Genealogical Research
Tours
Lectures
