{"id":60969,"date":"2025-12-04T18:26:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T18:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/60969\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T18:26:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T18:26:11","slug":"hebron-moravian-cemetery-receives-historic-designation-from-commonwealth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/60969\/","title":{"rendered":"Hebron Moravian Cemetery receives historic designation from commonwealth"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re celebrating Lebanon County\u2019s role in American history. Read more here.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"America250\"America250<\/a><\/p>\n

Founded in 1748, Hebron Moravian Cemetery in Lebanon was recently designated as a state historical site by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission announced its decision on Oct. 14.<\/p>\n

There are several reasons for this designation, according to cemetery board members John Klahr and Susan Dieffanbach.<\/p>\n

There are people buried there that have no grave marker, Klahr said, but everyone will receive one eventually. \u201cIf the family requests it, when there\u2019s the service of internment the trombone choir comes and plays. We have been doing that since the 1740s, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the way the deceased are interred, which is a hallmark of the Moravian faith.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tA view of the Hebron Moravian Cemetery, which recently received state designation as a historic site. The statewide designation is required before a site can receive national designation. (James Mentzer)<\/p>\n

The \u201cchoir system\u201d for burial is a Moravian church practice where the deceased are buried according to their age, gender, and marital status, according to the two board members. The choir system divides the graveyard into sections for men, women, and children to reflect how the congregation sat and socialized in life, symbolizing a continuation of the community in death.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s the women\u2019s side, and this is the men\u2019s side,\u201d Klahr stated, pointing out the delineation.\u00a0 \u201cAnd they\u2019re buried in choirs, married. The male (side) has strangers. So those were people that were not in the congregation that needed a place to be buried. Infants, single and married. And then the women had married, single, and infants. And there are a lot of infants in here. Because there were (many) at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cemetery, which is located off Cloister Street between Cumberland and Walnut streets in South Lebanon Township, used to allow non-church members, known as \u201cstrangers,\u201d to be buried there, the historians explained. There are also several Native Americans buried there, since other cemeteries wouldn\u2019t admit them.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tMoravian church members and cemetery historians Susan Dieffenbach and John Klahr at the main gate, which has recently been replaced, at the Hebron Moravian Cemetery in South Lebanon Township. The public is invited to attend a Wreaths Across America ceremony at the cemetery on Dec. 13 beginning at 9 a.m. (James Mentzer)<\/p>\n

\u201cThey could be somebody that died that had no connection and no affiliation with anybody, and they just, they put them there,\u201d said Klahr. \u201cThe Moravians opened up their hearts and put them in their cemetery.\u201d<\/p>\n

A cement rostrum in the cemetery bears the title \u201cGrave Register Hebron Moravian Cemetery of the Unitas Fratrum (Moravian Church) 1748.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also pays tribute to several individuals and specifically the names and grave markers for those who served in the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and those who were \u201cIn Command of Scouts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe veterans are listed here for the American Revolution, of which we have some. And the French and Indian War. Civil War. \u2026 War of 1812. And World War II all the way up to Korea,\u201d said Klahr. He noted there is only one veteran who served during the Vietnam War on the site, who was buried before the National Cemetery at Fort Indiantown Gap opened.<\/p>\n

The historians said there are 217 people buried in the cemetery\u2019s \u201cnew\u201d section and 223 in the old. All of those individuals in the old section\u00a0\u2013 minus the two Native Americans \u2013 are listed on the cemetery\u2019s grave register.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tA closer look at the Grave Register that recognizes Moravian Church members and veterans who served the nation and who are interred at the church\u2019s cemetery located in South Lebanon Township. (Provided photo)<\/p>\n

One notable change over the years is who can and cannot be buried there. Now, Diefenbach said, \u201cthey have to be a Moravian to buy the plot. So that\u2019s the restriction on the cemetery. And you go through the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tracing the cemetery\u2019s early history is somewhat difficult, according to Klahr, because it was created 65 years before Lebanon County was founded. The cemetery was not next to the original church, which is a common practice today, but was located in Hebron on the eastern edge of what was Steitztown, which was founded in 1740, before it became Lebanon in 1885.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis land was not owned by the church until some time later. The deeds are very, very hard to trace, because at the time when the internment started, this was part of Lancaster County,\u201d Klahr said. \u201cSo the deeds for the very, very early years are in Lancaster County, and usually they\u2019re in German.\u201d<\/p>\n

The settlers who came to America were from the nation of Moravia in Czechoslovakia. Moravia is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands. The church was founded on the teachings of Jan Hus, whose beliefs are believed to be the forerunner to the Moravian faith.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tIn the original section of the Hebron Moravian Cemetery, grave stones were placed into the ground since all were equal in death. The stones here are for Peter Grubb and family members. Grubb founded the Cornwall Iron Furnace. (James Mentzer)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people came onto the estate of Ludwig, Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf, seeking refuge as they were kicked out of Moravia,\u201d Dieffenbach said. \u201cSo they were known as Moravians. And they established a community there called Hebron, which is still a thriving community today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another hallmark of the church was flat grave stones, which are evident in the cemetery\u2019s old section.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Moravian belief was that we are all equal in death. So nobody\u2019s going to put up big money in the dead,\u201d said Klahr.<\/p>\n

There are a few prominent Lebanon Countians buried in this cemetery, according to Dieffenbach.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeter and Curtis Grubb formed the Cornwall iron furnaces,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Felty family is here. They were prominent in Lebanon County. Dr. Felty was a dentist. His father is a veteran of World War I.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"A Civil War cannon in Hebron Moravian Cemetery honors those veterans who served the nation during the bloodiest conflict on American soil in the 1860s. (James Mentzer)<\/p>\n

Another well-known individual is David Tannenberg, a Moravian organ builder who emigrated to Pennsylvania and is often cited as the most important American organ-builder of his time. Many of his organs are still in use.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s why we wanted to have it preserved and it\u2019s historic, so it can\u2019t be \u2014 it can\u2019t be destroyed. And we have a program in place, we\u2019ve done it a couple of times, \u2018If These Graves Could Talk,\u2019\u201d Klahr said. \u201cIt brings up the guys who were, the men who came, the families, so the French and Indian guys and all of them. Those people\u2019s stories. And Hebron became a refuge for people, and actually Hessian prisoners were housed in the Hebron Church, which was used to house prisoners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read More: The Paxton Boys, an early case of viral fake news witnessed from Lebanon\u2019s Hebron Moravian Church<\/a><\/p>\n

Dieffenbach said the cemetery does have what she called \u201clegends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just wanted to keep it alive,\u201d Dieffenbach said, adding that a bus tour may be organized for the America250 next year. \u201cWe do come every Easter. We have our Easter Sunrise service here. And we have our holiday service here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tA marker on a boulder within the cemetery was dedicated by the Lebanon County Historical Society in 1929 by several different groups, as noted on the stone. (James Mentzer)<\/p>\n

A public service will be held on Dec. 13 at 9 a.m. as part of the Wreaths Across America program, which honors those who served.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beyond the upcoming ceremony, Dieffenbach will work on getting national historic designation for the cemetery.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo to get national designation, you must first be accepted by your state board and they won\u2019t accept you if you don\u2019t have a chance to go forward with the national. I got bogged down with some \u2026 issues, and I never have proceeded on the national (designation). I have the application started,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Klahr, who is also involved with Cedar Hill Cemetery in Fredericksburg<\/a>, and Dieffenbach expect to be buried here since both are members of the Moravian faith. Dieffenbach said some family members already have Hebron Moravian Cemetery as their final resting place.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tThe stone marker that was dedicated in 1929, and located in the old section of the Hebron Moravian Cemetery in South Lebanon Township. (James Mentzer)
\n\"\"\"\"Marker in memory of two Native Americans who are buried in Hebron Moravian Cemetery. The church had a practice of interring individuals even if they were not of the Moravian faith. (James Mentzer)<\/p>\n

Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we\u2019ll do our best to get back to you.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Keep local news strong.<\/p>\n

Cancel anytime.<\/p>\n

Still no paywall!<\/p>\n

Fewer ads<\/p>\n

Exclusive events and emails<\/p>\n

All monthly benefits <\/p>\n

Most popular option<\/p>\n

Make a bigger impact<\/p>\n

Join the 1,000+ readers who support our work as members<\/p>\n

Already a member? Log in here to hide these messages<\/a><\/p>\n

Lebanon County needs modern local journalism that works. LebTown delivers timely, accurate reporting without paywalls or corporate mandates. Support our independent newsroom with a monthly<\/a> or annual membership<\/a>, or make a one-time contribution<\/a> to fuel more local coverage. Cancel anytime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re celebrating Lebanon County\u2019s role in American history. Read more here. Founded in 1748, Hebron Moravian Cemetery in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60970,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[32564,620,32565,32566,32567,32568,9,24,63,32569,32570,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-60969","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-america250","9":"tag-featured","10":"tag-hebron-moravian-cemetery","11":"tag-hebron-moravian-church","12":"tag-moravian-church","13":"tag-moravian-faitih","14":"tag-new-york","15":"tag-new-york-city","16":"tag-nyc","17":"tag-pennsylvania-historical-museum-commission","18":"tag-state-historical-site","19":"tag-staten-island","20":"tag-staten-island-headlines","21":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}