NAZARETH, Pa. – The Moravian Historical Society is launching a preservation project to restore one of Northampton County’s oldest buildings.
The 1740 Gray Cottage is the oldest existing Moravian structure.
“It was here before the United States became the United States,” said Susan Ellis, Executive Director of the Moravian Historical Society. “It served the Moravian community in so many different ways throughout its lifespan,” said Ellis.
The building is nestled in Nazareth, off of East Center Street.
“It’s a really special place,” said Ellis.
It’s home to the first Moravian School for Boys, the first school in Nazareth in 1743, according to Ellis.
Ellis said it continues to serve as a space to further education with workshops, exhibitions and camps.
But in between all of the hustle and bustle throughout the years, “it’s showing some signs of distress,” said Ellis. “The logs are failing, and so if they fail any further, you worry about the structural integrity of the building.”
Organizers said that they’re bringing in a team of experts from across the state to ensure that the colonial-era log structure will be preserved for future generations.
“The highest preservation standards, the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Preservation,” said Ellis. “The contractor has hand-hewn the logs to match exactly the beautiful dovetailing of the Pennsylvania German style craftsmanship.”
Ellis said the project is funded through the Pennsylvania Historical Museum and Commission’s Keystone Historic Preservation grant, the grow NORCO Grant Program and with individual donations.
“Let’s preserve it for another 300 years,” said Ellis.
Everyone is invited to watch the project as it unfolds throughout the month of August, Tuesdays through Fridays between 9a.m. and 3p.m..