Moravian University awarded $750K grant for historic preservation project

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Moravian University has received a $750,000 National Park Service grant to fund a preservation project at the Second Single Brethren’s House, one of Bethlehem’s most historic buildings.

The money will be used to replace all 91 windows in the 18th-century structure with historically accurate, insulated glass and wood models to improve energy efficiency while preserving the building’s character, the university said in a news release.

The grant is funded through the Semiquincentennial Grant Program of the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the Interior Department’s National Park Service. The program was established in 2020 to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary by supporting restoration of sites on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built in 1748, the Second Single Brethren’s House at 99 W. Church St. is the largest 18th-century building in Bethlehem, according to the university. It is an example of German Colonial architecture in the United States and is part of the UNESCO-listed Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage Site.

“This grant from the National Park Service is perfectly timed, following Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem’s recent World Heritage inscription and preceding the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States,” Moravian President Bryon Grigsby said.

Grigsby, who serves on the World Heritage Council and Commission, called the building “a living piece of history, still used by our students today.”

The preservation project will safeguard a National Historic Landmark within the Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District and enhance one of nine structures included in the World Heritage designation.