The old milk House is the only remaining original structure left from the ca. 1750's Moravian settlement that was Christian Springs, the first vocational school established in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
The small Moravian Settlement known as Christian's Springs, encompasing 1,500 acres of land with "unsurpassed fertility," was located approximately a half mile southwest of the nazareth settlement. This small cluster of buildings has suffered from the ravages of time over the past 250 years and has derteriorated beyond recognition. A small milk House and an ancient looking springhouse are all that remain of this once flourishing community. The date accepted as the founding of Christian's Spring is Dec. 17, 1749. First known as Gnadenhohe, the settlement's name changed in 1752, following the death of Christian Renatus von Zinzendorf, the son of Count von Zinzendorf. It would grow into a self sustaining community that conducted their own industries, producing all of their living necessities, and even sending commodities to market. At its peak there were 16 buildings in the little settlement; the cellar of the family house had a vaulted ceiling that was a model of the finest masonry work, its groined arches being noted as the first in the new world.
The settlement included a gristmill, sawmill, tannery, brewery, shoemaker' shop, gunsmith, blacksmith shop, a brick and tile works, and a bakery. Quite a few settlers sought refuge at the settlement during the indian massacres and uprisings of the early 1760's. Many extremely important people spent time at the springs as well...among them; The Rev. David Zeisberger (Missionary to the Indians), It was here also that the heart of young John Heckewelder was touched through Zeisberger's influence (He also to become one of the most important missionary's and interpretors to the Indians), many officers and statesmen of the Revolutionary period, including General Woodford, Col. Banister, Col. Elliot, a company of Light Horse Cavalry guarding prisoners of war, and even General Horatio Gates spent time here while on his way North to Ticonderoga. The community dissolved in the year 1796 and was broken up into a number of smaller farms and occupied by married couples.
The story of Christian's Spring did not end there, the following year (1797) there would be another visitor to the area, a refugee from the French guillotine, Duke de la Rochefoucault Liancourt. The families who worked the land surrounding the Spring continued to live a quiet and peaceful existence for decades to come. This experiment in communal living served its purpose well. It got many young men started in the new world. It trained dozens of boys in vocations that they then used for a lifetime. And who can measure the success of John Heckewelder, renowned in Ohio and memorialized in historic Bethlehem.
As for Christian Spring today, there is little left of the colonial period. Besides the "hotel," built in 1860, there is a small side building, the only original building - the milk house, an ancient looking springhouse in disrepair, and a large private residence (dating back to around (1800). Just to the south of the settlment is a massive quarry operated by the Lone Star Cement Company; the company also holds ownership to some of the sacred land I have been describing. That little grove across these fields and beyond the highway, shelters the only one of the old Christian's Spring Houses left, the others have all fallen before the so-called march of progress. A clump of willows and an old Linden tree still guard the old stone house, changed beyond recognition, except to him who has the inner vision.
(Some of the above information taken from "The Upper Places" - Nazareth, Gnadenthal, and Christian's Spring by Elizabeth Myers Published in 1929 and "Christian Spring - Noble Experiment in Communal Living and First Vocational School in Northampton County" by Edwin Sawyer published in 1988)
We were fortunate enough to attain permission to metal detect on the property of a private residence located next to the old Milk House - the only remaining original structure of the settlement. Many hours were spent on this sacred soil searching for the links of the past hidden just beneath our feet. There is something certainly special to walk the land and smell the earth where truly great deeds occured and history was indeed made. We take nothing for granted and understand just how lucky we are to be able to take part in such neat adventures. A few times a year we still go back to the Spring in search of historical treasures, yet even if nothing of note is found, it is worth it to simply lay on the grass next to the ancient springhouse, and contemplate what life was like 250 years ago, during the birth of our great nation. We were able to recover quite a few noteworthy items from this Moravian community, including - hand wrought nails, numerous shards of red-ware pottery, stoneware, many colonial buttons, buckles, colonial musketballs, brass trigger from a flintlock musket, pieces of jewelry, clay pipe fragments, and some very nice coins.
Image below is of a Large Cent lying in-situ over the hole it was just dug.
Display of artifacts consisting entirely of pieces we recovered in the area of what was the Christian's Spring settlement. A neat mix of different types of artifacts.
Colonial era musketballs recovered at the site...possibly fired from some of the legendary long rifles made by their gunsmiths, who were expert artisans and craftsman....most notably gunsmith Christian Oerter. In the center is a beautiful 1809 Spanish 8 reale coin. Almost had a heart attack when this puppy came out of the ground. Surrounding the musketballs are numerous large cents with dates varying from 1795 to 1829.
Of note in this image is the large hand-wrought iron spike...cleaned up and preserved nicely. Beautiful cufflink with fancy gold gilt rope borders...very neat piece.
Of note are 2 early large cents, and a few hand cut nails. In the center is a very rare item. It is what i believe to me a counterfeit large cent. It is made out of lead and is the same size and thickness of a large cent....You can even see the outline of bust and some of the lettering on the back. Very unique. Below that is an 1857 flying eagle cent in very good condition.
1828 Large cent in very good condition.
Ironically we recovered 2 coins that were from Portugal. Below is an 1891 Portugese coin.
Very neat trigger mechanism to an early flintlock musket. Both are in nice condition, and another Portugese coin.
Same two coins previously pictured, along with an 1827 Large cent...some ground action but is in beautiful condition and very bold.
Edge of a 1795 large cent recovered at the site....note the lettered edge "One Hundred for a Dollar,"...very cool. These early date large cents are very thick coins.
Hi. I see that this post is over 15 years old. I wonder if you still make it down to the Springs anymore? The property has changed hands and the current owner is a very nice man who is fascinated by the history of his property.
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