Bethlehem Interior Design |
Introduce Me To Your Bethlehem Home |
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There is a lot of history and style in Bethlehem. Once home of
Bethlehem Steel and now the Sands Hotel and the popular summer Musik
Fest Event. The cozy town has the chic flavor of style with
its small shops and elegant Bethlehem Hotel. Designs by
Shoshana can help you capture that same interior design magic and
style in your own Bethlehem home.
Contact me to learn more.
History:
In 1871 a small group of Moravians settled on the banks of the
Lehigh River near the Monocacy Creek. They represented what is now
recognized as the oldest organized Protestant denomination in the
world, the Unitas Fratrum, or Unity of the Brethren, founded in 1457
by followers of John Hus, a Roman Catholic priest who had tried to
reform the Catholic Church. Hus was burned at the stake for his
beliefs a full 100 years before Martin Luther's Reformation. His
followers called themselves Moravians because many of the original
founders came from the provinces of Moravia and Bohemia in central
Europe, in what is now the Czech Republic.
On Christmas Eve of that first year, 1741, the Moravians' patron,
Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf of Saxony, Germany, visited the
new settlement. In their two-room log home that housed both man and
beast, the Count christened the community "Bethlehem".
By 1747, thirty-six different trades and industries exported their
wares from Bethlehem throughout the colonies. In the days of the
Revolution, our nation's leaders, including George Washington,
Samuel Adams and the Marquis de Lafayette, met, supped and slept
here. By 1845, the more than 1,000 inhabitants voted to incorporate
the village into a free borough in the County of Northampton. With
the advent of the Industrial Revolution, Bethlehem became a center
of heavy industry and trade. The world headquarters of Bethlehem
Steel Corporation remains here today.
In 1937, the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce, mindful of Bethlehem's
first Christmas in 1741, declared - "Why not make Bethlehem, named
at Christmas, the Christmas City for the entire country." Thus,
since 1937, Bethlehem of Pennsylvania has been known throughout the
world as Christmas City USA.
From its humble beginnings as a Moravian settlement to its modern
status as the heart of the thriving Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem has
carefully preserved its past. It is a city of 71,000 that shines as
brightly as its huge electrical star atop South Mountain. The
Moravian influence remains strong, but many more traditions from
many lands have joined in making the city a "melting pot" of
cultures, blending one into the other.
(Photo by Diane LaBelle)
The first Single Brethren House was constructed in 1744 and housed
50 men and several boys. It became the home of the Single Sisters'
Choir in 1748 when the Single Brethren moved into a new, larger
building. The second Single Brethren House has been in continuous
use since it was built. It served as the residence for the Choir,
but it also housed several of the smaller craft industries for the
community.
(Photo by Diane LaBelle)
The Bethlehem Tannery. Originally constructed in 1743, the tannery was rebuilt after a fire
in 1761 and has been restored to look as it did at that time. It was
the first industrial building in Bethlehem and was built away from
the original residential community on the hill above.
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