How to Use the Images

Table of
Contents

Drawing 2a: The Single Brethren House,
plan of first floor.

Drawing 2b: The Single Brethren House,
plan of second floor.

Drawing 2c: The Single Brethren House,
plan of third floor.

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 (depicted here). 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. The use of rooms shown on the floor plan are taken from an undated drawing in the Bethlehem Moravian Archives.

Questions for Photo 2 and Drawing 2

1. Describe the building. Why do you think it is so large?

2. What were some of the uses of the different rooms?

3. Can you imagine what it might have been like to live in this building as part of a communal society? What might be some advantages and disadvantages to living in a dormitory setting such as this?

* The images on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a high quality version of Photo 2 and Drawings 2a, 2b, and 2c and but be aware that each file will take as much as 30 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.