{"nrhp_refnum":"71000586","name":"Bethabara Moravian Church","other_names":["Gemein Haus"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2147 Bethabara Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Winston-Salem","county":"Forsyth County","state":"NC","lat":36.153467197000055,"lon":-80.30006186999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1971-09-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A stucco-over-stone church and attached parsonage built in 1788 at 2147 Bethabara Road in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, for the Moravian settlement of Bethabara. Frederick William Marshall was mainly responsible for its design.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as the oldest congregation of the Moravian Church, South, founded by Moravians from Pennsylvania who settled the site in 1753. The combined church and parsonage under two gable roofs, with an octagonal bell tower, is described as unusual in the state. Its simplicity and fine workmanship reflect the character of the early Moravian settlers.","narrative":"Bethabara Moravian Church, built in 1788 on Bethabara Road in Winston-Salem, combines a church and a parsonage in one rectangular stucco-over-stone building. Each part has its own gable roof, and an octagonal bell tower with an open arched belfry rises above the church's north gable. Inside, a plain meeting room with a concave ceiling and a gallery reflects the utilitarian life of the early settlers. The parsonage is even plainer, with corner fireplaces and a large cooking fireplace and oven. Frederick William Marshall, a Moravian clergyman, was mainly responsible for the design, though the building was a community project, with money and labor from the villages of Bethania and Salem. Moravians from Pennsylvania settled the site in 1753 and named it Bethabara, meaning House of Passage. The congregation is the oldest of the Moravian Church, South. Its simplicity and fine workmanship were considered noteworthy for North Carolina, and it was recognized for its religious and architectural importance.","period_of_significance":"1788","architect_builder":"Frederick William Marshall (Moravian clergyman, mainly responsible for the design); built as a community project","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in excellent condition, on its original site, occupied, and in use as a religious building and park; owned by the Moravian Church (Southern Province).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:56.981646-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/7202/47720236/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/71000586.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000586/4a339d1cc2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000586/4a339d1cc2-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Barber Photo Supply Company, Photographer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethabara_Moravian_Church,_2147_Bethabara_Road_(State_Route_1681),_Old_Town_(Forsyth_County,_North_Carolina).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Barber Photo Supply Company, Photographer</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethabara_Moravian_Church,_2147_Bethabara_Road_(State_Route_1681),_Old_Town_(Forsyth_County,_North_Carolina).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"78001948","name":"Bethabara Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/north-carolina/bethabara-historic-district-78001948/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47720236","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethabara_Moravian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4897673"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/forsyth-county/bethabara-moravian-church-71000586/"}