Lititz Moravian Historic District
Why it's listed
Lititz is a town in Lancaster County whose core was laid out by the Moravian Church, beginning with a site offered in 1754 and surveyed into building lots in 1757. Members leased lots and built houses and businesses under church regulations, and the buildings fronted a large open square lined with religious and communal structures. The Sisters' House, dating from 1758, and the Brothers' House, from 1759, are among them. The district contains 127 buildings, 113 of them contributing, along East Main Street and Broad Street. Its architecture includes Germanic stone houses from the 1780s, Federal dwellings, and later brick and wood buildings in Second Empire, Italianate and Queen Anne styles. The town is significant for its distinctive planned settlement and its shift from a self-contained religious community to a commercial center after the town opened to non-Moravian residents in 1855. Its Moravian Church Cemetery, first used in 1758, adds to its character.
Significance in brief: The district is regarded as the third planned Moravian settlement in Pennsylvania and the only town in Lancaster County founded as a Moravian community. It is also one of two county communities that grew out of a distinct religious community, and it contains many 18th and 19th century residential, religious and commercial buildings. Its development shifted in 1855 when the town opened to non-Moravian settlers.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86001030, listed May 9, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by E. Main, Willow and Locust, Marion and Orange, and S. Cedar and S. and N. Broad Sts., Lititz |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | May 9, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001030 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1755-1935 |
| Architectural style | Germanic, Federal, Second Empire, Italianate, Queen Anne, American Four Square and Commercial styles |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The district's general condition and integrity are described as very good, and a local historic district ordinance keeps unsympathetic alterations and new construction to a minimum. |
| Acreage | 103.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.15414, -76.30091 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86001030.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6648566
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.