Nazareth Historic District
Why it's listed
Nazareth's historic district occupies the center of the borough in northeastern Pennsylvania, on a hillside sloping southeast. Moravian settlers founded the community in the mid-eighteenth century as a planned religious settlement closed to non-Moravians, and their stone and timber buildings survive, including the 1755-1756 Manor House with its gambrel roof and cupola. The Moravian Church of 1861 and St. John's U.C.C. Church, built 1905-1907, are notable churches. The Moravians opened the town in 1858, after which population grew from about 1,000 in 1880 to over 3,000 by 1930. Cement plants and textile mills drew workers, and many of the roughly 510 contributing buildings were built for them. Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Bungalow houses form a large high style collection, and the district served as the central commercial hub of the county.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant for its Moravian planned religious community from the mid-eighteenth century to 1858, for its role as a principal Moravian settlement and boys' educational center in Pennsylvania, and for its commercial growth and high style architecture from 1859 to 1938. It is described as an outstanding representative of Moravian heritage and the largest collection of period high style architecture in central Northampton County.
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 88001203, listed August 11, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Centered on Center and Main Sts., Nazareth |
|---|---|
| County | Northampton County |
| Listed | August 11, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001203 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1740-1938 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; Colonial Revival; Bungalow/Craftsman; Moravian; Romanesque Revival; Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Education, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 188 |
| Coordinates | 40.74228, -75.30982 (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 88001203.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6983318
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.