A Community That Shines

The town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania was founded by the Moravian settlers from Germany in 1740. Today characterized by charming Victorian homes and masonry storefronts, Nazareth has managed to preserve and protect its history, charm and appeal. The town is mostly constructed of brick and stone buildings built prior to 1858.

Just minutes from the Moravian Hall Square and Heritage Village campuses is the Nazareth Circle, the place for activities, events and music throughout the year. The Nazareth Farmers’ Market is set up at the circle to gather vendors from across the region who sell a variety of locally-grown seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh baked goods, local meats, and artisan cheeses. During the winter months the Farmer’s Market is hosted by Morningstar Living inside Moravian Hall Square.

Nazareth is home to a number of notable churches: Nazareth Moravian Church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, St. John’s United Church of Christ, Holy Family Catholic Church and Schoeneck Moravian Church.

The Whitefield House located on the historic Ephrata Tract in Nazareth, is home to Nazareth’s Moravian Historical Society, a non-profit museum and historic site. The museum preserves and celebrates the Moravian culture and offers permanent and temporary exhibitions that include portraits, paintings and historical collections.

In 1972 a number of community groups worked together to preserve the beauty of the Bushkill Creek Valley made up of a historic homestead referred to as the Henry Woods area. The Henry Homestead was turned into an internationally known museum, called the Pennsylvania Longrifle Museum, which is operated by the Jacobsburg Historical Society.

The library was built after World War II as a living memorial to all of the men and women who served in time of war. Ground was broken in 1950 for construction of this public library. The library moved to its current location in 1970. The Memorial Library of Nazareth was named “2020 Library of the Year” by the Pennsylvania Library Association.

The C.F. Martin & Co. (Martin Guitar) is headquartered in Nazareth. The company is acknowledged to be the best guitar manufacturer in the world. The business has been continuously family-owned and operated for six generations and is the world’s oldest continually operating guitar builder. The world-famous Martin Guitar Museum is located at the company’s factory (510 Sycamore Street) in Nazareth. The museum displays extraordinary guitars, ukuleles and mandolins.

The Borough Park located on North Broad Street offers a lot of recreational opportunities including swimming pool, baseball field, softball field, tennis courts, basketball courts, beach volleyball facility, swings, slides, picnic pavilions and bandstand for concerts and other entertainment. The park also features an amphitheater for summer concerts and other gatherings, a skate part for skateboarders and a dog park.

The Indian Tower located at 497 W High Street was built in 1916. It overlooks the Moravian Graveyard which was in use from 1744 to 1762. The tower is 30 feet high and sits at the highest point of the original 5,000 acres of Nazareth, PA. The tower was used during World War II as a defense lookout. Since then, used as a place to rest and reflect.

Located at 30 E. Belvidere Street, the Nazareth Center for the Arts (NCA) offers events and classes in art, photography, music, voice and acting. The NCA is run by the Nazareth Cultural and Arts Commission of the Borough of Nazareth.