Work began this week on Nazareth’s 1740 Gray Cottage. Essential repairs will be made to the colonial-era building throughout August to provide structural integrity and allow public use for generations to come.
Constructed in November 1740, the one-and-a-half-story log house has played a key role in Nazareth’s history, as well as the story of the local Moravian community. The cottage served as the town’s first school, a home for Moravian widows, and shelter for refugees of the French and Indian War at various points in its lifespan.
Today, the Gray Cottage is used as an educational space, housing exhibitions, workshops, summer camps, guided tours, and community events centered around American and Moravian history.
The preservation project taking place this month will include replacement of deteriorated logs, with new pieces designed to match the original materials and craftsmanship. Additionally, outdated packing materials used in cracks of the cottage will be removed.
Frank Stroik, a Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission pre-qualified contractor, will complete the work. He specializes in traditional carpentry methods, timber framing, and eighteenth-century log home restoration.
The Moravian Historical Society, which has cared for the Gray Cottage for almost fifty years, says the project is an “investment in Nazareth’s earliest surviving building and in the stories it continues to tell.” Preserving it means continuing to offer an authentic view of local and American history.
Community members are invited to witness the work being done on the cottage Tuesday through Friday all month between 9 AM and 3 PM.
