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God’s Acre
October 12th, 2012 |
The Moravian Cemetery known as God’s Acre serves as the final resting place for most of Bethlehem’s first residents. The cemetery, bordered by Market, Wall and New Streets, represents a snapshot of the Moravian Choirs, the segregated communal living system practiced by the early Bethlehem Moravians until 1762. Individuals were buried according to their Choir which was based on their sex, age and marital status.
At the turn of the twentieth century, God’s Acre became a popular subject of postcards and stereopticon cards, and images are often included in personal scrapbooks and memorabilia books in our collections. Some of the most interesting images portray the cemetery in a park-like manner, with people lounging among the grave stones. Below are some images from our collections of God’s Acre.
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Learn more about Moravian funeral and burial practices and some of God’s Acre’s residents on our docent-led walking tour Death and Dying in Early Bethlehem!
