Hauntings of Whitefield House

As a lead-up to Halloween, the Express-Times included an article teasing ghost stories of The Whitefield House in Nazareth.

The spookiest tale comes from Kelly Givens, business manager at the Whitefield House, who is the only person to have actually seen a ghost.
Givens said that about two years ago she was alone at the house during the afternoon and walked up the stairs into the museum and passed a woman who she initially thought was a visitor. Then she realized the woman was dressed as a Moravian nurse of the period from when the children were at the nursery.

The Whitefield House Museum, 214 East Center St., is open to the public 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students and children to visit. For information, call 610-759-5070.

Mysterious Twine Plagues Nazareth

As the Morning Call reports (read here) areas of the borough have become entwined in an unexplainable tangle of thread. Sandy Remaly noticed the string over her home near Chestnut Street. She claims that the string stretches almost 8 blocks including the area all the way over near council chambers.

I had to see this for myself and swung by there on my morning bike ride. At this point the string is gathered around a clothesline pole and stretches up to a nearby tree. But it seems to stop there. I examined the string myself and can tell you it is probably not of this planet. No human could have produced a string that light and strong. Although, it could be a new type of guitar string developed by Martin Guitars. One of the many strong storms we've had lately may have blown it out of one of their huge smoke stacks and over the borough. What do you think the string is? Check out the video and comment below:

An Interview with author Scott Morro

In 2006, local author Scott Morro took a little local history, a dash of The Goonies, and a bit of Back to the Future and blended it all together into a clever young adults book called The Cross Over. In the book, our beloved Indian Tower becomes a time machine, shooting a group of kids back to Nazareth 1746 where they befriend a young Whitefield House resident and try to get back home. We caught up with Scott and he humored us with an e-mail interview and shared some cool pictures of The Tower.




Weird Nazareth: What inspired you to choose Nazareth, and in particular the Indian Tower, as the setting for this book?

Scott Morro: Well, Nazareth is a hotbed of paranormal activity, so it made perfect sense to… Actually, I grew up in Nazareth [on Spring Street] near Pep’s Place and Santo’s Market. I went to Nazareth High School and lived there my whole life until I got married and moved to Bethlehem. The Indian Tower is a place my friends and I used to visit as kids. We’d climb the tower and watch the races [at the Nazareth Speedway] with binoculars. You could only see 3 turns, but it was free and we liked it. Plus, I always thought the place was creepy [&] cool. Just something about it, ya know… The idea for the book came about when my family and I were visiting the Holy Family cemetery on Father’s Day a few years back. My youngest son, Ryan, who was 4 at the time, pointed up to the tower from the cemetery and said, “What’s that, daddy?” He and my oldest son sprinted for the tower and we began to look around. I explained what it was and some of the history I knew. My family got back in the car, but I stayed and began taking a closer look at the tower, the monument and the plaques nearby. The idea for the book formed as I was standing there. I went to the library and did some research and I spent time at the Whitefield House reading and researching as well. A former curator there, Mark Turdo, photo-copied a diary written by a girl who stayed at the [Whitefiled House] during the time period I was going to write about and that was a big help. After reading the diary and going over my notes, I sat with my laptop and wrote. About 7 weeks later I was finished with the initial draft. Then it was on to edit and make some changes before sending it off to my publisher.

WN: It seems you had been aware of the existence of time travel for some time. Why did it take you so long to reveal it to the world?

SM: Drunken stupor from too many cans of Guinness…Abducted by aliens at Potts Doggie Shop on Broad Street…I seriously don’t know. I’ve used time travel in two other young adult novels, one out now (What’s Brewing in Boston) and one currently being shopped to publishers (The Moravian Enigma). [What’s Brewing in Boston] takes two brothers back in time to assist with the Boston Tea Party, while [The Moravian Enigma] is a scavenger hunt/National Treasure/DaVinci Code type book set in Nazareth and Bethlehem, where the main character and his best friend search for treasure buried by George Washington during the American Revolution. How’d ya like the shameless plug for my other stuff??? I love the idea of time travel and would love to experience it myself. As much as I’m a sports freak (Go Yankees), I love history too. There’s something cool about how you can weave fact and fiction and, in essence, take that journey just like your characters have in the books.

WN: If the Indian Tower were still a functioning time machine, where and when would you travel to, given the chance?

SM: Wow…good question! Do I have to choose just one place? I’d go back to New York and Nazareth of the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s to see Yankees greats of the past play and to see what life was like for my parents and grandparents. I’d travel to Baltimore of the 1830’s and 1840’s so I could meet Edgar Allan Poe, one of my favorite writers. Maybe we could hook up and write a creepy time travel story together…I’d go to Iowa and do that “Field of Dreams” corn-thing and see where the ball-players go…I’d go to Ford’s Theater and sit in the crowd with Abe Lincoln the night he was shot. Maybe stop John Wilkes Booth if I was feeling brave enough…Too many more to mention…

WN: Our readers are interested in the unusual and quirky side of the Nazareth. Having grown up there, what are some of the odd things that you remember about the town?

SM: I remember hearing about ghosts and creepy shit going on at Black Rock near the pool. I remember hearing scary stories about ghosts at Gracedale…AND I actually experienced some “stuff” while I worked there a few years when I was going to college. I also remember hearing about a murder of two kids, twins I think, in the 1950’s. I’ve actually started to do research for a book on that event. Other than that, not much…But I’d loved to hear what you and your readers have to share…

WN: Are you doing any writing right now?

SM: Aside from the answers to these questions, ya mean??? I’m working on three projects at the moment: I’m working on a young adult book about bullying in a middle school. Originally it was titled ECLIPSE, but since that Stephanie Meyer chick, ya know, the one who wrote the TWILIGHT series, stole that title already, I re-named it RAY OF SUNSHINE, based on a character’s nickname. I’m working on another [young adult] novel about a young man who goes off to Iraq and writes letters back and forth with a cousin of his here in America. There’s still LOTS to do with that one. My wife’s been after me to do an A to Z book about Nazareth and, as I said above, I’m really interested in doing an adult book about the murder of those twins…I mean adult as in “for adults,” not with porn and that type of “adult.” So far, though, the internet has been a bust when it comes to unearthing info on the case. I think I’m headed back to the library and to search micro film. I think it took place in the 1950’s and the kids were named Schaffer or Shafer…something like that. I believe they were abducted near Mitchell Avenue, by high school and their bodies were found in Black Rock. Again, I could have my facts jumbled, but I remember it being a bid deal. My dad, who works at the Post Office, brought it up to me recently and talked about it as a book idea. I loved it! I just need to get the research stared and start writing. Who knows, maybe I’ll solve the thing and CSI: Nazareth will be born…

WN: Thanks, Scott!

Scott’s author website is http://www.publishedauthors.net/scottmorro/index.html. You can see photos, read samples of his books, and find lots of information. He says he is available for school visits and lectures and says you can e-mail him at morro23@rcn.com

You can buy Scott’s books at Amazon.com or check the “links” section of his website. You can also check the Nazareth Memorial Library.

The Spirit in the Spring at Christian Spring

Christian Spring, outside Nazareth near the intersection of Rte. 248 and Daniels Road, was one of the original outlier communities of Nazareth. In that time it was common for Moravian communities to have separate residences for single men (brethren) and single women (sisters), but Christian Spring, also known as Christiansbrunn, was the only community that consisted almost entirely of single brethren.

The spring was named after Christian Renatus von Zinzendorf, much-beloved son of Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf, patron and leader of the Moravian Church or the Unitas Fratrum as they preferred to be known at the time. Christian, or Christel as some who loved him called him, was by all accounts a joyous and flamboyant character, whose holy celebrations and pageants delighted many at the Moravian community of Hernhaag in Germany. He was even thought by some to be the embodiment of the spirit of Jesus Christ. When he died at the very young age of 24, many of his closest associates came to live at Christian Spring.

So what's weird? Some of those old friends came to believe that their beloved Christel's spirit lived in the spring after his death. Among other things they pointed out how tame the trout were. The spring is said to remain to this day in the general area of the Christian Spring Hotel.

An old shed nearby

Today the community of Christian Spring is remembered by people interested in the history of gun-making in America, and also by another male demographic, so much so that an intentional community modeled on Christian Spring, the Hermitage (whose original members call themselves Johannes and Christian Zinzendorf) exists in Schuylkill County.

If the spring were cleared and marked and opened to tourists, local people might be surprised to find how many people would come from far and wide to visit the spirit of Christian Renatus and the single brothers, who are better known in some circles than they are in Nazareth.

A note: Along the Christian Spring Road (there are 3) that runs from the Christian Spring Hotel to Route 248, there is at least one white mulberry tree. This kind of mulberry was imported for silk production. There is a very good chance that that white mulberry is a direct descendant of the mulberries planted by the single brethren in the 1700's in an effort to start a silk industry, so the tree may be another piece of their legacy that has survived until today.

Weird Nazareth Mentioned in News Paper

Must be a slow news day. Our very own site was mentioned in the Morning Call today: LINK

Nazareth, the Knights Templar, and the Illuminati

Among the many theories about who inherited the legacy and treasures of the Knights Templar, one group mentioned is the Hussites, who rebelled against the Catholic Church and in the wars that followed, carried banners bearing the symbol of the chalice or grail. They did extraordinarily well in battle, and [interestingly enough] built an extensive system of tunnels in their main town of Tabor in what is now the Czech Republic. Later, when the radical remainder were driven out into the forests, they lived in caves and tunnels, keeping alive their faith and traditions.

As time went on the group became known as the Bohemian Brethren, the Unitas Fratrum, and eventually, the Moravian Church. For many years outsiders saw them as a shadowy, mystic sect, a reputation increased by their view of the Holy Spirit as female, and other unorthodox beliefs and practices, some of which scandalized people of the 1700’s.

Today, some conspiracy theorists claim that the Moravian Church has the Holy Grail and other precious or legendary treasures hidden away (Barony of the Rose . . . hmmmm ;-) ), and some imply they guard the bloodline of Jesus and Mary.

Above, the agnus dei, emblem of the Unitas Fratrum, or Moravian Church (note the cross in the halo)

Below, an example of a Templar cross. They also used the agnus dei as one of their symbols

The fact that their early settlements in North America had a high proportion of people of nobility, along with the church’s history of connection with Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry, has fed claims that the people of the church’s upper echelon are members of the Illuminati, a supposed secret society whose members run the world. Eerily, Gottlieb Demuth, an early resident of Nazareth (his grave at Schoeneck seen in the photo above) was an ancestor of former president George W. Bush.

Still, we don’t read too much into it. The Moravians we know seem like hard-working, upstanding individuals rather than international conspirators. Of course, if this reporter now disappears under suspicious circumstances, readers may want to reconsider!

The Tunnel Question--???

stairs from a basement on the west side of Main Street to a lower level

Are there tunnels in Nazareth? The Moravian Historical Society gives a tour called Tunnels and Other Tales: Walking Tours of Phantoms and Fables of Nazareth every October, so we wrote to them asking where to get a picture of one of the archways that were supposed by many to be tunnel entrances. We received this reply:

The Moravian Historical Society has done an extensive study of the "supposed tunnels" I can tell you that there are no, and were no tunnels in Nazareth. as far a picture goes, what you are thinking of are often arch chimney supports.

When we spoke with almost anyone else in town over a certain age, however, we heard a different story. One of our more demonstrative informants said, with much emphasis, "Tell the historical society this man wants to know why they're spreading misinformation!" Everyone said go look for yourself, so we did.

What we've found so far is intriguing. One credible person says he has been in the tunnels. Others have seen pictures of people standing in the tunnels and gave us names of people who know more. We were shown enough arches and doorways in basements to make us wonder. From the Dominion Mortgage building on the circle to Nazareth Furniture, the basements of many of the buildings along the east side of Main Street seem to have been linked by doors, at least, if not tunnels.

In the basement of Nazareth Furniture, there is a large arch form very low on the wall facing east, as if there may have been something below basement level. In the basement of a building on the west side of Main Street there is a door (See the top picture in this post) that opens to stairs to a narrow lower level room with an arched ceiling and cemented-in archways at either end. It felt very much like a section of a tunnel. (Unfortunately, the camera failed us down there--hmmm . . .)
We also saw one place where it looks as if a tunnel may cross Main Street.

The two pictures above are from two different basements. It's difficult to see here, but at the top left of the fill-in stones there is a crack behind which there is darkness, as if there is empty space.

People we spoke to gave us various stories, including that the tunnels start in the basement of the Manor House (Zinzendorf's mansion, sometimes called Nazareth Hall) and run down Main Street, then along or under Belvidere toward Whitefield House or old Nazareth south of Whitefield House. Some said the tunnels were built to provide safety from Indians, others said the Moravians hid Indians and other races in them, although why was not known.

Weird, huh? For now we would like to thank the Moravian Historical Society, Sue Dreydoppel, Doris Laurito, Bruce Beltz, Donald Koehler, Daniel Thierry, Seth Young, Jim Sakasits and one person who wished just to be known as Bill. I'll be gone for a couple of weeks, but will continue to pursue this. To be continued . . .

Adding the latest email from the Moravian Historical Society--see latest comment.

Boomerang Hot Dogs?

A weird story found in the Express-Times this morning:

An Easton man was cited on Sunday afternoon after he allegedly threw pieces of hot dogs at Wal-Mart customers, Colonial Regional police Officer Michael Kovach said.
Kovach was called to the Wal-Mart on Route 248 in Lower Nazareth Township about 4:15 p.m. for a report of a man who was intoxicated and throwing hot dogs, Kovach said.
When Kovach arrived he said he found Harvey Clymer, 35, of the first block of North Third Street, highly intoxicated inside the lobby of the store.
Clymer's blood-alcohol content was .39 percent when he took a preliminary breath test, Kovach said.
He said there was a fundraiser selling hot dogs outside the store and Clymer went inside to eat them.
Clymer was cited for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. He was taken to an area hospital for alcohol poisoning, Kovach said.
Story/article courtesy of The Express Times Michael Buck
Photo courtesy of Agmilmoe

Nazareth Man Catches Really Big Fish

Resident George Wambold caught a really big salmon. Here is the story from the Clarion of Peninsula, Alaska:

August 4, 2008
By Joseph Robertia Peninsula Clarion
For the second time this season, an angler has brought a Kenai River king salmon into the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a potential trophy, and while this most recent fish fell just shy of the 75-pound minimum requirement, like the last one, it will still go on record as being the largest legal king caught all season.
"Before we came, we watched videos of people catching Kenai kings, and I thought holy mackerel those are big fish. I never thought I would get one that was even bigger," said George Wambold, 70, from Nazareth, Pa., who captured the mighty chinook Wednesday, two days before the king season closed.
Fish and Game recorded the monster fish, which was just beginning to blush, at 54 inches long, 32 inches in girth and weighing 72.75 pounds.
"It might have been a trophy had we brought it in immediately, but it sat in the boat for hours while everyone on board got a chance to catch their fish," said Arlene Sterner, 66, Wambold's friend and fellow Pennsylvanian.
The two had started their trip in the saltwater of Cook Inlet, and landed numerous halibut before even taking to the Kenai River.
"We went out of Deep Creek, and we all got our limit. I got the biggest fish at 57 pounds," Sterner said.
The two thought her bottom-dwelling, flatfish was going to be the behemoth of the trip, but Wambold's whopper surpassed it with several more pounds of ruby, red flesh for the eating.
"Our guide, Mike Hopley of Alaskan Adventures Charters, took us to the spot," Sterner said, referring to a popular hole on the lower Kenai known as Mud Island.
It ended up being a lucky location for just about everyone on board that day. Another client on the boat caught a 35-pounder almost as soon as they got there at 6:15 a.m., Wambold had his hawg by 10 a.m., and Sterner also caught a 30-pounder just after noon.
Wambold said he knew immediately his fish was going to be a big one.
"It was no small bump. The rod was in the rod holder when it just suddenly bent -- and I mean really bent -- straight down. I grabbed it up and felt a hard pull, then it started stripping out line upstream," he said.
"The 'ziiiiiiing' of his real was so exciting," Sterner said.
They said everyone in the boat, and on the water, went out of their way not to interfere with the battle.
"We all reeled up our lines, and as soon as the net went into the air, other boats started moving out of the way," Sterner said.
"It seemed like a lot of respect from the other guides on the water," Wambold said.
After roughly four long runs and 15 minutes of fighting, Wambold wore the king out enough to get it near the boat and into the net. They said they couldn't believe its size or that of all the people fishing, Wambold was the one to catch it.
"In the stretch we were fishing, there had to be 1,000 lines in that two-mile section, so it was just being in the right place at the right time that it hit his line," Sterner said.
Wambold said he's no stranger to outdoor adventure, but his previous piscatorial pursuits pail in comparison to his past week.
"Back home, we hunt, snowmobile and fish for bass, walleye and other salmon, but it's no comparison to fishing for Kenai kings," he said.
The two said they had been planning their trip to Alaska for a long time, and it was worth the wait and the distance they had to travel.
"We had been saying for years we wanted to come up and fish the Kenai River, which we had read about in books," Sterner said. "We drove 8,000 miles to get here, but it's been the trip of a lifetime."
Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com