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:
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.
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.
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18 comments:
Very interesting!
I talked with a life-long Nazareth resident who is in his 80's about the tunnels. I'll call him "K". "K" told me that when he was a teenager in Naz, he was in the tunnels. Specifically, one that went from the Army-Navy store up to the circle and back down the other side of Main street. It ended near the hotel (now furniture stored).
M+M--Thank you. I would like to talk with your friend if possible.
I was told a story about the old Army-Navy store: that the boiler in the basement was too large to be brought in through the door and down the stairs so they dug a hole and brought it in through the tunnel.
There do seem to be a lot of people who will swear that there are or were tunnels in Nazareth, despite all the historical society's research. This is a fascinating topic.
I have been down in the basement of one of the establishments on the west side of Main Street and seen, similar to the photos shown, the bricked archway leading to the "tunnel", secured by a locked wooden door. I have no doubt the tunnels ever exited. What I would like to know is why are these archways bricked up?
Regarding my previous (anonymous) comment. I meant to say I have no doubt the tunnels ever EXISTED, but posted exited. Interesting...
My guess is they were closed up when the people who owned the buildings didn't want other people to be able to get into their buildings. It was different, I'm sure, when the town was all Moravian (until the mid-1800's) but as outsiders began to move in and buy places downtown, easy access between buildings must have become a less attractive prospect.
Yes ,there are tunnels. My family has been in them. Most have been blocked up. Star Janitor , which is now Lynn's Florist had one and there is one that is blocked up in the parsonage at the Moravian Church, as well as under Nazareth Furniture. I beleive they zig zagged through town. I have picked up a book that someone wrote about the tunnels and put it down because clearly it was very misinforming. Maybe whoever is stating that there are no tunnels from the historical society are not native to Nazareth and truly just do not know. Possibly when sewer pipes, water lines, gas lines, and roads being repaired made the tunnels unsafe, and they blocked most of the openings up. I would personally love to go in one if there are any opened up.
Jill, Thank you for writing in. I think you may be right that the people at the historical society just didn't know, although it's surprising they didn't ask around more. You don't have to go far in Nazareth to talk with someone who knows about the tunnels.
Maybe this discussion will reopen the subject and the tunnels could be documented while there are people still alive who have been in them.
Asked if I could get into the basement of the Whitefield House and answer was no, but she asked why. I told her about our tunnel research and received this:
"We have the original town plans for Nazareth here, there are no tunnels marked on them, other places where the Moravians did have tunnels have them marked. Also there were doors leading from basement to basement on main street as a means for coal delivery. I have personally been in the basement of both the church and the manor house, as well as the buildings surrounding them and I can assure you there is no such thing. There is no historical or physical evidence to prove tunnels in Nazareth exist. Also the Whitfield House foundation was completed when there were no other buildings in this vicinity. And there is nothing down there to even represent an opening. I know that people like to believe that there must have been tunnels here in town, however, the closest any one has come are the doors leading from basement to basement on main street, a common architectural feature at the time.
Thank you for your interest in this matter, we offer our tunnel tales walking tour every October, where we do go into the basement of various buildings to "look" of tunnels.
Thank you,
Wendy Weida
Executive Director
Moravian Historical Society"
I think they honestly don't know. I prefer that explanation to the thought that they know and are hiding something. Some people would say otherwise.
It doesn't make sense that they'd be denying there are tunnels, because yesterday I was walking through Boro (Spelling, sorry.) Park with my boyfriend to get to the Indian Tower and he showed me where there use to be an underground tunnel that went from the park there to the park in Jacobsburg. I'm going to assume the city is trying to deny it was ever there or something, because the entrance is filled in with dirt, sand, etc.
We have a post about that former cave on this blog, too. I've heard the rumor that it went all the way to Jacobsburg but others say it didn't and there's no way to corroborate it. There certainly was a cave at Black Rock that has since been filled in. A number of people still alive today remember when the cave was still open.
I talked to a friend of mine who said his family used to own the building on broad street next to the Valero. Apparently in the basement there was a ladder going into a deeper tunnel. There are also circulating rumors among other teenagers that they have gotten in the tunnels via other entrance. I cant be sure but I think that it would be a good thing to check out
I have talked with enough people who say they have been in the tunnels to convince me that there's something to it. A man whose father and grandfather were plumbers assures me that the tunnels used to be usable, but parts, maybe most of the Main Street tunnels have been removed. I wish I could get into the basement of every place in downtown Nazareth.
Which place by Valero?
I'd love to be able to check out all the basements as well. From what I know its been converted into apartments now with a small business in it as well. I am not entirely sure who owns it or what it is. I may take a trip by there later and find out.
Let me know what you see. I'm trying to figure out which building you mean--the old pharmacy or the 3 story brick place across the stree, or te place behind the Valero--that apartment building? That's probably the one you mean.
the basement of the nazareth colonial apartments which is now a parking garage was the main entrance. 5 or so tunnels started there. and the cave is real in black rock.. both hold many secrets the Moravians don't want known. and the black rock woods itself. the lenape indian village welgamika was once there and the surrounding area. that's all ill say but there are many things unknown about what is beneath us
Would love to talk with you. I spent years researching the tunnels and I have been in the basement of a number of buildings downtown. Do you mean the building catty-cornered from where Koehler's drug store used to be? Thanks for your messages!
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