Installed in 2018, the Historic Bethabara Park Visitor Center exhibit (still in development) provided a much-needed update to the historic interpretation of Bethabara. Park Staff researched and developed the exhibit using Records of the Moravians in North Carolina, a translated diary written by the Moravians in the 18th and early 19th centuries, along with pivotal secondary sources about the history of the Moravians and those they encountered. In our exhibit, we share the stories of Bethabara’s residents like never before, including stories of the enslaved. We also examine the Moravians’ complicated relationship with Native groups in the region throughout the French & Indian War and Cherokee War.
View a digital version of the exhibit online here:
Moravian Origins
“Even if I should stand before the stake, which has been prepared for me, I would never accept the reconciliation of the theological faculty.”- Jan Hus, 1412.
The First Sisters
The First Sisters Moravian Origins | North Carolina: A New Home | A Center of Commerce and Trade | The First Sisters | Bethabara's Enslaved | Moravians at War “It is true that there are too few sisters in Wachovia in comparison with the Brethren there; and where they...
North Carolina, a New Home
“Among fifty members brought up in our congregation, or who have lived with us some years, there is probably not one who could maintain himself alone in the forest. They have had no experience, and even those who have the intelligence do not know how.” – Bishop Spangenberg’s survey diary, 1752.
The Stories of Bethabara’s Enslaved
The Stories of Bethabara’s Enslaved Moravian Origins | North Carolina: A New Home | A Center of Commerce and Trade | The First Sisters | Bethabara's Enslaved | Moravians at War “With a Congressman from Georgia there was an opportunity to talk about our mission to the...
A Center of Commerce and Trade
“Bethabara is intended for nothing other than a Unity plantation.”- Spangenberg to the Brothers and Sisters in Wachovia, Oct 18, 1757
Moravians at War
Moravians at War Moravian Origins | North Carolina: A New Home | A Center of Commerce and Trade | The First Sisters | Bethabara's Enslaved | Moravians at War French and Indian War: Lighting the Fuse (Photo courtesy of Don Troiani) In the early morning of May...
