Christian Springs

Christian Springs is a Moravian colony that dates back to the 1700's. They had a brewery, which we believe was located where you see the three large trees on the left (south) side of the road in the photograph above right. If this is the site it would be an excellent candidate for industrial archaeology. The photographs below are from 100 Years of Brewing. The foundation could be measured to see if it fits the description in 100 Years of Brewing.

The old Moravian Brewery.

Entrance to groined arch cellar, Moravian Brewery.

One of the earliest breweries to be erected in Pennsylvania stood, in a good state of repair, until the year 1896, at Christian's Springs, Northampton County, about twelve miles north of Bethlehem. The Moravians laid out the town in 1747, and the brewery, with a malt-house and distillery, was erected two years later. It was a building of limestone, 50' X 30', and contained a vaulted cellar and granary. Monocacy creek flowed past the place, and a remarkably large spring of water (still visited by the curious) provided drinking water for the brewery. The record of the year's brewing from June, 1754, to June 1755, shows 5,994.5 gallons (187 barrels) of beer and for the same period, 759 gallons of whisky were distilled - both products being consumed at the various Moravian settlements, with their three inns. Christian Mathiesen was the brewer for many years. He was a native of Denmark, and died in June, 1796. Four or five of the original buildings are still standing, several of them occupied, although the brewing of beer was discontinued about 1800. The groined arched vaults of this pioneer of its kind were certainly among the earliest built in the colonies.

1749 Moravian's first brewery built at Christiansbrunn, or Christian's Spring, near Nazareth. The only stone building in the little community, the brewery at Christian's Spring supplied both the Crown Inn, Bethlehem's first watering hole, and later the Sun Inn. The combination of skilled brewmaster and pure water led to the creation of a superior brew. Its fame spread by travelers, Bethlehem beer soon became well-known in all 13 colonies. Even foreign visitors commented favorably. The brewery was a victim of its own success, with demand outstripping supply. On-the-job drinking became a concern when the young men running the brewery became more interested in sampling the product than with its manufacture. Moravian Bishop Levering wrote that "intemperance was the most prominent evil in the declining establishment of the single men at Christianbrunn." Moravian leaders closed the brewery in 1796.