Ephrata Cloister facts for kids
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Ephrata Cloister
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Women's Building and Meetinghouse
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| Location | Jct. of US 322 and 272, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Built | 1732 |
| NRHP reference No. | 67000026 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 24, 1967 |
| Designated NHL | December 24, 1967 |
The Ephrata Cloister was a special religious community. It was started in 1732 by Conrad Beissel in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. This place is now in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Today, the state of Pennsylvania owns the grounds. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission takes care of it.
The last person who lived at the Ephrata Cloister, Marie Kachel Bucher, passed away on July 27, 2008. She was 98 years old.
Contents
History of the Ephrata Cloister
The Ephrata community came from a religious group called the Schwarzenau Brethren. This group started in Germany. In 1728, some members split off. They became known as the Seventh Day Dunkers. Their main belief was that Saturday was the true day of rest, or Sabbath.
Life in the Community
In 1732, Conrad Beissel arrived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He settled by the Cocalico Creek. People who followed Beissel created a unique community there. They called it "Ephrata," after a place mentioned in the Bible.
This community was like a monastery and convent. It had a "Sister House" for women and a "Brother House" for men. Most members chose to live a single life, meaning they did not marry.
Life at Ephrata was very strict. Members slept on narrow wooden benches, only about 15 inches wide. They used wooden blocks as pillows. They slept for six hours each night, from 9 PM to midnight and from 2 AM to 5 AM. They had a two-hour break in between to pray and "watch" for the return of Christ.
They ate only one small vegetarian meal a day. The only time they ate meat was during a special religious meal. This meal included lamb. Members spent most of their time working or praying quietly. Beissel led services every Saturday. These services often lasted for many hours.
Why the Community Formed
During this time, many people were not happy with the official churches. They wanted to practice their religion in different ways. The Ephrata Cloister members wanted to worship God together. They believed in living a strict religious life. They also helped others become more spiritual.
Daily Life and Work
Besides the brothers and sisters, there were also married families living nearby. These families supported the cloister. They helped with daily activities. Everyone at Ephrata had jobs to do.
They worked hard every day. They did farming and other industrial tasks. The Cloister members were skilled in carpentry and papermaking. They also gardened, prepared meals, and mended clothes. They even made clothing on a mill.
The Cloisters were famous for their writings and hymns. They used a printing press to create these works. They were very busy people with many duties.
Education and Helping Others
The Cloisters had a positive view of life. They respected their neighbors, the land, and nature. Education was also very important to them. They believed every child should go to school. Children from the nearby families were taught in the German school.
Teaching the young was one way the Cloisters helped others. They also helped the poor. They would give bread to families who needed it.
Music and Printing Press
Families who believed in Beissel's teachings settled near the community. They accepted him as their spiritual leader. They worshipped with the Cloister members on the Sabbath. These families were a very important part of the cloister. The community could not have survived without them.
The brothers and sisters of Ephrata were known for writing and publishing hymns. They also composed music for four voices. Beissel was the community's composer. He even created his own system for writing music. The Ephrata hymnal, which contained only words, was printed in 1747.
The Ephrata Cloister had the second German printing press in the American colonies. They also published the largest book in Colonial America. This book was called Martyrs Mirror. It told the stories of Christian martyrs who died between 4 B.C. and 1660.
A group of Mennonites asked the Cloister to print this book. First, it had to be translated from Dutch into German. Peter Miller from the Ephrata Community did the translation. Work on the book started in 1748 and finished about three years later. Many of the books were bought by the Mennonites who had asked for them.
Decline and Modern Day
Conrad Beissel died in 1768. After his death, fewer people joined the community. The strict monastic way of life slowly ended. The last celibate member died in 1813. In 1814, the community became known as the German Seventh Day Baptist Church. Some branches of this church still exist today.
In 1941, about 28 acres of land with the remaining buildings were given to the state of Pennsylvania. It became a state historical site. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission studied the site. They found that the Cloister was used as a hospital during the American Revolutionary War (1775–83).
In 1998, archaeologists found something very special there. They unearthed the only glass trumpet of its kind in North America. The trumpet likely came from Germany. It was found in excellent condition, which made archaeologists think it was buried on purpose. Only the mouthpiece was missing, so we don't know if it was ever played.
At its peak, the Ephrata community covered about 250 acres. About 80 single men and women lived there. The married congregation had around 200 members.
Gallery
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Buildings at Ephrata cloister
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Tombs with inscription in German
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Living quarters
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Praying room
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WPA poster, 1936–1941
