Zufluchtshaus - Emmaus. PA, USA
N 40° 31.808 W 075° 29.107
18T E 458912 N 4486712
The Zufluchtshaus (English: Shelter House) is in Emmaus, PA and is the oldest continually inhabited structure in the Lehigh Valley. It was meant as a place to flee to for shelter from attack.
Waymark Code: WM13EG5
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 11/23/2020
Views: 2
In the 1700's, Rural Pennsylvania (any area that was not close to Philadelphi) wasn’t an easy place to live. Established settlements were scarce, and the fear of attacks by Native Americans was constant (if ultimately unfulfilled - The Lenape are a peaceful people). For mostly German settlers looking for safety, there were places that could provide food and shelter. Nearly a decade before the Moravians started their famous community at Bethlehem, settlers 10 miles south erected their own place of sanctuary. Built around 1734, the Zufluchtshaus (in English Shelter House) now stands as the oldest continually occupied structure in the Lehigh Valley.
The medieval-type log building was constructed along a well-traveled path traversing South Mountain, on the outskirts of what would become Emmaus. Originally conceived as a refuge in the event of violence, the Zufluchtshaus evolved into a place for settlers to get much-needed rest, food, and drink as they staked their claim in the area.
Today, the Zufluchtshaus stands as a local landmark. The building was restored in the 1990s, and it serves as a pristine example of early 1700s German construction techniques, including the technically demanding “Dutch notch” style. The roof is supported by 16 hand-hewn triangular joists, and the original chinking between the oak and chestnut logs consists of mud, straw and horse hair. The Zufluchtshaus is home to one of the area’s largest collections of period-style furniture and household items.
Adapted from Atlas Obscura's description: (
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