Memorial House - Bethlehem, PA, USA
N 40° 37.462 W 075° 23.713
18T E 466573 N 4497135
The Memorial House is a replica of the first home in Bethlehem, PA and was built by the Bethlehem Chapter of the DAR in 1931.
Waymark Code: WM181K9
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 05/10/2023
Views: 1
So, you arrive at the Bethlehem Rose Garden, itself a early 1930s Depression era beautification project, modeled to a small degree after an Ohmstede park.
Look over there! Where? (Joe Jackson notwithstanding)!
You see what appears to be a log cabin. Looks old, really old, but well maintained. You can than the Bethlehem Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for this replica building.
On February 4, 1741, the first house in Bethlehem was built: a 20 ft by 40 ft log cabin with two floors. The first floor was divided into two equal sections and the upper floor had lofts for sleeping. It was built along the nearby Monocacy Creek. The Hotel Bethlehem (in all its' swankitude) is there today. In 1823, it was replaced by a stable for an earlier hotel.
In 1931, the Bethlehem chapter of the DAR constructed a replica house about a mile from here, but is was used in 1942 for World War II Civilian Defense efforts. Here is a link to a DAR waymark at that original spot:
(
visit link)
On April 1, 1965, the Memorial House was relocated from the First Avenue site to the Rose Garden on Eighth Avenue. The Bethlehem, Pa. Chapter, NSDAR, rededicated the Memorial House and presented it to the city of Bethlehem on October 29, 1965.