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 Local History at the Bethlehem Area Public Library

Bethlehem Timeline — 1741 through 1774

1741  Land acquired from William and Margaret Allen, first house built, and settlement named by Count Zinzendorf during a Christmas Eve service.

1742  First entry in the Bethlehem Diary, June 17th.

1744  First school for girls established in the Bell House; oldest school for girls in the country.

1750  First school for boys established.

1752  Indian House and Chapel built for Native American converts.

1754  First water works in Pennsylvania.

1758  The Sun Inn built; owned and managed by Moravians up to 1830.

1763  Moravian indians ordered to Philadelphia by the colonial government.

1773  Dr. John Matthew Otto introduced innoculation for small pox epidemic.

For more information about Bethlehem's early years through 1844, visit the
Bethlehem Digital History Project web site (BDHP).

Excerpted in part from: Cressman, Austin M. Historical Bethlehem 1741-1950. c1941.

1775 through 1799  Go to link
1741 to 17751775 to 18001800 to 18251800 to 18251850 to 18751875 to 19001900 to 19251925 to 19501950 to 19751975 to 20052005 and Beyond