,\o. S in a S*ri»«
Co-operative
Housekeeping
In Old
Л1
the close of 1766 there were one
hundred thirty persons living in Betha-
bara and another eighty-seven in
Bcthania. Except for the building crew
Salem had no residents.
Six years later Salem had a popu¬
lation of one hundred twenty, Bctha-
bara had shrunk to fifty-four and there
were one hundred five persons living
in Bcthania.
The shift from Bethabara to Salem
was gradual but it reached its peak
late in 1771 and early in 1772. The
Gemieindehaus in Salem was conse¬
crated on November 13. 1771. On
that day the Salem congregation be¬
gan its separate existence. The Salem
diary begins at this time. Because of
the influence of Marshall, who favored
the use of the English language, the
diary was written in English for ten
years. Then the brothers reverted to
German and did not write again in
English until 1856.
By 1773 — the year work was be¬
gun boring out white oak logs and lay¬
ing Salem’s unique water system —
the new town was truly the center of
the Wachovia settlement. The profes¬
sional men — the doctor, apothecary,
and surveyor — lived there. Salem
also was the craft and manufacturing
center where the mason, carpenter,
sawyer, cabinet maker, wagon maker,
weaver, potter, distiller, tanner, smiths
(black, gun. lock, nail and silver), mid¬
wife and nurse, bookkeeper, night
watchman and others plied their
trades.
These crafts continued to expand.
Brother Miksch, for example, opened
a tobacco shop in the early days of
Salem and. thereby, began a tradition
that was to become important in the
new town. Signs were hung from the
shops — “Gottfried Ausi — Potter,”
for example — to advise strangers of
Salem
the wares and services available to
them. Besides being the craft center,
the Brothers House boasted a brewery,
a bakery and a butcher’s shop.
Until Salem was founded the Mora¬
vians maintained a strict form of com¬
mon housekeeping which they called
the oeconomie. The means of produc¬
tion — the land and tools and ma¬
chinery — were owned by the com¬
munity and the goods they produced
w'crc shared by the community. In
Wachovia men contributed to the com¬
mon good according to their ability
and they shared from the community's
stock of common goods according to
their need.
If there were shortages the elders
of the church ordered rationing. In
the early days at Bethabara. for exam¬
ple. butter was scarce. The ciders de¬
termined the precise amount of butter
each person should be allowed; a
woman with child was permitted more
butter each week than a Single Sister
and a man working in the fields was
given more than a Brother doing
lighter work.
There were two stores in Bethabara,
one for strangers and one for members
of the congregation. The Brethren went
to the congregation store and asked
only for what they needed. At the
public store strangers purchased what¬
ever they wished and could pay for.
Even professional men like Dr. Kal-
berlahn in Bethabara worked for the
community.
This rigid economy, which was con¬
tinued for longer than the Moravians
intended because of the Indian unrest,
was a source of trouble. In May, 1765.
for example. Dr. August Schubert left
Bethabara because he ( I ) objected to
working on the community farm and
(2) resented being required to go to
By CHESTER DAVIS
the store and ask for those things his
family needed. Complaints of this sort
were rather common.
After 1759, when Bcthania was
founded, there was some relaxation in
the strict controls. As Brother Fred¬
erick William Marshall observed. “Al¬
though Bethabara and Bcthania lie
close together there is a great differ¬
ence in their methods as if they were
far apart. Bcthania does things as they
come. Bethabara plans."
But the real change did not occur
until after 1772 when the Salem
economy had reached full stride. But
even in Salem the controls remained
exceedingly rigid by present day
standards.
The basis of the Moravian economic
system in Wachovia was the land. In
each village the land belonged to the
congregation. In Salem, for example,
lots were not sold. Instead, the lots
were leased with the understanding the
lease would be renewed so long as the
tenant remained acceptable to the con¬
gregation.
In this manner the church deter¬
mined just who lived in the village.
No one was admitted to Salem unless
it was felt he had something to con¬
tribute to the community and he, in
his turn, agreed to abide by the town’s
customs.
While a person living in Salem did
not own his land he did have title to
any improvements which he put on
that land (the improvements, of couse,
first being approved by the elders).
When he left Salem — or w-as dis¬
missed from the congregation — he
was permitted to sell the improvements
at a stipulated price to some person
the congregation approved or. there
being no buyer, to the congregation it¬
self. An unauthorized sale meant a
stiff one hundred pounds sterling fine.
THE STATE, JULY 22. 1961
