882 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



the name of " Warwick Grave Yard;"' it is located a short distance southwardly from 

 the village, near the Lancaster road. To pei-sons who are fond of reading epitaphs on 

 old tombstones, this place offers a fine opportunity. 



Having given the reader sonie account of the early settlement of this interesting 

 village, we shall now attemi>t to describe it, as we find it in our day. 



It is not saying too much, if we state, that it is probably the neatest and cleanest 

 village in Lancaster county. Its location is nearly East and West, extending in that 

 direction, about three-fourths of a mile. There is not only pavement before all the 

 houses through the whole village, but the dift'erent paths leading to the church, schools, 

 «&c., are well paved, with bricks or limestone slabs. The square, around which are 

 located the institutions, church and parsonage, is, perhaps, not surpassed in beauty by 

 any other spot in the county; such is its splendor in the summer season, that it fre- 

 quently occurs, that travellers stop in their journey to give it a closer examination 

 than a mere transient notice. 



It is enclosed with a white fence, and tastefully laid out in gravel walks; around it is 

 an avenue of locust and cedar trees, and the interior is adorned with Linden Cedar 

 and Balm of Gilead trees, and a very great variety of shrubbery. 



The church is 6G feet in length, and 50 feet in depth; it is built of limestone, and 

 has a very fine appearance, and the mason work in its front is generally considered a 

 master-piece of workmanship; it is ornamented with a neat spire, and has a town 

 clock, which is remarkable, because it strikes the quarters. It has two galleries, and 

 is provided with an excellent organ. Originally, thei-e was no pulpit in the church, 

 but merely a table, covered with black cloth, at which the minister officiated. It being 

 fifty years in 1837, since the church had been consecrated, various alterations were 

 undertaken in that year, and among others, also, that of placing a pulpit in the place 

 of tlie table. After all the repairs were completed, the congregation celebrated the 

 fiftieth anniversary of their church on Sunday the 13th of August, 1837. A brief 

 account of such a celebration among the Moravians may perhaps be interesting to the 

 reader; we shall, therefore, attempt to give some description of this church festival. 

 The church was previously beautifully adorned with various inscriptions, and most 

 tastefully decorated with flowers and evergreens, and the musicians selected and prac- 

 tised their best sacred music; and to render it still more harmonious, invited a number 

 of the best vocal and instrumental performers from Bethlehem and Nazareth, to assist 

 them on the occasion. On the evening of the 13th, the congregation met for the purpose 

 of solemnly closing the remarkable period of fifty years, during which the Lord had 

 permitted them to worship in this sanctixary. Early on the morning of the 13th, all 

 the inhabitantss were awakened by solemn music, announcing to them the approach of 

 the happy day, for which old and young had been looking with such joyful anticipation. 

 At |eight o'clock, the congregation met for the first time, in the new period of their 

 church's existence, and dedicated the church, as well as themselves anew to the Lord. 

 At ten o'clock, they met again, when an excellent address, suitable to the occasion, was 

 delivered, and an account read of the first consecration, August 13th, 1787, and also 

 the names of all those who served as ministers within the transpired period. At two 

 o'clock, there was a Love Feast, a church ceremony which is customary at all festival 

 occasions among the Moravians — in token of fellowship and brotherly union, and is in 

 imitation of a custom in the priinitive churches; during which the congregation and 

 the choir, accompanied with instrumental music, alternately, sang anthems, which had 

 been expressly printed for the occasion; after that, the communicants met for the first 

 time at the Lord's table in this new era of their church. In the evening, the beautiful 

 square, which we have attempted to describe, was tastefully illuminated with upwards 

 of 800 lights, and the whole congregation, together with numbers from the adjacent 

 country, met in it for the purpose of solemnly closing this joyful festival. Anthems, 

 which had been expressly printed for the occasion, were handed to all present, when 



