Between Reading and Lancaster (12 miles / 19 km from the latter town) is Ephrata (pop. 12,000), where German Pietists established a community of monastic type in 1732. Eleven buildings of the Ephrata Cloister (632 West Main Street), erected between 1735 and 1749, have been preserved, and some of them are open to the public, including the Sisters' House, the Meetinghouse and the Householder's Residence.
The Ephrata Cloister, founded in 1732 by German settlers, was one of America's earliest communal societies. This group was a community of religious celibates who were well-known for their music, calligraphy and printing.
Address: Ephrata Cloister, 632 West Main Street, Ephrata, PA 17522-1717, United States
Phone: 1 (717) 733-6600, Fax: 1 (717) 733-4364
Hours:
January 1 to February 28: 9am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Closed: Mon, Tue
March 1 to April 30: 9am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Mon
May 1 to October 31: 9am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Mon
November 1 to December 31: 9am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Mon, Mon
Read More
Read Less
Ephrata
