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SCHOENECK'S PAST REVEALED * SUSAN DREYDOPPEL'S BOOK 'BEAUTIFUL CORNER' PROFILES 235-YEAR-OLD UPPER NAZARETH VILLAGE.

Morning Call - Allentown, Pa. Author: BRYAN HAY, The Morning

Copyright Morning Call Dec 4, 1997

"What is Schoeneck?"

"Why is Schoeneck?"

These reflections don't necessarily rank up there with the philosophical dialogs of Plato or Socrates.

But to Susan Dreydoppel, they were integral thoughts to consider in her writing of "Beautiful Corner: The Village of Schoeneck," the 12th edition in the Nazareth "Keepsake" series.

Although historically, geographically and religiously linked to Nazareth, the slightly younger, more agrarian village of Schoeneck grew up with a more freewheeling spirit.

Today, the village blips by for a half-mile along a rising slope out of Nazareth on Broad Street Extension. Schoeneck is defined by a stately 19th century brick Moravian church and wide vistas sweeping into Upper Nazareth and Bushkill townships.

But there's more significance to Schoeneck's story as told through the pocket-sized book that commemorates the village's 235th anniversary with historical illustrations and insights.

"I thought it would be easy to write -- wrong" said Dreydoppel, executive director of the Moravian Historical Society, Nazareth. "It turned out to be more difficult than I imagined."

It was a challenge to separate and condense information on the founding Clewell family, whose members still fill the pews at Schoeneck Moravian Church, and the congregational and community life in 38 pages, Dreydoppel said.

In the end, she was pleased with how her research answered an age-old question: how could two Moravian churches, one in Nazareth and the other in Schoeneck, co-exist less than a mile from each other?

"Nazareth became known as the town congregation and Schoeneck as the rural congregation, in part due to the nature of their respective Moravian congregations," Dreydoppel writes.

"Those differences have been noted through more than 200 years of history, and the ramifications are still felt today, even though Nazareth and Schoeneck share a common border and the centers of the two communities are only a mile apart."

Nazareth, founded in 1740, was a closed community, its Moravian residents controlled by church authorities. Lifestyles were dominated by obedience to church law, arranged marriages, clothing and fashion, Dreydoppel notes.

Many young people were unhappy about the stern ways in Nazareth and left to join the more liberal Schoeneck congregation.

Schoeneck traces its beginning back to 1755, when seven residents of Bushkill Township requested a Moravian minister "who could proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ like the Apostle of old."

The Moravians agreed and sent a preacher once a month to the Clewell home north of Cherry Hill. The Clewell family, which has held reunions at Schoeneck Moravian Church since 1930, provided a foundation for Dreydoppel's research.

Eventually, a petition was granted to build a church north of Nazareth and the settlement received the name Schoeneck, German for beautiful corner, in 1762.

The book traces the early development of the 12 original lots up to modern-day Schoeneck.

"You can't go into much detail" in the "Keepsake" format, said Dreydoppel. "But it's a taste of history and you can always delve deeper."

Dreydoppel will sign copies of the book from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at Nazareth National Bank, 76 S. Main St., Nazareth. Both hard and soft copies will be available. Proceeds from the book sales benefit Jacobsburg Historical Society, Moravian Hall Square Museum/Craft Shop, Moravian Historical Society and Nazareth Heritage.

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