Knauss Homestead Occupied by Seven Generations

You may not know much about history, but Emmaus Patch is going to help change that. Every Friday this summer, you're invited to join Peggy Heminitz for a brief history lesson. Peg will share a local photograph and some historical fact about the place we call home. We promise there won't be any tests!

This week, we're focusing on the :

Heinrich Knauss built the log house behind the Superior Diner for his father, Sebastian Knauss in 1777. It remained in the Knauss family for 158 years, where seven generations of the family lived and worked.

Sebastian was one of the two men—the other being Jacob Ehrenhardt—who had given the Moravians a large tract of land to create their "congregational village," which they named Emmaus. For nearly 100 years, in order to live in Emmaus, residents had to be Moravians.

Today the homestead, which is open for tours by appointment only, is owned by the Borough of Emmaus, and operated by the Knauss Homestead Preservation Society.

The Remembrance Garden at the Knauss Homestead is a beautiful parcel of land set aside to offer sanctuary and tranquility to those who visit. Individuals are able to purchase personalized commemorative bricks to permanently record the memories of special people, things, or events in their families’ lives within the community.