The times., 1901-05-12
MYSTICAL TOWN OF EPHRATA.
An Ancient Site Founded by Cur
ious Religious sect.
From The Philadelphia Record }

! No town in Pennsylvania has a history
which includes so much Of what is legen-
/ dary and mystical as Ephrata, situated in
/ the beautiful Cocalico Valley.
/ The original portion, most Of which is
still standing. though in most dilapidatel
/ condition and fast going into decay
1 through age and neglect. was known as
! the Settlement Of the Solitary Gaeer
! der Einsamenb and is often called to this
! day "KlOSteT' (clOister).
Comparatively few people IN Pennsyl-
| vania are familiar with the history of
! this interesting town and Of the peculiar
people that formed here a religious com
munity so different from any other in the
province Their leader was Conrad
Beisei, who was born IN EbeTbach, on the
Neckar, Germany, in April Of 1890. He
was q poor, ignorant journeyman baker,
who thought ne had become suddenly
chosen by the Deity 10 become leader Of
/ men.
He came TO America and joined the gem
craI body Of Dunkers. sect of German
Baptists. who. under the leadership OF
Alexander Mack, emigrated from HOl-
1 land and Germany in l7Z3 and settled in
Pennsylvania. Here Beisel, through his
dcVOut teachings and his spiritual energy
becaInt a conspicuous leader But gTadu-
ally severance took place among the
Dunkers and another sect sprang up
within the old order.
These were the people who were known
as the Seventh Day AdVentists. Their
distinct principle, as the name imparts,
was that the seventh day and not the first
Of the week was the true Sabbath, intend
cd to be universally and devoutly OBJ
served.
In l7Z7 the Seventh Day order, under
Beisel, wandered into the wilderness and
settled here on the banks Of the Cocaiico.
TO this settlement they gave the name
EphTata. which is Hebrew for fruitful
and Beiscl became their acknowledged
leader.
1t was through his efforts that the
community, after its removal to Ephrata,
I became peculiar society or order whose
chief aim was 10 obtain spiritual regen-
Grafton and perfection. This resulted in
the adoption of q cloister system, together
with the rule Of the White Friars and the
! building OF a monastery for the members
Of the sect.
Beisel, not satisfied with their simple
form Of worship, introduced certain mys-
/ teal degrees, characteristic Of mediaeval
times.
Among the relics of those old days that
stlu stand are the SaaI, or worship hail.
This is still devoted TO it's original uses
religious services being held there on the
Scriptural Sabbath by the regular Dunk
ers Also the Brother and Sister
houses. two large frame buildings that
might have been called the monasteries.
Poor families are now allowed to reside
here at a very small rental.
There are also some smaller houses
that were part OF the original cloister
no doubt, the former residences Of Bel
sci or some other notables.
Directly opposite the creek is a mill
which has q decidedly modern appearance
though a stone in the wall bears the leg
end
"AoMDCCLVIg'
The original mill that was built in 1876
by the Bauman family was the first Of
the two paper mills in the province. IL
was "a paper mill until 1876. when it was
sold 10 private parties and was turned
into a grist mill AS the improved meth
DDS of milling and the growing business
or and new machinery were introduced
and TO meet the further demands of a
growing town il was rebuilt on several oc-
casions, until il has now lost its original
appearance as au old-time Pennsylvania
water mill.
In the old huryng ground on Mt Zion.
the tomb OF Beiscl, can still bc seen, along
with the graves Of many Revolutionary
soldiers who found their last resting place
here ia the winter OF l7I1 aud l77S, after
the battles OF Brandywinc and German
town when the houses Of the brotherhood
were utilized By the American forces AS
military hospitals.