Moravian College Moravian College a private liberal arts college , and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania , United States , in the Lehigh Valley region . It is America ' s sixth - oldest college . The College traces its founding to 1742 by followers of John Amos Comenius , the 17th century Moravian bishop . History . The College traces its roots to the " Bethlehem Female Seminary " , which was founded in 1742 in Germantown , Pennsylvania , as the first school for young women in the U . S . The seminary was created by Benigna , Countess von Zinzendorf , the daughter of Count Nikolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf , who was the benefactor of the fledgling Moravian communities in Nazareth and Bethlehem , Pennsylvania . The Female Seminary was incorporated by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1863 and became the woman ' s college , the " Moravian Seminary and College for Women " in 1913 . The College also traces its roots to the founding of two boys ' schools , established in 1742 and 1743 , which merged to become Nazareth Hall in 1759 . It was located in the town of Nazareth . Nazareth Hall became , in part , " Moravian College & Theological Seminary " in 1807 . It was later incorporated by the Pennsylvania State Legislature as " Moravian College & Theological Seminary " in 1863 . Beginning in 1858 and continuing to 1892 , the Seminary and College relocated from Nazareth to a former boys ’ school on Church Street in Bethlehem , located on the present site of the Bethlehem City Hall . The men ' s Moravian College & Theological Seminary then settled in the north end of the city ( the present day North Campus ) as a result of a donation from the Bethlehem Congregation of the Moravian Church in 1888 . The first buildings constructed at North Campus , Comenius Hall and Zinzendorf Hall , were completed in 1892 and joined the property ' s original brick farmhouse to form the new campus . The farmhouse was later named Hamilton Hall and still exists today . In 1954 , the two schools combined to form the single , coeducational , modern institution of Moravian College . The merger of the two institutions combined the North Campus ( the location of the men ' s College from 1892 – 1954 ) and the South Campus ( the location of the woman ' s College ) into a single collegiate campus . The distance between the North and South campuses is about 0 . 8 miles of Main Street , called the " Moravian Mile . " First year students traditionally walk the " Moravian Mile " as part of their orientation activities . Colonial - era college . The college is one of the oldest in the United States , after Harvard ( 1636 ) , the College of William and Mary ( 1693 ) , St . John ' s College in Annapolis ( 1696 ) , Yale University ( 1701 ) , and the University of Pennsylvania ( 1740 ) . Overview . Moravian College currently enrolls ~ 1600 full - time undergraduate students in a wide variety of majors , all of which are presented in the liberal arts tradition . The Seminary enrolls over 100 full - time students in its graduate divinity programs . During most semesters at least 14 denominations are represented in the Seminary student body . Faith communities most often represented among the Seminary ' s students include : Moravian , Lutheran , UCC , Episcopal , United Methodist , Presbyterian , Baptist , Roman Catholic , Quaker , Mennonite , Unitarian Universalist , African Methodist Episcopal , Assembly of God , Brethren , Reformed , and nondenominational . The College ' s varied and highly regarded music programs grow from the Moravian Church ' s musical traditions . Moravian College ' s student newspaper is " The Comenian , " which is printed biweekly throughout the school year . Every year the student body elects representatives to the United Student Government . USG has a Legislature , composed of 16 Senators from the undergraduate body , an Executive , including an elected President and Vice President , appointed cabinet and staff , and a Judiciary , composed of appointed Justices . USG was officially recognized in 1968 . A somewhat unique facet of college governance is the existence of two elected student members of Moravian College ' s Board of Trustees ; both are full , voting members and serve two - year terms . Moravian College awards the following undergraduate and graduate degrees : the Bachelor of Music ; the Bachelor of Arts ; the Bachelor of Science ; the Master of Business Administration ; the Master of Education ; the Master of Human Resource Management ; the Master of Science program in nursing ; the seminary grants Master of Divinity ; the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling ; and the Master of Arts in Theological Studies . The College also has evening undergraduate programs for adults seeking continuing undergraduate education and graduate degrees . The seminary has accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada . Distinctions . Moravian College has been named one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review . Campus . The College ' s programs are offered on four campuses , known as the North Campus ( Main Campus ) , the South Campus ( Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus ) , the Steel Field Complex , and the St . Luke ' s Hospital Campus . South Campus . Art and music programs are offered in Bethlehem ' s historic district on the college ' s South Campus , also known as the Church Street Campus and now the Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus . Many of the buildings on that campus were built during the colonial period , including the Brethren ' s House , built in 1748 , which served as a hospital during the Revolutionary War , and currently houses the Music Department . Also located on South Campus are the President ' s House , Main Hall ( 1854 ) , the Widow ' s House , Clewell Hall , West Hall , South Hall , the 1867 Chapel , Clewell Dining Hall , and the Central Moravian Church . A number of the buildings are connected . The facilities have been renovated to include Payne Gallery ( renovated from the original women ' s gymnasium - 1903 ) , the College ' s two - level art gallery that offers several shows each year , Foy Concert Hall , an auditorium with excellent acoustics . As well as Peter Hall , a medium - sized colonial style recital hall , Hearst Hall , a small colonial style recital hall , and individual student rehearsal rooms and art studios . Also located on South Campus are intramural fields , Monocacy Creek , and an outdoor amphitheatre . The College presents its famed and televised Christmas Vespers services in the Central Moravian Church , located on the corner of Main and Church streets across from Brethren ' s House . Many of the buildings on the South Campus are located in a National Register of Historic Places District and Church Street has been referred to as one of the most historic streets in America . In the 2009 - 2010 school year , Moravian College added a new living complex on South Campus called The HILL . Each floor has suites , where four to sixteen people can live . The complex has classrooms , a cafe , a fitness room , a mail room , and common rooms . The HILL is air conditioned and fully handicap accessible . The suites themselves contain a living room , full kitchen , private bathroom , and additional hallway sinks . A shuttle service is provided for easy transportation between the North and South campuses . North Campus . Initially purchased in 1888 and settled in 1892 , the North Campus is also known as the Main Street campus , as it is physically larger and is the site of the majority of the College ' s buildings , academic departments , administration , and student residences . The main building of the North Campus is Comenius Hall , which was built in 1892 and is named for John Amos Comenius , the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren , known as the " father of modern education " for his revolutionary educational principles . Comenius wrote in 1632 that " not the children of the rich or of the powerful only , but of all alike , boys and girls , both noble and ignoble , rich and poor , in all cities and towns , villages and hamlets , should be sent to school " . The Moravians had considered schools secondary in importance only to churches . A statue of Comenius , which was a gift to the College from Charles University of Prague and the Moravian Church of Czechoslovakia , stands in front of Comenius Hall . The North Campus is also the location of Reeves Library , the newly constructed Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex , Colonial Hall , The Bahnson Center , the Moravian Archives , Zinzendorf Hall , Borhek Chapel , Prosser Auditorium ( capacity 300 ) , Monacacy Hall , Collier Hall of Science , Hamilton Hall , Memorial Hall , Johnston Hall ( capacity 1 , 600 for athletics , 3 , 000 for events ) , the Timothy M . Breidagam Athletic and Recreation Center , the Collier Hall of Science , the Haupert Union Building , the Arena Theatre , and most of the College ' s student housing , including dorms , townhouses , and apartments . Located at one of the two quads of the North Campus are the soccer and lacrosse field . Intercollegiate contests are played at the center of campus with views from the residential halls , Reeves Library , and the portico of the Haupert Union Building . Also located on the North Campus is the Betty Prince field hockey field . Steel Field Complex . Most of the College ' s athletic fields are located at this Complex , including the newly renovated football stadium with a grandstand capacity of 2 , 400 and a new Sportexe turf field , six lane Mondo Super X Performance synthetic track , the softball field , the Gillespie baseball field , the Hoffman tennis courts , the football practice fields , and a fieldhouse . Steel Field and its brick grandstand were originally built by Bethlehem Steel to host the Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club , 1913 - 1930 . In 1925 , Lehigh University purchased Steel Field from Bethlehem Steel . The Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club continued to use the field until its demise . In 1962 , Lehigh sold the facility to Moravian College . St . Luke ' s University Hospital Partnership . The students in the nursing program spend much of their time at the Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex at St . Luke ’ s Hospital in Bethlehem . The Center includes lecture halls , classrooms , a nurses ’ learning laboratory , simulation technology , and lounges . The classrooms and lecture halls have state - of - the - art electronics enabling faculty to provide multimedia presentations including computer imaging .