The community of Bethabara was founded in 1753 by a German sect of Protestants, the Moravians. Gemeinhaus is the restored 1788 building which served as the church but also a meeting place, school, and minister's house for the settlement. It is the only German colonial church with attached minister's living quarters remaining in the United States. From there, the Moravians established another community called Salem which later merged with the town of Winston.