Gnadenhutten Historical Society

“The Gnadenhutten Historical Park is home to the settlement and museum housing the artifacts and history of the first settlement in Ohio dating back to October 9, 1772. Today, the museum and grounds are maintained and staffed by the Village of Gnadenhutten and volunteers.  The museum and grounds are open to the public free of charge.  Donations of time and resources are appreciated.” The American Revolution made life difficult for the residents of Gnadenhutten and other Moravian settlements. During the war, non-Christian Delawares increasingly supported England instead of the rebellious Americans or the Christian Indians who hoped to remain neutral. To protect his followers, Zeisberger consolidated the Moravian missions at Lichtenau in 1778, but he eventually reestablished the village of Gnadenhutten in April 1779. In 1781, British authorities ordered the Christian Delawares to abandon their current villages and relocate in northern Ohio along the Sandusky River. Arriving at their new villages in the late fall, too late to plant crops, the Moravians and the Christian Delawares faced serious food shortages during the winter of 1781-1782. Hoping to alleviate their suffering, Zeisberger sent a group back to Gnadenhutten in March 1782, to harvest whatever crops remained in the fields. Mistakenly believing that these peaceful Indians were responsible for raids in Pennsylvania, militiamen attacked the village, captured the inhabitants, and then murdered them. This gruesome event is known as the Gnadenhutten Massacre. After the incident, the Moravians never rebuilt the village.