For years I have been intrigued by a Moravian star painted on the ceiling of the historic Thomas Byrd house in Milton built in the early 1800s. The former private home is owned by the City of Milton and serves as a senior activity center. The star is quite beautiful and has been a mystery for years. No one knows who put it there, but many people assume Moravian missionaries painted the star. It was painted using candle flecks on milk paint, a technique which creates the impression of marble.
Other vestiges of possible Moravian presence appear from time to time. Marjorie Bates recalls a house she lived in 50-plus years ago in Midway that had a Moravian star covering an entire ceiling. The house was already old when she moved there, and it has since been destroyed. Another mystery.
Moravian stars originated in Germany in the 1830s in Moravian schools which used them as classroom craft projects to help teach geometry to boys. The two- or three-dimension stars have anywhere from six to more than 100 points, but traditionally have 26 points.
Like the Star of Bethlehem, the Moravian star represents the birth of Jesus. The star is traditionally hung the first Sunday of Advent (the four Sundays before Christmas) and remains up until Epiphany (12 days after Christmas).
So, who were the Moravians? Where did they come from, and how did they get to North Fulton? Did they leave any lasting traces of their presence?
Moravians began as a Protestant denomination in Bohemia and Moravia in the 15th century in what is now the Czech Republic. From their earliest days, the Moravians emphasized sending missionaries throughout the world. The first small settlement in North America was established along the Savannah River in 1735.
According to famed local historian Caroline Dillman, a remnant from the Savannah settlement bought a tract of land for $16 near the…
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