Elisabeth Oesterlein

Elisabeth Oesterlein Christ (commonly known Elisabeth Oesterlein; September 12, 1749 – December 3, 1802) was an American educator. She founded Salem College in today's Old Salem, North Carolina. She was also the school's first teacher.

Elisabeth Oesterlein
BornSeptember 12, 1749
Bethlehem, Province of Pennsylvania
DiedDecember 3, 1802(1802-12-03) (aged 53)
Old Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Resting placeGod's Acre Moravian Cemetery, Old Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
OccupationEducator
SpouseRudolph Christ (1780–1802; her death)

Life and career

Oesterlein was born in Bethlehem in the Province of Pennsylvania in 1749. With her fellow Moravians, she relocated to the Wachovia Tract, in the Province of North Carolina, in 1766, settling initially in Bethabara.[1] She and fifteen other girls walked the approximately 500 miles (800 km) from Bethlehem,[2] setting out on October 2 and arriving on October 31.[3]

She moved to Salem, Province in North Carolina, shortly thereafter, where she was elected the first teacher for a "Little Girls' School",[4] which is today known as Salem Academy and College. In 1772, Oesterlein (known as "Sister O")[4] began teaching a class containing three students. The enrollment increased over time, and by the early 19th century over eighty students were being taught.[1]

In 1780, Oesterlein married Rudolph Christ, a prominent potter in Bethabara and, later, Old Salem. They had five children together: Anna Elizabeth, Benigna Elizabeth, Friedrich Jacob, Johann Rudolph and Anna Sulamith. Each child died very young, with Friedrich living the longest (to the age of 8).[5]

Death

Oesterlein died in 1802, aged 53. She is interred in the God's Acre Moravian Cemetery in Old Salem,[6] alongside her husband, who survived her by 31 years. He remarried the year following her death.[5]

Legacy

Each day, on Founders Day, Salem Academy presents the Elisabeth Oesterlein Award to students who have made notability contributions to the school during their four years.

References
  1. "Salem Academy and College Celebrates 265th Birthday of First Teacher, Elisabeth Oesterlein | Salem College". www.salem.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  2. Setzer, Lynn (October 1, 2013). Tar Heel History on Foot: Great Walks through 400 Years of North Carolina's Fascinating Past. UNC Press Books. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-8078-6988-8.
  3. "Women on the Trail in Colonial America: A Travel Journal of German Moravians Migrating from Pennsylvania to North Carolina in 1766" – Aaron S. Fogleman, University of South Alabama
  4. Rauhauser-Smith, Kate (October 1, 2019). "HISTORY MAKER: Elizabeth Oesterlein Christ". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  5. "Gottfried Aust (1722-1788) and Rudolph Christ (1750-1833): Moravian Potters in North Carolina". Immigrant Entrepreneurship. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  6. "Salem Academy and College celebrates 240th anniversary of founding". Winston-Salem Journal. April 28, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
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