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Continuing its long history with 18th century missionary David Brainerd, Lafayette is participating in the restoration of a monument to the preacher in Lower Mount Bethel Township. The statue sits on the property of economics graduate Anthony Lelli ’61, who has been instrumental in organizing repair efforts.
Lelli, who has owned the property where the monument is located for 50 years, hopes to have the restoration completed this fall. Saul Restoration Artisans of Kutztown has already begun work on a more durable limestone base. Lelli has been interested in the life and work of David Brainerd since he was a student.
“When I was going to school at Lafayette, I made as much time as I could to study Brainerd because he had a lot to do with the College,” he says. “I remember brown bagging it and looking across at Brainerd Hall [now Hogg Hall]. He was quite an individual; he accomplished so much at such a young age.”
Early last spring, Lelli noticed the monument’s base was beginning to deteriorate. Rather than renovate the cement base added by a previous owner, Lelli wished to restore the entire monument. He approached Lafayette President Dan Weiss and Diane Shaw, special collections librarian and College archivist, about getting his alma mater involved in the process. Most of the labor is donated; Lafayette will cover the cost of materials.
“I think it’s a wonderful example of how the community has come together to restore a really interesting piece of history – a part of history that Lafayette students started,” says Shaw.
Because visitors often ask to see the specific spot where Brainerd’s cabin stood, Lelli also will create a small marker to indicate the area. Brainerd lived in a modest log cabin when he came to the Forks of the Delaware region in 1744 to preach to the American Indians. Brainerd died of tuberculosis three years later at the age of 29 in New England, but left a journal of his mission work in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Lafayette’s Brainerd Society was formed in 1833 as the Brainerd Evangelical Society. Its first members held prayer meetings, participated in community churches, and were interested in foreign mission work. In 1877, it became the Brainerd Society of the YMCA, and its members began working with underprivileged youth in the Easton community.
The society dedicated the monument in 1894 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Brainerd’s arrival. It was rededicated during the Brainerd Jubilee in 1934. The monument reads, “A few rods north of this spot David Brainerd, missionary to the Indians, built his house December 6, 1744. Here much of his memorable journal was written.”
The Brainerd Society remained an active campus organization until the 1950s, when it was disbanded. It enjoyed a brief resurgence in the 1980s but again became inactive and is now defunct.
Lelli often gives talks on the Brainerd monument to local historical groups, including the Hunter-Martin Settlement Museum. He retired as an industrial engineer from Alpha Portland Cement Corporation and is now a para-educator at the Career Institute of Technology, where he assists special needs and disadvantaged students. He remains active in the Lafayette community, ushering home games each football season.
“I hold Lafayette very near and dear to my heart,” he says.