The Moravian Book Shop, the oldest bookstore in the world, was founded in 1745 when the Moravian Church appointed Samuel Powell of the Church&#39;s Crown Inn on the South Side of the Lehigh River to operate a book store.  After several locations, the Moravian Book Shop was moved to the church&#39;s publications building near the Central Moravian Church in 1871.  Today, the Moravian Book Shop&#39;s home is this same site on Historic Main Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.