Old Salem
Old Salem Historic District | |
Winkler Bakery at Old Salem | |
Location | Between Race Street, Old Salem Road, Horse Street and Brookstone Avenue and including parts of God's Acre and buildings along the east side of Church Street, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
---|---|
Built | 1766 |
Architectural style | Germanic in early years, slowly shows English/American influence (i.e., Federal and Greek Revival period architecture) |
NRHP reference No. | 66000591 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | November 13, 1966[1] |
Designated NHLD | November 13, 1966[2] |
Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, which was originally settled by the Moravian community in 1766.[3] It features a living-history museum which interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents had restored buildings earlier. As the Old Salem Historic District, it was declared a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1966,[2][4] and expanded fifty years later.[5] The district showcases the culture of the Moravian settlement in the Province of North Carolina during the colonial 18th century and post-statehood 19th century via its communal buildings, churches, houses and shops.[6]
Two buildings are individually designated as NHLs: the Salem Tavern and the Single Brothers' House. Additional buildings and properties have been added to the National Register to expand the historic area (see St. Philips Moravian Church below, Single Brothers Industrial Complex Site and West Salem Historic District). Ownership of the buildings and land is divided among Old Salem, Inc., Wachovia Historical Society, private owners, Salem College, Salem Academy and Salem Congregation (the successor to the Salem Congregational Council, to whom all ownership of Church properties was transferred).
Historic Salem
Salem was originally settled by members of the
Salem was to be the central town of a tract of land named
- In 1849, Forsyth County was created, but Salem was unwilling to be the county seat and sold property directly to the north to become the new courthouse town. This town became Winston, which quickly grew into a thriving industrial center.
- In 1857, the church divested control of the town and allowed the residents to purchase their property. Salem then became a legal municipality. The town expanded twice, in 1889 and 1907.
- Salem merged with adjacent Winston in 1913, becoming known as Winston-Salem.
A local architectural review district was created in 1948 (the first in North Carolina and probably the fifth in the country) to protect the historic remains of what had become a depressed area from encroaching development.
Old Salem museums and gardens
The town's restored and reconstructed buildings, staffed by living-history interpreters, present visitors with a view of Moravian life in the 18th and 19th centuries. The features include skilled interpreters such as
Points of interest
The village is centered around Salem Square, which is bounded by Academy Street to the north, Church Street to the east, West Street to the south and Main Street to the west. Salem College overlooks the square from Church Street.[8][9]
Church Street
- African Moravian Log Church
- Anna Johanna Vogler House
- Dr. Samuel Vierling House and Barn (The Doctor's House)
- Home Moravian Church
- Moravian Church Archives
- Philip Reich House
- Philip Reich Shop
- Salem College
- Single Sisters' House Museum
- St. Philip's Heritage Center
- St. Philip's Moravian Church
Academy Street
- Boys' School
- Inspectors' House
- Single Brothers' Workshop
Main Street
- Augustus T. Zevely Inn
- Bank of Cape Fear
- Beitel-Van Vleck House
- Blum House
- Butner House
- C. Winkler Bakery
- Charles A. Copper House
- Charles A. Copper Shop
- Christoph Vogler House
- Community Store
- Dr. John Francis Shaffner House
- Eberhardt House and Shop
- Ebert-Reich House
- Fifth House
- First House
- Fourth House
- Gottlieb Schroeter House and Wash-Bake House
- Hall House
- Herbst House
- Jacob Siewers House
- John Siewers House
- John Vogler House
- Kuehln House
- Leinbach House, Granary and Stable
- Levering House
- Market–Fire Engine House
- Miksch Tobacco Shop
- Nathaniel Shober Siewers House
- Salem Tavern
- Salem Tavern Museum
- Shultz House and Shop
- Shultz Shoemaker Shop
- Single Brothers' House
- Tavern Meadow
- The Butner Shop
- Theophilus Vierling House
- Third House
- Timothy Vogler Gunsmith Shop
- Timothy Vogler House
- Traugott Bagge Merchant
- Traugott Leinbach House and Leinbach Wash-Bake House
- Volz House
- Vorsteher's House
West Street
- Anna Catherina House
- Traugott Bagge House
Salt Street
- Christman House
- Denke House
- Family Gardens
- Fruit Orchard
- Hagen House
- Jacob Christman House
- Lick-Boner House
- Miksch Gardens
- Salt-Flax House
- Solomon Lick House
- Christian Triebel Lot Garden
Highlights of the town include the Salem Tavern, where George Washington spent two nights (May 31 and June 1, 1791), while passing through North Carolina during his "Southern Tour";[10] the Single Brothers' House; Boys' School; C. Winkler Bakery; and a host of restored homes and shops and several stores including Traugott Bagge Merchant and the Moravian Book and Gift Shop.
Of note is the St. Philip's Moravian Church complex. The site of
Partially in the Old Salem historic district is the campus of Salem College and Academy, with Main Hall, the Single Sisters' House, the Inspectors House (with the president's office and the college book store) on the Square and Gramley Library just down Church Street.
Home Moravian Church, while not a part of the official Old Salem tour per se, this functioning congregation opens its sanctuary to visitors on a regular schedule. Still owned by the Salem Congregation, Salem Square, in the center of the district, hosts many special events throughout the year.
In Salem, the "Easter City," the traditional Moravian Easter sunrise service has been held annually since 1772 by the Salem Congregation, and draws several thousand people to the Salem Square and Moravian graveyard. The first two weeks of December play host to the Candle Tea, an annual fundraiser for local charities held by the Home Moravian Church Women's Fellowship in the Single Brothers' House.
The Market–Fire Engine House was constructed in 1803 (reconstructed in 1955). Half of it was used as a marketplace for fresh meat, and the other half was used to store fire fighting equipment. The town had been using this equipment since 1785, when the Salem Tavern was destroyed by fire. The fire company is thought to be the first of its kind in North Carolina.[11]
At the north end of the historic district is a large
Visitor Center
Old Salem's Visitor Center was built in 2003 and is the main location where museum visitors purchase tickets. The building features a large concourse along a serpentine glass wall with interpretive panels about the history of Wachovia and Salem. The preliminary design was developed by
The former 1964 visitor center and parking lot were demolished to allow partial reconstruction of the 18th-century Single Brothers' Garden.
Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts
A part of Old Salem Museums & Gardens and located in a modern building in the historic district, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA)[12] is dedicated to exhibiting and researching the regional decorative arts of the early South. MESDA opened to the public on January 5, 1965. MESDA was founded by Frank L. Horton and his mother Theodosia “Theo” L. Taliaferro, antiques dealers and collectors who spent most of their lives raising awareness of and appreciating domestic objects made in the south.[13] In its galleries, MESDA showcases the architecture, needlework, furniture, paintings, textiles, ceramics, silver and other metalwares made and used in Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee through the early 19th century. The majority of the MESDA collection is accessible online.
Notable people
- Gottfried Aust, potter
- Rudolph Christ, potter
- Johann Gottlob Krause, stonemason
- Elisabeth Oesterlein, educator
- Melchior Rasp, stonemason
- Christian Triebl, carpenter
- Christian Winkler, baker
Hidden Town Project
Starting in December 2016, substantial historical and archaeological research has focused on Salem's historical
The goals of this project are to:
- To locate the sites of dwelling places of enslaved people throughout the entire historic district
- To archaeologically investigate the sites.
- To fully integrate the narrative of the enslaved into the visitor experience.
- To connect with descendants of the Salem enslaved population and form an Advisory Committee to help direct future efforts at Old Salem.
- To interpret through contemporary art forms, salon discussions and public gatherings.[15][16]
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Forsyth County, North Carolina
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b "Old Salem Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
- ^ "Moravian Archives". Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ^ Polly M. Rettig and Horace J. Sheely Jr. (June 15, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Old Salem Historic District". National Park Service.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) and Accompanying photos, exteriors and interiors, from 1969 and other dates (5.35 MB) - ^ https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/FY8775.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ISBN 978-0-8147-8086-2.
- ^ Griffin, 1985.
- ^ "Visitor Guide Map by Old Salem Museums & Gardens - Issuu". issuu.com. September 13, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ "Local Historic Landmark Program | City of Winston-Salem, NC". www.cityofws.org. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ McKown, Harry (June 1, 2010). "June 1791: George Washington Visits Salem, NC – NC Miscellany". Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ "Architecture | Old Salem Museums & Gardens". www.oldsalem.org. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ^ "Homepage". September 16, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- ^ "History | Mesda". mesda.org. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ^ "The "Hidden Town Project" at Old Salem to Present a Lecture by Elizabeth Chew". YES! Weekly. August 24, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ a b "Hidden Town Project | Old Salem Museums & Gardens". www.oldsalem.org. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ "Explore and Search the Collection | Mesda". mesda.org. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
Further reading
- Old Salem: An Adventure in Historic Preservation, rev. ed. Frances Griffin. Old Salem Inc.: Winston-Salem, NC, 1985.
- Old Salem: Official Guidebook. Hunter James & Frances Griffin. Old Salem, Inc.: Winston-Salem, NC 1977-1994.
- Old Salem: The Official Guidebook. Penelope Niven & Cornelia Wright. Old Salem Inc.: Winston-Salem, NC, 2000.
- Images of Old Salem: Then & Now. David Bergstone. Old Salem Museums & Gardens, and John F. Blair, Publisher: Winston-Salem, NC, 2010.
External links
- Media related to Old Salem Historic District, North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website