Old Salem Walking Tour (Winston-Salem, NC)
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Description
Explore historic Old Salem and learn about the Moravian church who originally settled here.
1. The Salem Coffee Pot
Erected in 1858, the Mickey Coffee Pot Marker originally stood outside brothers Julius and Samuel Mickey's tinsmith shop. Prior to mass industrialization, markers like this one often stood outside of shops to symbolize what was sold/produced there. The pot holds 740 gallons, is 7 feet and 3 inches tall, and measures 64 inches in diameter at its widest point. It was moved to its current location by the Wachovia Historical Society in 1960.
2. Home Moravian Church
The Home Moravian Church was founded by the German-speaking Reformationist Protestant sect "the Moravians" in November 1771. The group immigrated first to Georgia from Saxony, having been encouraged to share their religion around the world. The group moved from Georgie to Pennsylvania in 1740. A few years later several members of the group made the journey to North Carolina on foot. The church building itself was completed in 1800.
3. The Single Sisters Museum at Salem College
Founded by the local Moravian community in Winston-Salem in 1772, Salem College was originally a primary school for girls and was originally run and maintained by the Single Sisters. The Single Sisters house was built in 1786 and currently houses the Single Sisters Museum. Salem College is recognized as the first all-girls school in the United States and the oldest women's' college in the South. Salem Academy still exists as a boarding and day school for girls and shares a campus with the College.
4. Single Brothers' House
Completed in 1769, the Single Brothers' House was the first institutional building in Old Salem. The Single Brothers, a group of unmarried men from the local Moravian church, lived and worked within the house. Further construction expanded the building in 1886; the completed building held a dining hall, sleeping quarters, a prayer room, and a meeting room, along with several workspaces. Today, the Single Brothers' House is open to the public as a museum and also houses The Old Salem Museums and Gardens Administration Offices.
5. Salem Tavern
Currently operated as part of the Old Salem Museums, Salem Tavern was integral to life in Old Salem. The tavern provided a place of comfort and joy for locals of the time and was a shelter for travelers including George Washington. Through the years it has been turned into a museum, which is part of the Old Salem Museums Tour. It is currently listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
6. St. Philip's Moravian Church
St. Philip's Moravian Church (formerly known as The African or Negro Moravian Church or “Log Church”) was organized in 1822 by both free and enslaved Black members of the Salem Moravian community. It is not only one of the oldest Black congregations in the country but is also the only Black Moravian congregation in the United States.
7. Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts
The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts is the premier institution of southern American art, recognized as such nationally and internationally. The museum's collection is comprised of architecture (actual rooms from old houses installed in the museum), ceramics, furniture, paintings, paper, silver, and textiles. The museum also conducts field research, publishes books, journals and papers, and offers many educational programs. It also features a research center that contains 20,000 objects made the south.
8. Old Salem Museums
The Old Salem historic district features a restored historical village turned living history museum. The historic district illustrates life in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Moravian community of immigrants and settlers who founded the town and farmed in the surrounding areas. The village, along with staff and volunteers who reenact village life for the public, showcase the North Carolina settlement. The village is composed of the remaining churches, communal buildings, shops and houses, 70 percent of which are original buildings. The town welcomes visitors to come and tour the village and experience demonstrations, interact with exhibits, and observe recreations of the Moravian people and lifestyle.
