Old Salem

Wednesday-Thursday, October 17-18, 2018

It is such a pleasant surprise to find something like Old Salem.  We had never heard of it until our Soda Jerk in Mt. Airy told us it was a must see.  We stopped at Breakfasrtime, a cute little place,  for a good breakfast.

Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, NC.  It is a living history museum about the Moravian village that began in 1766.  Fortunately/unfortunately the days we visited there were many school children ( 400 one day and 150 the next) on field trips.  The fortunate thing was all the exhibits were open with demonstrations and docents.  The unfortunate thing is 400 and 150 children.  But in reality they were not a problem.  We took our time and talked to the docents and really experienced the village.  We had lunch at the Tavern on Wednesday and the Tea Room.  Like the Henry Ford, there was just so much to see I can't possibly show that much here so I will just show a glimpse of the interesting things we saw there.

The bridge leading into the village.

The first building we entered was the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.  This is a mondern gallery of items that were used by the Moravians here in the community and items from the seven southern states.

Once we left the MESDA we visited each of the old buildings and talked with the many docents.  This first is the St. Phillip's Moravian Church for the African-Americans..  The log church and then the brick church.  The gentleman there gave us a great tour and told us so much about the changes of the enslaved and even the free African-Americans.

 Temporary log church.

Permanent brick church.

Names of all buried in the graveyard.  Markers were taken out of the ground and stacked under the steps when the church was built.

Moravian culture deemed all equal in death.  White and Black.  Men were buried together, then women together and children together.  All markers were flat white stones.  After a while the white congregation decided to follow North Carolina law and segregate.

Graves thar the church was just built over.

Other buildings and demonstrations were the gunsmiths, tavern, Vogler House, Single Brothers home, Miksch Home & Gardens, Market-Fire Engine House, Potter, furniture making, Bakery, Doctor's House, boys school, and God's Acre.

Tavern

Barn

Bakery

Furniture

Bucket Brigade

Here are some other pictures we took along the way.