Old Salem
Museums & Gardens a biannual magazine for friends and supporters | winter 2o16/2o17
250 YEARS OF
Salem, North Carolina
2o16 board of trustees
old salem museums & gardens 6oo south main street winston-salem, north carolina 271o1 oldsalem.org | phone 336-721-735o | fax 336-721-7335
Old Salem Museums & Gardens consists of three museums: The Historic Town of Salem is a restored Moravian congregation town dating back to 1766, with costumed interpreters bringing the late-18th and early-19th centuries to life. Restored original buildings, faithful reconstructions, and historically accurate gardens and landscapes make the Historic Town of Salem one of America’s most authentic historical attractions. The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) collects, exhibits, researches, and educates the public about the decorative arts made and used by people who lived and worked in Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, from the 17th century to the beginning of the Civil War. The Gardens of Old Salem consist of award-winning restorations that create a landscape reminiscent of early Salem where utility, practicality, and beauty are united. The gardens are authentically planted with open pollinated heirlooms that have been propagated from the museum’s heritage seed saving program.
Ms. Christine Minter-Dowd, Chair Mrs. Ann A. Johnston, Vice Chair Mr. Hayes Wauford, Jr., Treasurer Ms. Betsy J. Annese, Secretary Mr. Nicholas B. Bragg Mr. Michael Ernst Mr. Paul Fulton, Jr. Mr. W. Ted Gossett Mr. Robert E. Greene Dr. Edward G. Hill, Jr. Mr. Henry H. Jordan, II Ms. Judy Lambeth Mr. Joseph P. Logan Mr. William C. Mariner Mr. James E. Martin Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Mercier Mrs. Erika Mielke Mrs. Paulette J. Morant Count Christoph Nostitz Ms. Margaret Beck Pritchard Dr. Thomas H. Sears, Jr. Mr. Daniel R. Taylor, Jr. Mr. Ralph Womble Mr. Philip Zea
ex-officio members Mr. Franklin C. Kane Ms. Molly A. Leight Dr. D. E. Lorraine Sterritt Mr. William T. Wilson, III
senior staff
This publication is produced by Old Salem Museums & Gardens, which is operated by Old Salem, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit educational corporation organized in 1950 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Old Salem Museums & Gardens logo and name are registered trademarks, and may not be used by outside parties without permission. © 2016 Old Salem Museums & Gardens Produced by Capture Public Relations & Marketing Editorial Support by Tyler Cox
Ragan P. Folan President & CEO Anthony Slater COO Frances Beasley Vice President Development John C. Larson Vice President Restoration Robert A. Leath Vice President Collections & Research Paula Locklair Vice President Education
Contents
winter 2o16/2o17 | volume 11 | number 2
1 2 5 6– 17
Letter From the President News & Notes from Old Salem Sharing 25o Years of Salem Reprints from Winston-Salem Monthly
6 7 8 9 1o 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
2o 26 27 28 3o 34 35
The Founding of Salem Early Equality Record Holders Work as Worship Cultivating the Past History of Healing History is Served Education for All Moravian Innovation Marketing the Past Sounds of the Past Faith-Full
Salem, NC: A Timeline for 1766
Two Visions. OneTown. 25o Years Illuminate Salem Community Day A Shining Night: 25o Years of Salem New to the Collection Pillars of Our Community Calendar of Events
I N OUR
SOUTH HISTORY IS PART OF THE LANDSCAPE. From our original roots as a Moravian enclave to our modern-day reputation as a champion of reinvention, Winston-Salem has been making history since 1766. Join us all year long as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Salem. Sign up for our seasonal eNewsletter, explore Getaway Packages and our seasonal calendar online at VisitWinstonSalem.com. And discover all the unexpected ways that Winston-Salem is your Southern wake-up call.
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VisitWinstonSalem.com
Visit Winston-Salem 200 Brookstown Ave., Winston-Salem 336.728.4200 • 866.728.4200 Info@VisitWinstonSalem.com Open Monday thru Friday 8:30 am to 5 pm Saturday (March - December) 10 am to 4 pm
Letter from the President Dear Friends, The end of 2016 is a bittersweet time for me as it marks the end of my tenure as President and CEO at Old Salem Museums & Gardens. I have truly enjoyed my years in this role and will miss being at the helm of this great organization. I plan to stay involved at Old Salem and do everything I can to ensure a smooth leadership transition. I am delighted to be able to say that I am leaving Old Salem in extremely capable hands. Franklin (Frank) Vagnone will assume the position of President & CEO full-time on March 1, 2017 but is already working with us to transition to his new role. You can read a bit more about him in the News & Notes section on page 2. I think you will be as thrilled and excited as I am about him. He is exactly what Old Salem needs to continue to grow and innovate.
and purpose that Old Salem Museums & Gardens will continue to build on our city’s rich history to make our collective futures even stronger. We will remain focused on our mission to present an authentic view of early southern life to diverse audiences while remaining true to our vision to be the most engaging and enjoyable living history and cultural museum in America.
This past year, we have been celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the town of Salem. Throughout 2016, it has been our pleasure to offer exciting programs and opportunities that have educated, enlightened, and entertained hundreds of thousands of visitors and supporters about this remarkable community, which had a significant impact not only on the history of Winston-Salem but also on the history of North Carolina and America as a whole.
All that we have to celebrate this year would not be possible without the generous support of our members and donors. I extend a heartfelt thank you for all you have done and continue to do to support us in our endeavors. I would also like to thank our hard-working and dedicated staff here in the District, without whose enthusiasm and hard work Old Salem could not exist. I have enjoyed working with each and every one of you and look forward to seeing what the future holds for our great organization.
Each of these occasions has brought us to a deeper understanding of the town of Salem and its importance as a cultural asset for our community, an economic driver for our region, a national treasure with an important story that begs to be told, and, a leader in international scholarship. 250 years ago, the Moravians founded the town of Salem, North Carolina. As we look to the coming years, it is with great determination
With gratefulness and admiration,
Ragan Folan President & CEO Old Salem Museums & Gardens
25oth anniversary community day, august 13, 2o16
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News & Notes from old salem New President & CEO Announced
Franklin (Frank) Vagnone has been named the 11th President of Old Salem Museums & Gardens. He will assume his role full-time on March 1, 2017 but is already working with Ragan Folan and Chief Operating Officer Anthony Slater to ensure a smooth transition. Frank is an internationally renowned thinker, writer, and consultant in the fields of historic preservation and museums. He is best known as the co-author of The Anarchist’s Guide to Historic House Museums, a best-selling, influential book on creative approaches to presenting the past. Vagnone also is the founder and president of Twisted Preservation Cultural Consulting in New York City, which he started in 2000. His creative, innovative, and immersive leadership style will be an enormous asset for Old Salem. One of Vagnone’s signature projects is a series of events he calls, “Onenight Stand.” He spends overnights in historic house museums and heritage sites, using them as they were originally intended, and then writes about how these fragile places can have meaning in current 21st-century lives. His blog posts can be found on his website twistedpreservation.com/one-night-stand-series/.
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On December 1, 2016, Frank stayed overnight in the historic Tavern Museum (circa 1784, location of George Washington’s overnight visit to Salem in 1791), which is normally only open to visitors during regular museum hours. He blogged about this experience and his initial impressions of Old Salem, which you can read on his website. In addition to his international Twisted Preservation Cultural Consulting work, Vagnone served as executive director of the Historic House Trust in New York City from 2009–2016, overseeing the operations of 23 house museums. He moved to New York from Philadelphia, where he served as executive director of the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks from 2006–2009. From 1998 to 2006, he was the executive director of Historic Preservation and Operations at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral Complex in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. Vagnone received a master’s of architecture degree from Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, New York City. He holds a bachelor of arts and sciences in architecture and anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Vagnone spent his teen years in Charlotte and has family there. He will relocate to Winston-Salem in early 2017. In life imitating art as well as living what he advocates for in his “Onenight Stand” series, his residence will be in the oldest standing house in Old Salem, The Fourth House (circa 1768), with his partner Johnny Yeagley and dog Yogi.
News & Notes from old salem Dianne H. Furr Moravian Decorative Arts Gallery Opens A third self-guided gallery, the Dianne H. Furr Moravian Decorative Arts Gallery, has opened in the Frank L. Horton Museum Center. This new gallery is dedicated to the rich material culture created by the Moravians of North Carolina. Over 150 objects made by Moravian settlers living in the Wachovia tract between roughly 1753 and 1880 are on display, including furniture, paintings, textiles, ceramics, metals, musical instruments, and more. Old Salem has the premier collection of Moravian decorative arts in the country. The new gallery displays masterworks from its collection, including important holdings from the Wachovia Historical Society. Many of these objects have been in storage for decades while others have been exhibited only periodically. “This gallery provides Old Salem visitors with a gateway into the material world of the Moravians who settled North Carolina in the 18th century,” said Johanna Brown, Curator of Moravian Decorative Arts at Old Salem. “Situated just across the bridge from the Old Salem Visitor Center, the gallery is a wonderful way for visitors to begin their visit to Old Salem.”
since it opened, more than 5,5oo people of all ages have been captivated by the arts of salem now on view in the new dianne h. furr moravian decorative arts gallery.
Lot 38 Excavation The excavation on Lot 38, with Geoff Hughes as Field Director and Beau Lockard as Crew Chief, took place in June 2016. This important archaeological project, supported by a generous contribution from Old Salem resident Dr. Ed Hill, is an investigation into Rudolph Christ’s innovative pottery production during the period he was master potter in Salem (1789–1821). Pottery scholars have long hoped for an excavation on Lot 38, and Old Salem purchased it for that purpose in 2007. In particular, ceramic scholars have hoped for information about the work of Salem Master Potter Rudolph at the turn of the 19th century. Seven archaeological interns were chosen, each with a solid background in field archaeology and public engagement. Mo Hartley, Director of Archaeology at Old Salem, called the excavation quite successful, as it revealed the top of a kiln ruin buried beneath a thick layer of fill, dating from the installation of the trolley along Main Street in 1890. “We are hopeful that this ongoing excavation will shed detailed light on the pottery of Christ, and the journeymen and apprentices of his shop.” Among those who worked with Christ was Peter Oliver, who began his time with Christ as an enslaved man, and who, according to the Moravian Records, increased his worth through his acquisition of pottery skills, ultimately purchasing his freedom. The excavation will continue in spring 2017 with some additional exploratory work by Hughes in preparation for an excavation with a crew in the summer of 2017. The plan is for that excavation to cut into one-half of the kiln to learn more about its architecture, as well as taking a look at the old ground surface outside. old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17 | 3
News & Notes from old salem New Faces and Familiar Faces in New Places Emily Baker is the new Program Coordinator for Humanities, Medicine, and Science in the Education department at Old Salem. Her two-year position is being funded by a major grant that Old Salem received from the National Endowment for the Humanities to create a new exhibition for the Doctor’s House called “The Moravian Way of Health and Healing.” Her main job is to develop programming to support and expand the scope of the exhibition. Baker has experience in collections, exhibits, event planning, and public programming, and she has received several awards for outstanding research, including the Best Overall Research Award at the Graduate Research Symposium at Western Carolina University in 2015. She earned a B.A. degree in art with a concentration in art history from UNC Asheville and a M.A. degree in American history from Western Carolina University. Anthony Slater has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer for Old Salem. He joined the organization in January, 2015, as interim CFO. In his first year, Slater has made a number of important contributions including: restructuring the budgeting process, developing new financial reporting for the Board of Trustees, creating a three-year business plan that maps to Old Salem’s three-year strategic plan, hiring an HR firm to assist in employee matters, and finding new solutions for expense control and reduction. “I am most appreciative of Anthony’s partnership and his leadership within Finance and Accounting, HR, IT, Retail and Distribution, and I know you will all agree that this new title is a better reflection of his role here at Old Salem and certainly well deserved,” commented President & CEO Ragan Folan. Chad Smith is the new Executive Pastry Chef for the Annex Bake Shop. Since 2001, he has gained experience as general manager for a large, local restaurant, as well as experience as a restaurant owner, executive chef and consultant. He attended Campbell University. His responsibilities include managing the bake shop staff and overseeing production of baked goods such as cakes, muffins, lovefeast buns and other items not baked in the historic oven at the Winkler Bakery. 4 | old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17
Terry Taylor has been named the Manager of Visitor Center Operations. For the past 29 years, he has been vice president and COO of a local credit-collections corporation in Winston-Salem. He has served as a tour guide at MESDA on Sunday afternoons since 1999 and was a volunteer for MESDA’s changing exhibit space. He also has four years of experience as an area sales manager for a large department store chain in Winston-Salem. An avid antiques collector and dealer, Taylor manages the staff and retail operations in the Visitor Center. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Appalachian State University.
In Memory of Babara Kimbro The Education staff at Old Salem has honored the memory of Barbara Kimbro, an interpreter who worked for 30 years at Old Salem and lost her battle with cancer in June, 2015, at the age of 80. A former preschool teacher, Kimbro often played the Tannenberg Organ for visitors in the Single Brothers’ House Saal. Because of her love of Moravian music, the Education staff created a memorial for Kimbro last year, and funds collected have been used to purchase music for organists who play that organ and other keyboard instruments in the exhibit buildings. “We have put this music into a commemorative song book for our organists,” said Joanna Roberts, Assistant Director of Interpretation, “and we are so happy to be able to continue Barbara’s legacy by sharing this beautiful history with our visitors.” According to Scott Carpenter, Old Salem’s Director of Music Programming, the commemorative book “is a lovely facsimile edition of the 1784 Choralbuch by Christian Gregor, and includes an added beautiful drawing and inscription in honor of Barbara Kimbro. The Choralbuch has shaped Moravian hymn-singing for more than 200 years. The tunes in this facsimile edition are those compiled, edited, and newly-composed by the Christian Gregor (1723-1801) who is called the ‘Father of Moravian Church music.’” Kimbro was pianist for Grace Free Presbyterian Church for 25 years. A graduate of Bob Jones University, she is survived by two children and seven grandchildren.
Sharing 250 YEARS OF Salem Throughout 2016, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Salem, North Carolina, we focused on many aspects of the town of Salem’s history. We relived important moments from Salem’s first year (1766) and celebrated additional significant moments and milestones throughout its 250 year history. We also highlighted some of the “firsts” that this historic congregation town gave our area including such things as the first public Fourth of July celebration, an early public waterworks system, and more. In the months of planning prior to 2016, the 250th anniversary planning committee identified 12 themes that encapsulated much of the uniqueness of the Moravian story in Salem. Old Salem featured these themes in social media, news stories, and advertising. The themes included architecture, equality, journaling and record keeping, artisans and hand-crafted wares, gardening, health and medicine, food, education, innovation, commerce, music, as well as religion and faith. Old Salem Museums & Gardens is grateful for two media partnerships during the 250th anniversary year. Both WXII 12 and the Winston-Salem Journal provided a significant amount of support including public service advertising and editorial features sharing informative details about the fascinating history of this Moravian settlement. Additionally, we would like to thank Visit Winston-Salem, our marketing partner for the 250 anniversary celebration, for their help in promoting visitation to Winston-Salem through out of town guests. The Winston-Salem Journal’s monthly magazine, Winston-Salem Monthly, published a 12-part series focusing on our 250th anniversary themes. With their permission, we are sharing these delightful and informative stories on pages 6–17 in this special 250th commemorative issue of the Old Salem Magazine.
CELEBRATING 1
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COOKING at OLD SALEM T
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here are many wonderful ways to experience Old Salem Museums & Gardens. One way is to explore the history of the early American South through its food. There are multiple opportunities to see, taste, and learn about what early Salem residents grew in their gardens and how they prepared their food.
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Miksch Gardens and House
A visit to the Miksch Gardens and House is a great way to get an understanding of how food was grown and cooked by early Salem residents. The four seasons guide daily activity at the Miksch, where the gardens’ central role in the early Moravian household is featured and visitors get a sense of what the residents grew in their gardens and how they cooked it. Throughout the year, the gardens and kitchen are busy places. The gardens are worked and every day there is activity to see in the kitchen as product from the gardens is brought in for meal preparation or for food preservation. On Fridays, bread is baked in the Miksch bake oven, which is outside
the house. At times you can see other items being baked in the bake oven, including ginger “cakes,” which, today, we would call cookies.
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C. Winkler Bakery
At Winkler Bakery, visitors can watch Old Salem’s bakers preparing sugar cake, loaves of bread, and other tasty baked goods. These items are cooked in a dome bake oven at Winkler, which is typical of bake ovens used in Salem, both in public buildings such as the Tavern and the Single Brothers’ Workshop, and in private homes such as the Vierling House. The Bakery’s oven is still heated with wood as it was more than 200 years ago. Christian Winkler took over the bakery from Salem’s
first baker in 1807. Winkler and his descendants ran the bakery for generations, until 1926. In addition to watching the bakers, you can purchase delicious, fresh-baked goods to eat or take home with you.
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Salem Tavern Museum
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Single Brothers’ Garden
At the Salem Tavern Museum, visitors can see costumed interpreters preparing beverages and drinks (such as beer and coffee), spices, and foods cooked over a hearth fire. On any given day, different food items are prepared in the manner they would have been cooked in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Located behind the Single Brothers’ House and Workshop,
this kitchen garden historically fed the men and boys of the Single Brothers’ Choir who lived in the house, sometimes as many as sixty. The Single Brothers’ Garden today is planted with examples of what the Brothers would have grown in their kitchen garden, as well as examples of their field crops. Depending on the season, the large terraced garden squares grow heirloom vegetables and grains, including maize, squash, peas, broom corn, winter wheat, oats, lettuce, peas, turnips, beets, cabbage, salsify, okra, potatoes, melon, peanuts, beans, sweet potatoes, and buckwheat. Heirloom herbs are grown as well. Apple and cherry trees have been re-established at perimeters, and grapes and gourds grow along the fence.
Did you Know? This month 2016
will be the sixth year that Old Salem has held a Naturalization Ceremony on the same spot where the first official July 4th celebration in the U.S. took place in Salem in 1783. Each year, dozens of people from a number of different countries have become new American citizens during the annual Naturalization Ceremony on July 4 in Salem Square. The Ceremony is conducted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staff and begins at 10 a.m. with special music, the Pledge of Allegiance, and speeches by several dignitaries. This year the keynote speaker will be Kay Hagan, former United States Senator for North Carolina. Perhaps the most moving and inspiring part of the event is the administration of the Oath of Allegiance and the presentation of certificates to the new citizens. Admission to the Naturalization Ceremony is free. Streets around Salem Square will be temporarily closed to vehicles during the event.
July 4 Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony Hands-on activities, music, games, food, and fun as well as a moving naturalization ceremony. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
New! Hands-on History (Guided Experience Tours)
in Salem History
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he first official July 4th celebration in the United States took place in Salem, North Carolina, in 1783. In January of that year, a Preliminary Treaty of Peace was signed in Paris, which basically ended the war. In April, the governor of North Carolina, Alexander Martin, announced this news to the North Carolina Assembly. The Assembly instructed the governor to proclaim July 4 as a day of public thanksgiving. North Carolina was the only state to proclaim July 4 as an official celebration day that year and the Moravians were the only group in the state to obey the Governor’s proclamation. On the morning of July 4, 1783, residents of Salem were awakened by trombonists. They then gathered for a morning service. At 2 p.m., a joyful lovefeast was held and at 8 p.m. that evening, the townspeople gathered again in the Saal. They sang hymns of praise and then formed a circle in front of the Gemein Haus (located on Salem Square). They then processed down Main Street (which was illuminated) with music and the antiphonal song of two choirs. They returned to form a circle in front of the Gemein Haus and after a blessing were dismissed.
UPCOMING EVENTS July 2-3 Independence Weekend Celebration Patriotic demonstrations, hands-on activities, and fun for the whole family! Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1 – 4:30 p.m.
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If you want a hands-on experience with cooking in Old Salem, you might be interested in Old Salem’s new Hands-on History tours (exclusively for groups). These tours offer unique experiences that give a sense of what it was like to live in early Salem through food, trades, and daily life. Participants cook over a hearth fire, make an 18th-century craft, and enjoy a guided tour by a costumed interpreter of select buildings in the historic district. These tours last approximately 2 hours and are $50 per adult. For more information call Old Salem Group Tours at 1-800-441-5305.
July 6, 13, 20, & 27 Tannenberg Organ Recitals Free organ recitals Wednesdays at noon in Gray Auditorium in the Old Salem Visitor Center. August 9 – Moravian History Speaker Series: “Salem: City of Peace” Craig Atwood will speak about religious and spiritual foundations of Salem and its social structure. 7 p.m. August 11–13 – Illuminate Salem Enjoy concerts on Salem Square followed by a light show that tells the story of
Salem. Free/bring nonperishable food item for Sunnyside Ministries. 7:30 p.m. Presented with support from Flow Automotive Companies. August 13 – 250th Anniversary Community Day Enjoy a FREE visit to Old Salem Museums & Gardens! Home Moravian Church, the Moravian Archives, and the Moravian Music Foundation will open for extended hours. Free/bring nonperishable food item for Sunnyside Ministries. 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Presented with support from Wells Fargo.
Celebrating Salem at 250
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR
WAKE FOREST INNOVATION QUARTER:
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he Moravians who founded Old Salem weren’t just city builders. They were some of the first innovators of our area. Today, Wake Forest Innovation Quarter continues the spirit of innovation and place-making started at the town of Salem in 1766. The Innovation Quarter is a place for research, business and education in biomedical science, information technology, clinical services and advanced materials. One of the fastest growing urban-based districts for innovation in the United States, the Innovation Quarter supports approximately 3,100 workers and 5,000 students in 1.5 million square feet of inspirational office, laboratory and educational space.
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ld Salem will host special activities and programming throughout 2016 to commemorate this important milestone, including honoring significant dates from 1766 as well as key events that took place throughout our 250 year history. Please join us to celebrate Salem’s past as well as how it creates our present and shapes our future. For more information on events and programming visit oldsalem.org/250
wxii’s cameron kent and kimberly van scoy at old salem. wxii broadcast stories throughout 2o16 about the history of the town of salem.
each month during 2o16, the Winston-Salem Journal published a full page about the history of salem, based around the general themes.
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T HE F OU NDING OF SA L EM — THE BI R T H OF W I NST O N- SALEM By Ragan Folan
EDITOR’S NOTE: To commemorate Salem’s 250th anniversary, WinstonSalem Monthly published a yearlong column that delves into the origin, evolution, and modern-day contributions of Salem. This initial column, written by Old Salem president Ragan Folan, provides an overview of Salem’s significance and the forthcoming festivities in 2016.
250
years ago this month, the Moravians founded the town of Salem—which, in essence, also marks the birth of WinstonSalem. The anniversary begins Jan. 6, which was the day in 1766 when the first tree was felled on the site of what we now call Old Salem. A little over a month later, on Feb. 19, a group of men walked from Bethabara and Bethania to set up residence in Salem, the first step toward establishing this new community. It took the Moravians around 13 years of careful planning before they felled that first tree and began building Salem in 1766. They settled in Bethabara in 1753, using it as a base from which to search for the perfect location
for their visionary settlement. The result of their hard work was one of the earliest planned communities in the nation—planning that still impacts our lives today. The downtown streets of 2016 Winston-Salem owe their orientation, placement, and grid pattern to the visionary urban planning of the early Moravian settlers. The personality and focus of our contemporary city also owes much to the founders of Salem. In recent years, WinstonSalem has branded itself as the City of Arts and Innovation—a well-deserved moniker for activities currently taking place in our area that were part of the Moravian way of life all the way back to the 18th century. Salem had one of the first public waterworks in the nation with running water in a building as early as 1778. Salem was also at the forefront of innovative medicine and was home to the first university trained physician in western North Carolina. In addition, Salem was known across the Colonial South as a place of commerce and trades, renowned for its pottery, furniture, silver, and other artistic trades. In celebration of this monumental anniversary, there will be a host of activities and programming throughout 2016. We’ll revisit
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Winston-Salem’s first year (1766) in a variety of ways, including a unique, illuminated public art installation on the site of the first building erected in Salem, the Builders’ House, as well as a reenactment of the original walk from Bethabara to Salem on Feb. 19. We’ll honor important milestones in our 250-year history, such as George Washington’s two-night visit to Salem in 1793 and the first public July 4th celebration that took place in 1783. Look for an exciting event in August 2016 that will draw upon the creativity of contemporary Winston-Salem and share our community’s story in a remarkably innovative way. But most importantly, we’ll come together as a community and celebrate Salem’s past as well as how it informs our present and shapes our future. I hope you’ll join us for the celebration. Ragan Folan is president & CEO of Old Salem Museums & Gardens. For info on all the 2016 festivities, go to oldsalem.org. ABOVE: Drawn in 1765, this map outlines the original plans for Salem.
MAP IMAGE COURTESY OF THE UNITY ARCHIVES COLLECTION IN HERRNHUT, GERMANY.
from Winston-Salem Monthly january 2o16
J. SINCLAIR PHOTO
E A R LY E Q UA L I T Y How Salem exhibited early racial equality through faith.
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first baptism in the new Salem Saal. he St. Philips Heritage Center in Old “Unlike other denominations where people Salem includes two African-American who were enslaved were relegated to balcony churches that preserve a treasure trove of info and artifacts about the early Moravians’ belief in seating, spiritual equality in the Moravian church meant worshipping side by side,” Harry spiritual equality that led them to worship with notes. and educate enslaved African Americans. But by the early 1800s, “Church has always attitudes were beginning to been an integral part of change about blacks and whites the African-American worshipping and being buried experience,” explains IF YOU GO together. Black and white Cheryl Harry, director Tours of the St. Philips Moravians were originally of African-American Heritage Center buildings are buried together in God’s Acre programs for Old Salem. included with the purchase of until a separate graveyard for “It was the ‘meeting an All-in-One Ticket to Old blacks was designated in 1815. house’ which provided Salem ($27 adult, $13 child). “Ultimately they decided there a place for the spiritual African American Heritage should be a separate church and social needs of the Tours are offered. For more for the African congregation,” community.” details, call 800-441-5305. Harry says. “The Africans In the beginning, welcomed this. They said they’d blacks and whites in rather be amongst themselves.” the Moravian church The Women’s Missionary worshiped together in Society of Salem funded their “choirs,” which construction of the African Moravian Log were based on age, gender, and marital status. Church in 1823. Due to growth of the Sam, the first slave purchased by the Moravian congregation, a brick church was constructed church in 1769, requested baptism and was the from Winston-Salem Monthly february 2o16
in 1861. In 1914, it was renamed St. Philips Moravian Church. It’s now the oldest standing African American church in North Carolina and holds the original pews where the end of slavery was announced by a Union calvary chaplain in 1865. “The fact that [St. Philips] is still standing is significant because so many historical African American buildings have been demolished,” Harry notes. History shows that a commitment to equal education was key for Moravians, who believed in educating enslaved people (a rare thing in that time). Reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught informally in Sunday school until 1830, when it became illegal to teach enslaved people to read and write in North Carolina. Even so, Harry says that records indicate Sunday school books were still being ordered for the church during that time period. Although the last service at historic St. Philips was held in 1952, the congregation has started returning to worship every few months with a fifth Sunday service. Members also return during the holidays to hold a Christmas Lovefeast. “The St. Philips Heritage Center is a monument to the thousands of lives from the African Diaspora who labored in Salem and outlying settlements to build our nation,” Harry says. “The stories of many of these enslaved individuals are still interpreted in our museum today.”
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J. SINCLAIR PHOTO
R ECO R D HOLDERS
Thanks to the Moravians’ meticulous journaling, we have a clear view of Salem’s past. B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s
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n a myriad of well-preserved documents of all shapes and sizes, the Moravians recorded their lives in Salem in minute detail. Their deep commitment to documentation has helped inform us about the community with such precision that it’s enabled Old Salem to be one of the most authentic living history museums in the country, according to Paula Locklair, vice president of education for Old Salem Museums & Gardens.
“They had a very advanced view of recording their history and why it was important,” Locklair says. “All kinds of minutia were very important to them. It’s because we have this
incredibly rich documented history that we are able to restore and interpret Salem the way we do. The economic records are fascinating.” Though the records were kept to account for money, they reflect details such as the types of bricks and how many window panes were needed for the Boys’ School, as well as the floor plans and the elevations. The documentation also reflects the importance Moravians placed on education and literacy for both boys and girls. Moravians recorded their daily lives because it was a theocratic society in which the church oversaw secular and religious life, explains Johanna Brown, director of collections and curator of Moravian Decorative Arts. “They had to document their decision-making and document the things that affected peoples’ lives,” she says. Records weave together to form stories, like the little girl who crossed her hands in a portrait because she’d burned her hands in ashes—or a
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diary entry that records a young man’s death, complemented by his medical and funeral bills. Brown says they’ve read so much about the people of Salem that they start to seem like family. “You become very attached to these people when things happen to them. … It’s like reading a really good book.” Locklair says it’s important to keep in mind that Moravians were recording their immediate history. “They don’t know what the future holds, but we do,” she says. “They are in the present and the past, and they have no idea what’s going to fill these pages.” Sometimes researchers come across new material that results from viewing the records in a different way, which results in a continuously evolving history, Locklair says. A leather-bound autograph book holds a lock of hair. A little notebook saves Bible verses in German. A thin manuscript has a cover of marbleized cardboard. A young girl’s autograph book contains delicate poems, Bible verses, and watercolors (above). Memoirs documented spiritual growth. “It does sort of give you a sense of the continuum of history to hold these things and think ‘this was somebody’s treasure,’” Brown says. “It’s an incredible resource.” You can read translated records from Salem by visiting archive.org and searching for “North Carolina Moravians.” from Winston-Salem Monthly march 2o16
WO R K A S WO R S H I P
Historic trades are practiced daily at Old Salem, providing a glimpse into the Moravian way of life. B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s
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ld Salem Museums & Gardens provides a window back to the everyday work of 18th and 19th century Moravian tradesmen for whom work was a form of worship. “The theory behind it is a devotion of worship through your work,” says Blake Stevenson, assistant director of historic trades who also portrays the gunsmith and joiner. “The guise of your work is basically God’s directive; it’s not yours.” Old Salem’s staff actually practices the trades they portray to visitors, says Nat Norwood, director of historic trades who also portrays the blacksmith and joiner. Visitors to Old Salem can enjoy conversations that complement regular demonstrations of the joiner, potter, tailor, shoemaker, gunsmith, apothecary/doctor, and gardener. Because Salem was a theocracy, a committee of elders in the community oversaw the community’s physical necessities, ensuring that apprentices were indentured into trades where they were needed. They filled gaps as they matched an individual’s skills with the needs of the community. “It’s a connection we all have to make: all of us have to earn our way in this world,” Norwood says. “The tradespeople here, their work wasn’t just the work. It was a connection with their community and also a form of worship. That resonates with me a lot, especially when I look at 18th century furniture that was made by the Moravians, because the vast majority of it remains unsigned.” from Winston-Salem Monthly april 2o16
In many cases, Old Salem historians can identify where a tradesman worked, who taught him, products he produced—maybe even a tool that he used—journals he filled, and where he was born and died. “I know some of them better than I know some of my cousins,” Norwood says. “I certainly spend more time researching them, working in their space, trying to wrap my head around what they were thinking and why they did what they did.” Moravians believed their God-given skills should be used to make the larger community better. “They accepted that and worked toward achieving that in as peaceful a spirit as people can be,” Norwood says. Most of the wares produced today are used by the museums, and some items are available for sale in the museums’ shops. Those who portray trades also do work that preserves the authenticity of the historic site, such as fixing a “keeper” for a door latch. The Moravians chose the site of Salem to be a trade town to provide a source of revenue for the church to pay back debts and fund mission work in the Caribbean and West Africa. “Salem was an economic outpost at the bottom of the Great Wagon Road,” Norwood says. “It definitely sets a strong context for Winston-Salem’s reputation as the City of the Arts.”
J. SINCLAIR PHOTO
IF Y OU GO
Historic trade demonstrations (such as the pewtersmith ABOVE and the joiner BELOW) and hands-on activities are included with the purchase of an All-in-One Ticket to Old Salem— $27 adult, $13 children (or $22/$11 on Sundays)— or the Two-Stop Ticket: $18 adult, $9 child. The trades are primarily found in the Single Brothers’ House but also scatter to other areas (such as the gardens). For daily activity schedules, go to oldsalem.org/visit BRUCE CHAPMAN PHOTO
This article is the fourth in a yearlong series for Salem’s 250th anniversary. For more info go to oldsalem.org. old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17 | 9
J. SINCLAIR PHOTO
CULTIVATIN G THE PA S T Old Salem continues to preserve a legacy of land stewardship. B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s
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rendy as it sounds these days, the sustainable local-foods movement is nothing new in Winston-Salem. It’s something the early Moravians introduced when they founded Salem back in 1766—and it’s something that lives on today in the form of Old Salem’s award-winning heirloom gardens. From the Miksch family backyard garden to the expansive Single Brothers’ Garden, the restored landscapes help illustrate the Moravian’s resourcefulness and devotion to the land. “Design is infused in everything—beauty, utility, practicality—in the Moravian gardens and landscape,” says Martha Hartley, director of research and outreach, division of restoration for Old Salem. “[The Moravians] planned not only for themselves but for generations to come. It’s a wonderful way to think—to live with the gardens integrated into the way of life. There are certainly opportunities to learn from the past.” Old Salem’s horticulture program continues the Moravians’ sustainable approach to land stewardship. For example, leaf mulch feeds the soil that Chet Tomlinson, who interprets the Miksch Garden and Trades, rakes into rows. He cultivates a large garden on a 1/3 of an acre residential lot using 18th-century tools. In early spring, the rows hold lovage, kale, leeks, cabbage, and more.
Tomlinson works the land and shows visitors how the relatively small space was used to grow vegetables, fruits, flowers, and medicinal herbs—there’s even a pole for growing hops for small batch beer. Visitors often leave with ideas and inspiration for their own gardens. “The best thing we hear is, ‘This is what I want to do with my yard,’” Tomlinson says. Horticulturists at Old Salem also honor history by growing—and saving and sharing— seeds that would have been grown in the region during the 100-year time period before 1850, which is the timeframe interpreted at Old Salem. The horticulturists not only grow the historic seeds and use the lettuce, beans, and other produce when they interpret historic food preparation, but they also share these seeds with national seed saving organizations and offer them during the annual Seed Swap in January. “With some of these old varieties, there is just so much diversity, so many different vegetable varieties, they’re not all commercially available anymore,” says Eric Jackson, who works in Old Salem’s Horticulture Department. One example is salsify, a tasty root vegetable that resembles a white carrot and was also called “vegetable oyster.” Those who visit Old Salem have the opportunity to add these heirloom varieties
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to their gardens, thanks to Vonnie Hannah, greenhouse and programs manager for the horticulture department, who propagates plants such as lavender, hyssop, and three types of columbine from heirloom seeds, and offers them for sale at The Garden Shop in Old Salem. In yet another interpretation of the Moravians’ intent for Salem, the Cobblestone Farmers Market operates Saturday mornings from April 9 to November 19 adjacent to the Single Brothers Garden. “We see the farmers market as the restoration of the traditional food system,” Hartley says, since Salem was a center for trade for the neighboring Moravian communities. Restoration in Old Salem began in the 1950s when it became apparent that the landscape was disappearing. In fact, later buildings were removed to retrieve the natural landscape where historic kitchen gardens used to grow. Beginning in 1972, horticulturist Flora Ann Bynum championed the garden and landscape restoration with a research-based approach that honors and continues the Moravians’ commitment to land stewardship. “This is the heart and soul of WinstonSalem,” Hartley says. “We have this legacy of beauty, design, utility, and practicality.” This article is the fifth in a yearlong series commemorating Salem’s 250th anniversary. Next month’s topic will be focused on Health & Medicine. For more info on on the 250th festivities, go to oldsalem.org. from Winston-Salem Monthly may 2o16
A H I S TO R Y O F H E A L I N G Our community has long been a hub for healthcare, and we have the settlers of Salem to thank.
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ith the deliberate inclusion of Dr. Hans Martin Kalberlahn among the 15 men who settled the Wachovia tract, Moravians provided the foundation for our current-day medical community, connecting medicine and science to the humanities from the very beginning. “That was the origins of medical care in the [region],” says Paula Locklair, vice president of education for Old Salem Museums & Gardens. “Since 1753 there’s been an active medical community here.” The Moravians took care of each other from birth to death, says Erin Glant, coordinator of historic interpreters, because health care was an extension of their faith. Salem’s medical community included physicians who were typically universitytrained and surgeons who worked with their hands. There were midwives to deliver babies and sick nurses to care for those who were being treated for illness. In fact, ministers even had remedial medical training so that they would be able to help if a doctor wasn’t available. Moravian doctors made house
from Winston-Salem Monthly june 2o16
B y K at h y N o r c r o s s WatOLDt sSALEM MUSEUM AND GARDENS PHOTOS
calls, and they traveled up to 100 miles away to provide medical care to neighboring communities. When non-Moravians came to town seeking health care, Moravian families cared for patients during recovery. And in nearby Bethabara, settlers planted what’s believed to be the earliest documented medical garden in America. “Religion permeated through all levels of life in Salem: in medical care, in their education system, the economic system,” Glant says. “It was a very interconnected community. Their first response was often, ‘How can we help you?’” Since its restoration in 1980, the Vierling House, which belonged to Dr. Samuel Benjamin Vierling, has presented experiences in early medicine in the apothecary and through exhibits, as well as a view of the daily domestic life of the household. It was the largest home in Salem when it was built in 1802, housing both Dr. Vierling’s family and his apothecary practice. Thanks to a $360,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities,
the house is currently under renovation and will reopen in January 2017. The renovation is focused on the home’s second floor, which is being outfitted with exhibits in four rooms and a hallway that together feature “The Moravian Way of Health and Healing.” Highlights include biographies of Salem doctors, a vignette of what a sick room would have looked like, an interactive exhibit related to medicinal plants, a room that features surgery, and a room that displays info about midwives and the corpse house. “One of the things I find most admirable about [Salem] is the way they were all helping each other,” Glant says. “Having neighbors and friends in times of sickness— that’s not that unusual. The systematic nature of it is.” This article is the sixth in a yearlong series commemorating Salem’s 250th anniversary. Next month’s topic will be focused on food and culinary arts in Salem. For more information, go to oldsalem.org.
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RIGHT: Hearthcooking courses are taught regularly in Old Salem, one of the many culinary experiences offered in the historic town.
HISTORY IS SERVED Exploring the culinary past and present of Old Salem.
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ood connects us all, and Old Salem Museums & Gardens makes history relevant with a variety of culinary opportunities, from hands-on cooking experiences to interpretations of historical Moravian hearthside baking. For example, Marcia Phillips, a museum educator, helps students in school groups as they make apple fritters. The children use the kitchen tools Moravians would have used, like the birch twig whisk, following directions based on historical “receipts” or recipes. “When they can come in here and take a wooden spoon and ladle fritters” onto the spider pan on the coals on the hearth, Phillips says, “that’s the way you get kids to fall in love with history.” The hands-on activities allow visitors to learn other lessons as well, explains Darlee Snyder, director of outreach and education.
“Everybody does connect to food, especially today when food is such a big thing,” she says. “We’re a bunch of foodies here; and things like seasonality, sustainability, organic, and cultural background really resonate with people, even with kids. It’s a great launching point to talk about the history here in Salem.” Cooking and baking on raised hearths— and recipes that Moravians used—reflect the Germanic influence on the community. Visitors learn about lean times and bountiful harvests. They see sustainability in action because the Moravians were good stewards of their land. In the Miksch House, interpreters cook every morning and bake once a week. Fruits and vegetables are preserved at the Miksch House from the gardens behind it, says Joanna Roberts, assistant director of interpretation. The Tavern Museum interprets different aspects of cooking and also discusses
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OLD SALEM MUSEUM AND GARDENS PHOTOS
B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s
the beer-making process. Interpreters bake periodically at the Vogler House, and visitors often stop by Winkler Bakery to see its 200-year-old domed oven in action. While the Moravians were known for their meticulous record-keeping, gathering information about food preparation can be challenging because the women who made the food usually didn’t write down recipes for everyday dishes. Moravian cooks would “write down the special things,” Roberts says. Even when a recipe calls for specific measures, flavoring often “depended on what you had or could afford.” For some visitors to Old Salem, the practice of cooking three meals at home each day is a novel idea. Interpreters teach that, “If you’re going to eat, you’re going to cook,” Snyder says. “It does bring a new appreciation for what they did.”
from Winston-Salem Monthly july 2o16
E D U C AT I O N
FOR ALL
J. SINCLAIR PHOTOS
modern education, says Darlee Snyder, director Salem’s inclusive approach of outreach and education. “He had these to education was well ahead amazingly modern concepts for education, even though it was in the 1600s,” Snyder says. of its time. The Salem Boys’ School began in 1771 for local boys to get their primary education. A B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s girls’ school began in 1772 as a congregational school for local girls, and it became so popular he Moravian commitment to education began at Salem’s inception and continues that parents of non-Moravian girls asked to today in the experiential learning provided by enroll their daughters. In 1804, Salem opened Old Salem Museums & Gardens. a boarding school for girls, which was the “From the time they had children here, foundation for Salem College & Academy. The they wanted to have school here,” says Joanna school stands today as the oldest continuously Roberts, assistant director of interpretation. “To operating educational institution for women in the Moravians, it was so entwined with their the country. religion, the idea that you should be able to read Boys’ and girls’ curriculums were similar. scripture yourself. And the only way to do that is They had languages, geography, English, natural education.” history (science), botanicals, and ciphering (math). But the boys had more variety in their The Moravians’ faith-based philosophy classes, and the courses were geared toward fostered a belief that all citizens should be educated, whether they were boys, girls, or even their future respective roles. For example, a boy apprenticing to be a joiner would learn enslaved Africans. “From poorest to wealthiest, geometry, and a young woman who would they believed everyone should have the same be managing a household would hone her education,” Roberts says. accounting skills. The girls’ boarding school The dedication to educate everyone, offered classes such as fine sewing, music, and regardless of class and gender and station, art. stems from Moravian Bishop John Amos Some boys with potential administrative, Comenius, who is known as the father of
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from Winston-Salem Monthly august 2o16
leadership, or pastoral abilities were singled out and sent to Nazareth Hall in Pennsylvania for higher education as Moravians sought to cultivate their future leaders. Moravians also believed in educating enslaved people, according to Cheryl Harry, director of African American programs for Old Salem. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught informally in Sunday School until 1830, when it became illegal in N.C. to teach enslaved people to read and write. Even so, Harry says that records indicate Sunday School books were still being ordered for the African Moravian congregation during that time period. Today, Old Salem continues its tradition of education by interpreting the history of the Moravian community. From daily tours to hands-on activities and summer camps for kids, visitors learn what life was like in this faithful community. “That’s why we’re here: to educate,” Snyder says. This article is the eighth in a yearlong series honoring Salem’s 250th anniversary. For information on tours, classes, events, and more, go to oldsalem.org.
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M O R AV I A N I N N OVAT I O N How settlers in Salem helped establish a legacy of innovation. B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s
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oravian innovation left a legacy that continues today as WinstonSalem reinvents itself to adapt to change. “The very concept of town planning as an integral part of creating community goes back to that early Moravian innovation,” says John Larson, vice president of restoration for Old Salem. The placement of Salem in the Wachovia tract on a particular hillcrest, aligned with water resources as well as timber and stone to use for construction, represented an innovative thought process for colonial Americans, he says. “The laying out of the town grid and subsequent buildings was done with a purpose. [They recognized] from the get-go that bringing water into the town was going to be an important part of this long-range plan.” Waterworks were uncommon in the U.S. in the 18th century, but in 1778, drawing from their familiarity with German waterworks systems, the 126 residents of Salem built one of the first public waterworks in this country with pipes cut from white oak logs, according to “The Salem Waterworks” by Linda LeMieux. Innovation needs to be sustainable, Larson says, and the Moravians’ careful thought about how parts of a community interrelate has helped sustain it over the years. Moravians considered how to create functions in a community that would not conflict with each other in the future. “Their vision and approach to sustainability was unusual, and it’s something we continue to benefit from today,” Larson says. “Our town’s ability to morph, to reinvent ourselves, goes back to the basic roots of the
LEADIN G T H E WAY
Five innovative breakthroughs that happened in Salem:
Moravians.” Salem began with a craft-based society that was regulated to ensure competition was not destructive, and the result was a unique town that people sought for its products. In the 19th century, with the advent of the steam engine, industrialization began to occur, and the first carding mill was brought to Salem. Moravians recognized early on that craft shops alone wouldn’t sustain the economy; industry would also be necessary. That recognition evolved fairly quickly into the textile industry. Early tobacco operations created demand for a banking industry that provided opportunities for monetizing other industries. Capitalism in the late 19th century spilled over and created engines that drove Winston-Salem together in 1913 and created the most powerful economic base in North Carolina before the Depression. Clearly, the Moravians had the ability to look at economic landscapes and adjust in a way that allowed them to sustain their community. “The community you build is not just based on economics; it’s based on a lot of other threads that tie us together: the arts, education, religion, common values,” Larson says. “We are now in a new period of innovation.” This article is the ninth in a yearlong series honoring Salem’s 250th anniversary. For info on upcoming events and more, go to oldsalem.org.
Old Salem’s famous water pump, a restored portion of Salem’s 1778 waterworks, stands in Salem Square.
1761: Moravian settlers in Bethabara create the earliest documented colonial medicinal garden in America. 1772: Salem opens a school for girls, the forerunner of Salem Academy & College. It now stands as the oldest continuously operating girls’ school in the country. 1773: Single Brothers Brewery & Distillery opens. It’s thought to be the oldest brewery in N.C. 1778: Salem constructs one of the country’s earliest waterworks systems. Wooden pipes carry water two miles into the village. 1780s: The first piece of chamber music by an Americanborn composer is written in Salem. J. SINCLAIR PHOTO
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from Winston-Salem Monthly september 2o16
MARKETING THE PAST Old Salem’s retail offerings reflect a longtime commitment to commerce. B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s
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J. SINCLAIR PHOTO
18 winston-salem monthly from Winston-Salem Monthly october 2o16
he Moravians had an early and ongoing commitment to commerce that continues to benefit Winston-Salem today. “Our city’s economic commerce can be traced back more than 250 years ago to the earliest Moravian settlers, who came to this land with a vision, a plan, and the skilled hands necessary to build a thriving community,” says Brian Coe, director of interpretation in the education division of Old Salem Museum & Gardens. “It was unique in that it was a fully developed plan to meet both current and future economic needs of the Moravians themselves, as well as the other settlers yet to come.” Early settlers included tradesmen who had skills to build a community and to provide goods for purchase by Moravians and others. “Outsiders were welcome to come to trade with the Moravians and purchase goods and services,” Coe says. “Salem’s community store also provided access to imported, manufactured goods from Europe; things that could not be made locally in North Carolina at the time. In many ways, the Moravian communities in Wachovia were the basis for an international commerce in raw materials, finished goods, and intellectual ideas.” Commerce continues in Old Salem today at T. Bagge Merchant & Garden Shop, Winkler Bakery, the Moravian Book & Gift Shop, A. Butner Hat Shop, and the Old Salem Visitor Center, says Pat Albert, director of retail operations for Old Salem. The focus of the stores is on handcrafted products, she says, such as pottery, jewelry, baskets, pewter spoons, paper stars, tin cookie cutters, angels, and more. In homage to the Moravians’ penchant for recordkeeping and journaling, T. Bagge offers a range of journals, inks, wax, and seals reflective of what might have been used at the time. In addition, Old Salem holds a pottery festival each year. “I want to capture the spirit of the people that were here, who settled this area, because they were such amazing craftspeople,” Albert says. Heirloom plants and seeds, as well as garden accessories, are sold at The Garden Shop at T. Bagge. Winkler Bakery sells countless sugar cakes, lovefeast buns, and other baked treats; the museum interprets how the oven was constructed and what Winkler would have been baking. Shops also carry local and regional foods such as barbecue sauce, chocolates, and historical teas and coffee blends. Old Salem is the site of the Cobblestone Farmers Market on Saturdays from spring until fall, partnering to bring local farm products into Old Salem and continuing a historic Salem tradition. “We’re here to support the museum, so the museum can continue with educating the public about the history of this great town,” Albert says. “I think we always have to keep evolving in the spirit [of ] the Moravians, who were so innovative. I think we have lot to offer.” old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17 | 15
SOUND S
O F THE
PA S T How settlers in Salem helped establish a legacy of music.
B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s
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usic provided a vital way for Moravians to express their faith, and visitors to Old Salem Museums & Gardens continue to experience that rich tradition today. “Music was an essential part of daily life in Salem,” says Scott Carpenter, director of music programming, organist, and curator of keyboard instruments for Old Salem. “The Moravians used music to express their faith, to share that faith with others, and also to foster fellowship with one another.” Moravians incorporated music whenever the community gathered for daily worship services or other religious events. “Everyone was encouraged to contribute their musical gifts in some way,” Carpenter says. “The children were given singing lessons and encouraged to learn how to play an instrument.” Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf—an early leader of the Moravian Church—believed that worshippers were communicating with God not only through prayer, but through singing. One tradition that began with Count Zinzendorf was Singstunde or a song service, where the minister would begin singing hymns, and the sermon was presented through the texts of them.
“You could think of it as theology in song,” Carpenter says. “If you wish to know about Moravian theology, you can open a hymnal.” Thanks to the Moravian commitment to record keeping, more than 10,000 music manuscripts have been preserved and are cared for by the Moravian Music Foundation. “[The collection] features both music composed by Moravians, but also non-Moravian composers used by Moravians,” says Gwyneth A. Michel, assistant director of the Moravian Music Foundation. The music is sacred and secular, American and European, vocal and instrumental. “It is a wealth of material, and it’s unusual that it still exists,” she says. “These manuscripts are in excellent shape. You could play from it.” Moravian compositions in the 18th century was modern and sophisticated, Michel adds. “It’s truly a reflection of the music that was being played in Europe at the time.” Early Moravians were familiar with Mozart and Bach, and the Moravians composed in that similar style, Carpenter says. They are credited with bringing the earliest baroque music to the Americas and are the first documented chamber music composers in America.
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Johann Friedrich Peter, a Moravian minister and composer who resided in Salem, wrote six quintets for stringed instruments. He compiled the “Psalm of Joy,” which was first performed July 4, 1783 and is still performed today. Moravians also brought the first trombones to America, and Salem Band, established in 1771, is the oldest, continuous mixed wind ensemble in the nation. Old Salem has two organs built by David Tannenberg, the most prolific organ builder in early America and the first major organ builder trained in the colonies. Both organs have been restored—the 1798 organ resides in the Single Brothers’ House and is heard daily during tours; the 1800 organ is found in the Old Salem Visitor Center. Carpenter says it’s an “incredible opportunity” to play the organs, and that he’s thankful each time he gets to do so for visitors. “We incorporate music into our daily interpretation in Old Salem,” he adds. “Visitors do have an opportunity to join in singing while being surrounded in history.”
from Winston-Salem Monthly november 2o16
LEFT: Home Moravian Church. TOP AND BOTTOM: Children worshipping in the Saal of the Single Brothers’ House in Old Salem.
FA I T H - F U L L
J. SINCLAIR PHOTO
would play specific hymns to welcome visitors, to announce the death of a member, for a birthday salute, to call the brothers and sisters to worship. Since everyone knew several B y K at h y N o r c r o s s Wat t s hundred hymn texts by memory, hearing the music would call these texts to mind, they are leaving their country, their culture,” expanding the liturgical space and making Coe says. “Most likely they will never see their every part of life worship.” families again. They’re planting trees to shade Moravians hold to historical traditions the buildings that they haven’t even built yet that help give life to their worship today, because they have faith this town is going to be Tobiassen says. here, and it’s going to succeed.” “The historical tradition of community lives Moravians’ faith showed in every aspect of in our worship; it lives in our practice; it lives their daily lives. Coe has worked in the joiner in our theology; it’s part of everything we do shop in Old Salem where he observed the backs and undersides of furniture with a finish in our church.” She notes that all of the land in Salem not common in other woodworking. belonged to the church until 1856 when “Moravians didn’t sign work to take credit, Salem became a town. “This means that if you yet they’re producing the highest level they can woke up in your home on Main Street, you because it’s an expression of their faith,” Coe were in church; if you were out in the garden, says. “(Faith) is ingrained into every aspect of you were in church,” she says. “This is still a daily life, just in the way they approached life sacred place.” and thought about it and acted on it.” Music has always been vital in the formation and expression of Moravians’ faith, This article is the 12th and final installment in a yearlong series honoring Salem’s 250th explains the Rev. Nola Reed Knouse, director anniversary. For info on upcoming events and of the Moravian Music Foundation. more, go to oldsalem.org. “In the 18th century the trombone choir
How faith and religion defined every aspect of life in Salem.
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o teach students about Moravian history in Salem, the Rev. Ginny Tobiassen of Home Moravian Church takes them to the oldest section of God’s Acre. “Each grave has a place name on it: Saxony, Ireland, Netherlands, Pennsylvania or Bethlehem, London…,” Tobiassen says. “All of these people who settled Salem were called from somewhere else to come and create a religious life together as a community. “It’s really a faith that’s based on right relationships with one another and with God,” she adds. “We believe that being in relationship is more important than agreeing on doctrine. From the 1700s we have been a church devoted to mission. We continue to be in relationship with the world.” Following that call to fill a role in the community was significant, explains Brian Coe, director of interpretation at Old Salem. “For those early settlers to feel that call and have the faith to come, it means a lot because from Winston-Salem Monthly december 2o16
old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17 | 17
Salem, North Carolina
A TIMELINE FOR 1766
january 6
february 19
The first trees are felled where the Builders’ House, the first residence, is to built in Salem.
Eight Single Brethren move from Bethabara to occupy the Builders’ House and become the first residents of the new town.
january
february
march
april
january 13
march 13
april 12
A herd of 75 pigs is driven from Bethabara to the new town site. They find Salem so unfit for porcine life they all hightailed it for home.
An apple tree and about 4o peach trees are planted in Salem.
Salem Square is laid out at 3oo feet wide by 38o feet long. It is the block now bounded by Main, Church, Bank, and Academy Streets (one block north of the final location selected in 1768). The site is also selected for God’s Acre.
february 2o
A preliminary survey is made for Salem Square, the heart of the town around which the town’s principal buildings—the Single Brothers’ House, Gemein Haus, Community Store, Single Sisters’ House, the Boys’ School, the church, the Girls’ Boarding School—ultimately will be constructed. This is the location that was marked No. 2 on Christian Gottlieb Reuter’s plan. It is one block north of the final location of Salem Square. The first six single family houses were planned to be constructed in accordance with this location. Until Salem Square was permanently located, no principal buildings in Salem were to be built. 18 | old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17
august 18 Moravian Sisters visit Salem for the first time. Seven women arrive by wagon, and, while they are there, the first Lovefeast is held in Salem in the partially completed First House. The service concludes with the singing of “Now Thank We All Our God.”
october 1o The first house is far enough along that Brother Gottfried Praezel sets up his loom inside marking the beginning of industry in what would become the city of Winston-Salem.
october 31 The first company of Older Girls and Single Sisters arrives in Bethabara. They have “walked most of the way” from Bethlehem in Pennsylvania, a distance of 5oo miles.
june
august
october
december
june 6
october 1
december 31
The foundation stone for Salem’s First House is laid on Main Street in relationship to the Square location determined on April 12.
The foundation stone is laid for the Second House on Main Street. This house is to have two stories.
In the Memorabilia for 1766, read on December 31st, we find these remarks:
“In the first months of the year, we were rejoiced and strengthened by the safe arrival of the first company of Brethren and Sisters coming to us direct from Europe by way of Charlestown; and also by the tender and important letters from our honored Brethren of the Directing Board and Unity Vorsteher Collegium, which brought word that the Lord had directed them and us to proceed with the building of the town SALEM. Already on Jan. 6th, before we received these letters, we had faintheartedly made a small beginning there, but now in hope and faith we took up the work, and on Feb. 19, a little household of eight Brethren was established there, in childlike trust that He would bless and prosper the work of their hands. This year, for lack of help only one house on the main street could be built and occupied, and two houses away Excerpted from “The Founding of Salem, 1766, a Timeline” by Richard W. Starbuck, Archivist, Moravian Archives and “1766 Diary Entries Relating to the Founding of Salem, Extracted and Organized by Month for the 25oth Anniversary Committee from Records of the Moravians in North Carolina, Volume I, Adelaide L. Fries, M.A., Ed. 192o” by M.O. Hartley, PhD, Director of Archaeology at Old Salem
from the street, which were necessary for the housekeeping of the Brethren and for the outside workmen employed. But for this small beginning we thank our Heavenly Father and He will help us further next year.” (Records of the Moravians in North Carolina, Volume I:319-320)
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Two Visions. one town. 25o Years
by john larson
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It seemed like a very good plan. The vision was to go to North America and acquire a large tract of land set apart from the influence of day-to-day pressures and the secular distractions of a modern world. Thoughtfully organized, the tract was to be a stellar example of how to build a community in all of it complexities that worked for the glory of God and the good of mankind. The nearly 100,000 acres were carefully selected with a watchful eye on the availability of water and other natural resources. In the very middle of this Wachovia Tract was to be placed a central town; a shining city that would be the very symbol of the Moravian aspirations and achievement. Count Nicholas Von Zinzendorf envisioned a circular town plan when he mapped out his grand scheme for this perfectly designed town. Initially he used the more secular name Unitas (Unity) before he opted instead for the biblical name Salem (Peace). It was clear that Zinzendorf had high expectations for his North Carolina settlement.
The most frustrating day must have been on the 13th of February when three sites were placed in the bowl and one blank. The blank was drawn. There is a clear tone of disappointment in the diarist note that “We can do nothing more in the matter today.” It has been said, however, that “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Taming the backcountry was no simple task. The first decade was difficult and establishing the first settlement in the tract, Bethabara, was hard work. Plans were delayed and disrupted by the violence of the French and Indian War and the flood of refugees it prompted. The demand to accommodate these non-Moravians resulted in the need to expedite the construction of a second town in 1759, Bethania. But this new town was not the central town of Salem envisioned by Zinzendorf. To further complicate matters, the death of Count Zinzendorf in 1760 certainly made his circular town plan seem less feasible and the question was raised as to whether or not priorities were to about change. Was the town of Salem even needed any longer? Things were working out pretty well in Bethabara. Any doubt as to the desire, or the commitment, to the furtherance of the plan to build Salem was put to rest, however, in 1763. Fredrick William Marshall was put in charge of Wachovia and directed by the Herrnhut Board to “select a suitable site for the new town and to decide whether the work should be begun at once.” It must have been a daunting task for Marshall. He arrived in Bethabara on October 29, 1764 and by November 9, he began exploring potential town sites. Any hope for the quick selection of a site was dashed on December 2 when the Lot* ruled against the first proposed location. A second site was withdrawn before it even went to the Lot. In February of 1765, however, a series of new site proposals were prepared. Between the 5th and the 13th of February, eight additional sites were presented to the Lot and all were rejected. The most facing page: zinzendorf’s plan for the town of salem by an unknown artist, 1755 or 1756. all roads lead to the church at the center of the town. this page: the plan of salem drawn by christian gottlieb reuter in 1765 according to frederic marshall’s ideas.
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* “The Moravians used the Lot to determine God’s will in spiritual and secular matters. This practice was based on biblical references contained in Numbers 33:54 and Acts 1:26. Neither a lottery nor a random act of drawing straws, the Lot was a ritual of serious, sacred significance. Only the church board of elders was authorized to use it. After the elders had done everything possible to reach a sound conclusion about what should be done in a matter—in this case, which site should be chosen for the new town—two or three outcomes, or Lots, were written on slips of paper, encased in slender tubes cut from reeds, and placed in the Lot bowl. Often, one slip bore the word ja, or “yes,” and another nein, or “no.” A third slip was left blank, meaning that more prayer and deliberation were needed. One Lot was then solemnly drawn from the bowl, and the answer it gave was heeded. Sometimes scripture verses would be inscribed on slips of paper, and the elders reflected on how the verse chosen could illuminate their decision.” —Old Salem Official Guidebook, text by Penelope Niven; Architecture Keys and Street Guide by Cornelia B. Wright. this page, upper left: lot bowl used in early salem and the tubes used to hold the slips of paper upper right: the builders’ house in 18o7 facing page: top: on march 3o, 195o, old salem inc. was officially established as a nonprofit to acquire, preserve, and restore historical monuments and buildings. bottom: main street across from winkler bakery from the 194os
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frustrating day must have been on the 13th of February when three sites were placed in the bowl and one blank. The blank was drawn. There is a clear tone of disappointment in the diarist note that “We can do nothing more in the matter today.” The next day, February 14, 1765, two additional sites (listed as site #1 and site #2) and a blank were placed in the bowl and finally site #2 was approved! (A total of 12 sites had been identified). Indeed the selection process for the town’s location was in and of itself a test of faith. It would turn out, however, that the selection of the site was but one of the challenges. Regarding the construction of the town, Marshall noted that “unfortunately there is no money on hand for it and the Bethabara Oeconomie will be so reduced in men that that it will hardly be able to care for its own Lot without assistance.” In 1764, there were only 91 residents of Bethabara and 74 in Bethania. Hardly the labor force needed to build a whole new town in the wilderness of North Carolina’s backcountry. But the history of Salem is one of perseverance and adaptation. It was so cold in January of 1766 that the medicine bottles at Bethabara had frozen. Yet, on that bitter morning of January 6, a party of twelve men set out to the site and began cutting the logs for the first building. For next 90 years—three generations—the Moravians successfully negotiated and adapted their theocracy to develop and sustain a community that was unlike any other in the state of North Carolina. Theirs was a town that would lay the foundation for the arts, education, commerce, and planning that has evolved into the modern southern city of Winston-Salem.
One hundred and seventy-two years later, in 1938, Arthur Spaugh, Sr. had what seemed like another very good plan. His vision was for a restored town of Salem that used the Colonial Williamsburg model with funding being provided by a wealthy patron. He saw the ominous writing that was on the wall: the Salem, of Winston-Salem, was in transition. It was anchored around Home Moravian Church and Salem College on Salem Square. Much of the
early architecture remained, but was altered and deteriorating rapidly with age. Salem was threatened by the commercial development sprouting up along South Main Street. Although Spaugh could not find that single great patron to restore the town in the pre-World War II years, the memory of early Salem had been kept alive in the postcards and Works Progress Administration (WPA) publications, the strong Moravian traditions of Easter sunrise service and lovefeast, and by the organizations like the Colonial Dames and the Wachovia Historical Society, which collects objects and bought or leased property to preserve and interpret them. Within two short years after the end of the war, the threats that Spaugh had foreseen returned. A grocery store was to be located on a vacant lot on South Main Street—who could object? Well, unfortunately for grocer Mr. Howard Gaines, this proposal was the proverbial last straw and the objections came from all corners. Perhaps the war years had caused people to rethink what was valuable and had created a deeper appreciation of Winston-Salem’s origins and heritage. The outcry
A grocery store was to be located on a vacant lot on South Main Street—who could object? Well, unfortunately for grocer Mr. Howard Gaines, this proposal was the proverbial last straw and the objections came from all corners. old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17 | 23
that arose represented a coming together of the whole town. The historical societies, the Moravian Church, Salem College, residents, city government, and business united in what was to become one of the most creative preservation efforts in America. The patron donor Spaugh had hoped for never appeared, but instead, what developed was a united and singular aspiration by the town to proactively and aggressively protect the one thing that more than any other differentiated Winston-Salem from any other place in America. There was no model to follow, so leadership combined the best examples of zoning from Charleston, which focused on private home ownership, and the idea of a completely restored town from Williamsburg spearheaded by a nonprofit museum. The result has been a uniquely successful living community formed by a public/private partnership. For the past 66 years of our 250 year history, the effort to protect the city’s past for the benefit of the future has remained an ongoing effort supported now as when it first started, not by the single patron but by a dedicated local base of popular support that values and takes pride in this presence of the past in our town. And look now at what has been accomplished!
In the time that I have called Winston-Salem home, the smell of molasses laden tobacco no longer wafts across the city in the early morning air, Piedmont airplanes no longer land at Smith Reynolds, and there is no need to explain the origins of the name Wachovia that adorned so many banks in the southeast. Yet, Old Salem remains and serves as a constant reminder of our origins, the adjustments we have made over time, and the strength that it offers us today. Today, in 2016, 250 years after those first trees were cut on that cold January day and 66 years after the effort commenced to restore Old Salem, we are a town that is once again evolving, adapting, and reinventing itself. The 18th-century boy’s and girl’s schools of early Salem laid the foundation of Salem College, Winston-Salem State University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Forsyth Tech, and Wake Forest University. The priority given by the Moravians to medicine is now reflected in the burgeoning medical and research initiatives that are revitalizing the old industrial district. The values placed on a higher standard in the quality of life for its citizenry through
Today, in 2016, 250 years after those first trees were cut on that cold January day and 66 years after the effort commenced to restore Old Salem, we are a town that is once again evolving, adapting, and reinventing itself. 24 | old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17
John Larson retired from Old Salem Museums & Gardens in December 2016. In November 2016, he was elected the Winston-Salem City Council member representing the South Ward.
art and music remains present today in the nation’s first Arts Council, the Winston-Salem Symphony, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Delta Arts Center, and the numerous performances, galleries, and artisans throughout the city. It is no idle boast that Winston-Salem remains deeply rooted as the City of Arts and Innovation from the seeds that were planted 250 years ago.
I do believe that our next generations are up to the challenge—up to the charge laid down by the early settlers in 1766 and those preservation pioneers in 1950 to fulfill the two visions—in this one town— beyond the 250 years.
facing page: Salem from the Southwest, 1824, christian daniel welfare this page, top left: ©2o16 wings over winston
Larson came to Salem in 1976 for the MESDA Summer Institute and began working on his thesis for a Master’s in Applied History at University of South Carolina. His thesis project was restoration of the Shultz Shoe Shop. After serving as an intern, he then became Assistant Director of Restoration to help with various reconstructions (Fifth House, Shober House, Cooper Shop, Single Brothers’ Workshop, Tavern Woodshed) and restorations (Hall House, Shoe shop, Vierling House, and Schulz Wash/Bake House). He also helped co-author the NR nomination for some of the Single Brothers’ Industrial sites. In 1979, he became Director of Restoration, overseeing many other projects. He briefly left Old Salem, from 1987 to 1991, to work as a vice president at the architectural firm of Phillips and Oppermann, which specializes in historic preservation, and worked on projects throughout the southeast. He returned to Old Salem in 1991 as Vice President of Restoration, a position he has held for the last 25 years. His division has included a range of activities from research, planning, architecture, and archaeology to horticulture and facilities. Larson has been involved with important local projects outside Old Salem, such as the Shell Gas Station, Körner’s Folly, and Lloyd Presbyterian Church, as well as nationally significant projects, such as Montpelier and Maryland’s Old Senate Chamber. He helped develop the Preservation Technology Field School with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the Old Salem/Colonial Dames Fellowship. He has served on numerous boards both locally and internationally (Körner’s Folly, Covington Foundation, Preservation NC, Vernacular Architecture Forum, Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful, Wachovia Historical Society, Bethania Historical Society, and Forsyth County Historic Properties Commission). In 2001, he received the Robert Stipe Award from Preservation NC awarded to the outstanding state-wide professional. old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17 | 25
As part of the year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the town of Salem, North Carolina, Old Salem Museums & Gardens presented a concert each evening on August 11, 12, and 13, 2016 in Salem Square followed by a magical light show that depicted the story of Salem. Entitled Illuminate Salem, these evenings were presented with support from Flow Automotive Companies. A different local musical ensemble performed each night beginning at 7:30 p.m. These concerts were made possible by the generous support of Salemtowne Retirement Community. On Thursday, August 11, attendees enjoyed the sounds of the Giannini Brass. Maestro Robert Moody, Music Director of the Winston-Salem Symphony, led “Bob Moody and Friends” on Friday, August 12. On Saturday, August 13, the Salem Band, under the direction of Eileen M. Young, performed. Following each musical performance, a light show created by Norman Coates and Brad Peterson of the WinstonSalem Light Project, which utilized photos, video, words, and music, was projected on the Single Brothers’ House. The 20-minute show told the story of the town of Salem beginning with its founding and continuing through its 250-year history in a unique and visually stunning way. Much of the music that accompanied the light show was provided with the help of the Moravian Music Foundation.
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ILLUMINATE
Salem Presented by
25oth Anniversary community day Celebrating 25o Years of Salem
On Saturday, August 13, 2016, Old Salem Museums & Gardens opened its doors for a free community day, with support from the City of Winston-Salem and Wells Fargo. Nearly 7,000 people from surrounding neighborhoods, the Triad and across the state enjoyed a free day of fun at Old Salem. There were even visitors from as far away as Alabama, who came to Winston-Salem specifically for this event. Among the many activities enjoyed were demonstrations, self-guided tours through the museum buildings, hands-on games, fresh doughnuts from the Krispy Kreme mobile store, and delicious treats from a variety of food trucks. Adding to the festive atmosphere, a Moravian brass band and the Reel Shady Band performed.
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A Shining Night
250 years of salem, nc October 21, 2016 Old Salem, in partnership with Reynolds American, Inc., celebrated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the town of Salem with an evening of historic proportions. The evening commemorated the creation of this remarkable community, which had a significant impact not only on the history of Winston-Salem, but also on the history of North Carolina and America as a whole. The sold-out crowd enjoyed an opportunity to mix and mingle with living art, dance to the unforgettable Sol Fusion, and participate in an epic live auction featuring eight one-of-kind works hand-crafted by Old Salem trades people and artisans. The event raised $160,395, which will allow Old Salem Museums & Gardens to remain focused on our mission to present an authentic view of early southern life to diverse audiences while remaining true to our vision to be the most engaging and enjoyable living history and cultural museum in America.
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New to the Collection Recent Gifts to the MESDA and Old Salem Collections This year the museum’s Kentucky and North Carolina collections were refined by a number of important gifts, partial gifts, and bargain sales offered by generous donors and collectors:
Figure 1
painted fancy chair William Challen Lexington, Kentucky 1810 – 1820 Gift of Clifton Anderson
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Figure 2
fraktur W.L. Williams Clark County, Kentucky 1850 – 1860 MESDA Purchase Fund
Figure 3
compass Camm Moore Guilford County, North Carolina 1790 – 1810 MESDA Purchase Fund; partial gift of Keith Boggs
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Figure 4
portrait of jane p. little James Reid Lambdin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1858 Anne P. and Thomas A. Gray MESDA Purchase Fund
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Figure 5
elizabeth gibson Guilford Limner Guilford County, North Carolina 1827 Gift of Alice Fitzgibbon
Figure 6
bamboo-turned windsor bench Lexington, Kentucky
1810 – 1820 MESDA Purchase Fund
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Thank You to the Generous
Pillars of Our Community Bonding Together As Business Friends of Old Salem
Current Members Include
preservationist level $1o,ooo – above
historian level $5,ooo – $9,999
conservationist level $2,5oo – $4,999
Anonymous BB&T Caterpillar, Inc. Kelly Office Solutions Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP Reynolds American
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Carolinas Realty Flow Automotive Companies Hanesbrands WestRock Company Wilson-Covington Construction Company Winston-Salem Journal Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP WXII
Archive Information Management AV Connections Capture Public Relations & Marketing First Tennessee Bank The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation Landmark Aviation Mast General Store Pepsi Bottling Ventures Vulcan Materials Company Wake Forest Innovation Quarter
horticulturalist level $1,ooo – $2,4oo Advanced Consumer Electronics Aladdin Travel & Meeting Planners, Inc. Allegacy Federal Credit Union Annese Public Relations Atrium Windows & Doors Bell, Davis & Pitt, PA Brady Surveying Company, PA Capital Development Services COR365 DataChambers
Dixon Hughes Goodman Duke Energy Fourway Warehouse & Distribution Frank L. Blum Goslen Printing The Historic Brookstown Inn Inmar Intelligent Business Solutions Kristen Martin State Farm Insurance Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem
Mountcastle Insurance Paycom Piedmont Natural Gas Quality Oil Salem One, Inc Salemtowne Retirement Community Siemens Energy Triad Commercial Properties Unifi, Inc. Village Tavern
archivist level $5oo – $999 Adele Knits Brendle CPA The Budd Group CJMW Architecture P.A. Copper Innovations, Inc. Design Authentic Interior Design The Dickson Foundation 34 | old salem museums & gardens | winter 2o16/2o17
Five Loaves Catering Frenzelit North America, Inc. Leonard Ryden Burr Real Estate McNeely Pest Control PostMark, Inc. Sir Speedy Printing & Marketing Services Sylvester & Cockrum, Inc.
The Tavern in Old Salem T.W. Garner Foods Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects, P.A. Weavil Properties LLC Wells Fargo Advisors
selected upcoming events in 2o17 For a full list of events visit oldsalem.org/events
january
January 28 – Slow Food Piedmont Seed Swap Come swap seeds, handy tips, and garden wisdom; enjoy potluck lunch. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. FREE. James A. Gray, Jr. Auditorium, Old Salem Visitor Center.
february
February 25 – Black History Month Showcase of Song Features African American music from various genres. Choirs and dance teams from area high schools, churches, universities, and the community organizations will sing and dance. 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. FREE. James A. Gray, Jr. Auditorium, Old Salem Visitor Center
march
March 4 – Chocolate Dipped History: Celebrating Coffee, Tea, and American Heritage® Chocolate Celebrating American Heritage® Chocolate, tea, and coffee through demonstrations, hands-on activities, tastings, and more. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Included in All-In-One ticket. Friends of Old Salem Free.
May 6 – Yoga by the Barn Relax in a historic setting with Deanna Dzybon of Rock Water Yoga in Salem Tavern Meadow adjacent to the Tavern Barn. All yoga skill levels encouraged to join. Bring your own mat. Free but a donation to Old Salem encouraged. May 11 – Bridging the Gap Join us for food trucks and fun and learn about the New Benefactors of Old Salem, a group of young professionals committed to supporting the preservation efforts at Old Salem. May 20 – Spring Festival Celebrate spring at Old Salem’s annual festival with a full day of hands-on activities, demonstrations, and more. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Included in All-In-One ticket. Friends of Old Salem Free. May 20 – Pottery Fair on the Square Select North Carolina potters will be selling their handmade stoneware, earthenware, and folk art at this 6th annual event. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. FREE. Salem Square.
March 24 & 25 – MESDA Furniture Seminar: Friendly Furniture: Identifying the Quaker Cabinetmakers of Early America Quaker connections from New England to Pennsylvania and down the Great Wagon Road into Virginia and North Carolina will be the focus of the 2017 seminar. Pre-registration required. Visit mesda.org for pricing and registration information. Frank L. Horton Museum Center.
june
april
June 26–30 – Summer Adventures Camp (Grades 1 – 2) Rising 1st and 2nd graders will discover what life was like for boys and girls long ago. They will enjoy a variety of activities including: learning to cook on the hearth, play 18th-century games, crafts and much more! Register at oldsalem.org/summer-camps.
April 1 – Tribute to Composer Scott Joplin Concert commemorating the music of composer Scott Joplin (1868 – 1917). Featuring Dr. Myron Brown, Pianist and Assistant Professor of Music, Winston-Salem State University and students from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Voice Department. 4 – 5 p.m. $10. Reservations required, call 1-800-441-5305. James A. Gray, Jr. Auditorium, Old Salem Visitor Center.
April 15 – Easter Festival Annual Easter egg hunt, Easter egg dying using natural ingredients, egg painting, and more. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Included in All-In-One ticket. Friends of Old Salem Free. April 28 – Sporting Clays Open Shooters of all skill levels and ages are invited to participate in a sporting clays tournament benefiting Old Salem Museums & Gardens! Contact Tabatha Renegar for more information at trenegar@oldsalem.org or 336-721-7352.
may
May 6 – MESDA Design Seminar Moderated by Tom Savage of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, the 2017 MESDA Design Seminar will once again feature what’s chic in southern design. Pre-registration encouraged. Information will be posted at mesda.org soon.
June 15 – Juneteenth Luncheon Celebrate Juneteenth, the country’s longest-running observance of the abolition of slavery. James A. Gray, Jr. Auditorium, Old Salem Visitor Center. Registration required by calling 1-800-441-5305.
july
July 4 – Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony Hands-on activities, demonstrations, music, games, and more. Experience a moving naturalization ceremony at 10 a.m. The day’s events will conclude at Salem Square with a reenactment of the first July 4th celebration in Salem. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Included in All-In-One ticket. Friends of Old Salem Free. July 10–14 – Summer Adventures Camp (Grades 6–8) One-of-a-kind summer learning experience involving textiles, pottery, fireplace cooking, leatherworking, woodworking. Register at oldsalem.org/summer-camps
July 17–21; 24–28 – Summer Adventures Camp (Grades 3–5) History, science, and art come alive with a variety of hands-on activities. Attendees will take part in pottery, hearth cooking, architecture, gardening, crafts, working with historic textiles, and much more. Register at oldsalem.org/summer-camps.
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thank you for supporting old salem museums & gardens during this historic year
250 Years of Salem, NC
25o years ago, the Moravians began the process of building a town that they named Salem. For 66 years, Old Salem Museums & Gardens, along with many generous community, individual, corporate, foundation, and organization donors, has been working hard to preserve and sustain the historic town of Salem. Your gifts are essential to what we accomplish here every day and vital for our future and we Thank You! We could not do it without you. Working together, we can ensure Old Salem’s future by focusing on our mission to present an authentic view of early southern life to diverse audiences while remaining true to Old Salem’s vision to be the most engaging and enjoyable living history and cultural museum in America. Your ongoing support is essential. We invite you to make a gift by using the enclosed envelope to help us uphold this community asset, historic treasure, and National Landmark for generations to come.
Visit oldsalem.org
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(336)721-735o