Winston-Salem is the 4th largest city in the state with a population of about a quarter of a million people within the city limits. Winston-Salem itself has only been around since 1913 when the cities of Salem and Winston were combined. Salem was established as…Read More

Winston-Salem is the 4th largest city in the state with a population of about a quarter of a million people within the city limits. Winston-Salem itself has only been around since 1913 when the cities of Salem and Winston were combined. Salem was established as a Moravian Village in 1753. The city of Winston was established in 1849 in large part from part of land deeded from Salem and the Reynolds family and their JR Reynolds Tobacco empire helped establish the city. Today this city artfully combines high tech with the history that made this town what it is. It has been named one of the top 10 places to retire and is considered one of the top arts communities in the country.

Today the city of Old Salem where the city first began to form can still be seen. They have an impressive collection of houses and business that date from 1766 to 1850. Visitors can step inside these rustic yet beautiful buildings to find out how the Moravians who first settle here lived. The village is also home of MESDA (Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts) as well as the Old Toy Museum. There is admission to gain entrance to the buildings. But you can simply stroll the historic streets at your leisure. Visitors can dine at the Old Salem Tavern and visit several stores without an admission fee. You need to plan a whole day here. Their web site is www.oldsalem.org

Historic Bethabara Park offers visitors over 250 years of history. It includes the 1788 Moravian Gemeinhaus, a 175 acre wilderness reserve, a 1754 village and fort, and 18th century gardens. Their website is www.bethabarapark.org.

The Reynolda House offers some of the best examples of American Art as well as offers the visitor a glimpse of the life of the wealthy at the turn of the 20th century. The 1917 bungalow mansion was the home of tobacco magnet Richard Reynolds and his wife Katherine. The home was featured on Americans Castles. The home and art museum can be toured for a fee. The grounds of this stunning mansion, its gardens, and the village Katherine established, Reynolda Village, can be enjoyed for free. Their website is www.reynoldahouse.org.

Downtown Winston-Salem you will find the famed Avenue of the Arts highlighting dozens of galleries and studios of local artists. Here you will the Piedmont Craftsmen (www.piedmontcraftsmen.org) who show cases over 350 of the top Southeastern craftspeople. They feature a different artist every month to highlight. The Downtown Arts District Association (www.dadaws.org) features gallery crawls, classes, and entertainment for the downtown arts community. Glass master, Jon Kuhn, maintains his studio downtown on Liberty St. (www.kuhnstudio.com). His works are displayed as part of the White House collection, the National Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum, and MOMA. Using a different medium from my other favorite master glass artist, Dale Chihuly, Jon uses cold glass to bring life to his works of art. Surrounding the downtown arts community you will find wine bars, coffee shops, and chic and trendy restaurants.

SECCA (Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts) www.secca.org celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006 as one of the premier collections of regional and national contemporary artist.

Winston-Salem is home to some of the best colleges in the states. Among those is the prestigious, Wake Forest University which is home to MOA (Museum of Anthropology) www.wfu.edu/moa. Winston-Salem State University proudly hosts the largest display of African Arts in the state at the Diggs Gallery. www.wssu.edu. Both galleries are open to the public. There is also the NC School of the Arts where some of the best future artists are studying even as we speak. They hold public tours of the campus and performances for the public. Their website is www.ncarts.edu.

The Delta Fine Arts showcases art by nationally recognized NC native African-American women. Included in their collection are two major murals, Origins and Ascensions by John and James Biggers. These can be seen at the O’Kelley Library housed on the Winston-Salem State campus. www.deltafinearts.org. For the wee ones in your group there is SciWorks which is a hand on science museum for children of all ages (yes big ones too). Their website is www.sciworks.com.

For almost 30 years now the Piedmont Opera Theater has been delighting opera fans in the region. Winston-Salem is also home of the Winston-Salem Symphony . You can visit them on the web at www.piedmontopera.org and www.wssymphony.org.

Winston-Salem celebrates the arts year round with celebrations of music and art. From May to September music finds its way through out the downtown area in a series of outdoor concerts. Alive After Five is found every Thursday evening. Every Friday celebrate Jazz and Blues at Fourth St. Jazz & Blues. And every Saturday celebrate live music on Trade St.

There is plenty of celebration of culture on the calendar. It kicks off in January with the Chinese Festival at Wake Forest. Naturally the Irish Festival, also at Wake Forest, celebrates the month of green and St. Patty. May brings Celtic Music and the Greek Festival and in September try the Fiesta! Hispanic Festival. Go to www.winstonsalemevents.org.

Two of the premier arts festivals in the country can be found in Winston-Salem. In March movie fans from all over come to the RiverRun International Film Festival which is a celebration of independent and student films. It was started by actor Vincent D’ Onofrio of Law & Order CI fame. The National Black Theater Festival celebrates many art forms and is one of the top events celebrating black cultural and even hosts well known celebrities such as Dr. Maya Angelou. Oprah, Louis Gossett. Jr. and the late Ossie Davis and his wife Ruby Dee . The event is held biannually on odd numbered years (next one is 2009). You can get an early start by going to www.nbtf.org.

Wine and the arts can often be found together. Nearby is the famed Yadkin Valley wine country. You can tour these lush fields just like in the other wine country of CA. They offer wine tasting and tours and some offer meals. You can stay at quaint B&B in the heart of it all. There are several celebrations throughout the year that marry both the arts and the fruits of the fields. You can go to www.yadkinvalleywineries.com for more information.

So whew..there you go as I have only begun to starch the surface of this most artful of towns. To find out all about the arts in Winston-Salem simply click onto www.visitwinstonsalem.com and check out everything this fine city has to offer. Close

Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg and his traveling companions set up a crude campsite in the NC wilderness on November 29, 1752. They were some 70 or 80 miles from the last settlement as written in Spangenberg’s journal. The travelers were Moravians, or the Unity of…Read More

Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg and his traveling companions set up a crude campsite in the NC wilderness on November 29, 1752. They were some 70 or 80 miles from the last settlement as written in Spangenberg’s journal.

The travelers were Moravians, or the Unity of Brethren as it had been know in Europe. The church was more than three centuries old when the church offered the group a chance to buy 100,000 acres in the Carolina colony. The church was impressed with the Moravian settlement in Bethlehem, PA, as well as other colonies.

In London, Parliament passed an act in 1749 to encouraged Moravians to "settle in His Majesties Colonies in America," promising that the settlers would be "indulged with full Liberties of Conscience and Exercise of the Religion they profess."

August was the Moravian Vicor of General America and was put in charge of choosing the land for the settlement. He was 48 years old and had served as a professor in Europe. He had already lead Moravians into Georgia and was a force to be reckoned with when it came to establishing Moravian communities.

The Moravians who established Salem brought their staunch religious faith and idealism to the rugged Carolina lands. They had a three-fold mission: to serve their neighbors in the surrounding community, to live up to their Moravian Christian ideals, and to preach the gospel to the natives.

The Moravians did own slaves. The slaves helped build and establish the community. Many of them joined the Moravian church. Since the original settlers came by way of Germany, many of the slaves learned to speak German. Salem became the center of the largest German-speaking black population in the early South. Not that it makes slavery acceptable, but slaves here lived with and worked right alongside whites.

Moravians here were much more sophisticated than other Moravians. They were better educated, more cultured, had an appreciation for the arts and fine crafts, and more advanced in scientific endeavors. They were better prepared for the daily challenges that life threw at them from medicine to the self-sufficiently of its people. The town grew into a large commercial center, trading with their Carolina neighbors and Virginia and Georgia. They also actively participated in state and colonial government. They also supported international missionaries.

Young single men and women lived in separate housing and learned a trade. They stayed on in the house until marriage. Despite their staunch religious believes, the Moravians did reshape their society and culture when needed. They also established the Salem Girls School for young women. Today the school is divided up into a school for young women and then the college. These two schools are amongst the oldest educational institutes in the county. They are also rated as amongst the best schools for women.

As other neighborhoods began to establish and spring up around the Moravians, they continued to practice and live as they always had. By 1849, Stokes County had been divided up and Salem was the logical choice for the county courthouse and seat. Fearing the trouble that strangers often brought, the Moravians sold 51 acres of land to the county for the site of a new town called Winston after Major Joseph Winston, a Revolutionary War hero. The Moravians chose to keep to them selves and preserve their peace and identity.

Salem faced a major dilemma during the Civil War. The NC lawmakers established a law that allowed those whose religion forbids the bearing of arms from military service. But many residents thought their men should serve as well. In January of 1831 the Salem Light Infantry was established. Young men were established into a special company with rules and regulation for their conduct.

The community continued to thrive for many years. But by the mid 1870’s Salem began to loose its thresh hold as a viable commercial industry. A young Richard Joshua Reynolds paid for a lot on Chestnut Street in Winston and begins his tobacco empire. By 1913, Winston and Salem were consolidated into one city. While Winston-Salem was thriving, the Moravian community languished. By the 1930s and '40s people in the community and in Winston-Salem began to grow concerned over the small religious village. Now anyone who borne witness to the '60s and '70s can tell you that some things should be forgotten, like bright orange shag carpet. But this era also began to produce a concern for our more historical communities. Many areas such as Charleston and Savannah owe a great debit to the restoration wave that began during this time. Towns and old historical buildings were preserved and restored so that they would once again would serve the greater good of their community. Old Salem was no different. Restoration and planning began to bring back to life this significant culture center to its once magnificent glory.

Now more than a half centaury later Old Salem once again serves as a thriving community center. Many of its houses are on the National Register. Old Salem was the first National Landmark district in NC. It is a national visitor attraction, attracting over half a million people to its doors every year. It continues to serve as a preservation community and it a respected research center for both Southern Culture and the Moravian history.

Now one thing Salem often gets confused with is another Salem several hundred miles away. Unlike Salem, MA, there were never any witches or anyone killed for such crime. In Salem, MA, more than a dozen people were murdered for the false crime of being witches. But Salem never had any witches, and their only connection, other than the name, is that both are beautiful historic communities that still continue to beguile visitors even hundreds of years later.

Today when you walk across the fairly new covered bridge into Salem, you step back in time. You can see and hear how these people lived their lives. You get a chance to see how the simple beauty of these people continues to command respect. It is a very family-friendly place, and it's a terrific place to show your child how people lived before our modern-day conveniences. It is also a great way to get them into a life long love of history. If you are in NC, take a trip out and experience this magnificent place for yourself. To start, go to www.oldsalem.org. Then come and see for yourself how those wild days of the '60s and '70s paid off beautifully in this restored historical village.

Despite having lived in North Carolina since 1979, I had never ventured out to Old Salem. And since 2000, I have lived only about an hour from the place. My husband is the guitarist for a local band, and for about the past year or…Read More

Despite having lived in North Carolina since 1979, I had never ventured out to Old Salem. And since 2000, I have lived only about an hour from the place. My husband is the guitarist for a local band, and for about the past year or so, he has been quite busy on the weekends playing. Come Sunday, he is usually tired from playing and having quite a long day and even longer night. So I decided to take advantage of this time and started getting out to local places I had been waiting to see. I decided a visit to Old Salem was in order, and my friend Karen and I decided to use our paid Memorial Day holiday to pay a visit to Winston-Salem.

Karen and I have been friends for several years now, having once worked at the same travel agency. We both love history and old historical places. She arrived that morning and off we went, stopping in at a Denny’s to get some breakfast for the energy we would need for the day ahead. It was a pleasant drive allowing two friends the chance to catch up.

After getting lost, despite following the directions to a T, we made our way to the parking lot. Pulling in and seeing the lot almost deserted, we started to fear that we had been mistaken and the place was closed. But we noticed a few people going in the visitor center, so we went on in. We walked around and watched the movie before crossing the covered bridge and entering the village. Now, I have no idea where all the cars were parked, but there were plenty of people strolling around.

It was a perfect spring day for our venture. We found ourselves strolling around, enjoying all the beauty of this incredible place. We thoroughly enjoyed touring the houses and checking out all of the old antiques. We had a wonderful time in the bookstores. Our meal at the Old Salem Tavern was divine. And no one should come to Old Salem without stopping by Winkler's Bakery.

It was just a pleasure strolling around and enjoying being in the company of a good friend in such an incredible place. I did not realize until we arrived that people still live here and this is still a thriving community. We ran into quite a few locals who were out walking around and always inquiring what we thought of their lovely village. I can understand why people are so proud of this place. While stopping for a moment and enjoying sodas at the Old Salem Soda shop, we ran into a local who had been walking her dog since her dog just enjoyed the place! Since she wanted to go inside for cool beverage, it gave us a chance to play with her dog for a few minutes while she was inside. Karen and I both are animal lovers, too. Before too long, we realized all too soon that our day had come to an end. Soon, we were heading back out to the parking lot, talking about how much fun it had been and making plans to return in October for Haunted Old Salem.

As we climbed back into the car, we invariably turned our topic to creature comforts. Inevitably, one usually finds that, after touring such a place, we start to idealize this less-stressful way of life. We find ourselves thinking how things must have been when times appeared to be simpler. And we are usually discussing this in our heated or air-conditioned car as we returned to our equally heated and air-conditioned house.

While times seemed simpler back then, it is when you tour such wonderful places that you realize things were not as simple as they seem. Most of us take our modern-day creature comforts for granted. Most of us seem to forget that we have modern appliances, dishwashers, cars, and even indoor plumbing and bathrooms. I don’t know about you, but I quite prefer having my bathroom next to my bedroom. Back then, going to the bathroom was an ordeal, confirmed by a plaque on one outhouse we saw that stated someone had died when they went to the outhouse, bitten by a spider! So, okay, maybe things were not as simple, but folks seemed happy then. Just think, one day people will look back at our lives and think we had it hard!

Take the time out of your busy schedule to visit these wonderful historical places. These places have been preserved to remind us of another place and another time. It gives us a glimpse into the lives of our forbearers. For families, it is a wonderful family activity sure to please everyone. It will also remind you that, hey, maybe it is good to have our modern-day creature comforts!

Anyone who likes gardens will love Old Salem. Just about everywhere you go you will find the most incredible gardens you can imagine. While strolling down Main and Salt Streets, Karen and I were surprised to see the gate of a private house open. It was…Read More

Anyone who likes gardens will love Old Salem. Just about everywhere you go you will find the most incredible gardens you can imagine.

While strolling down Main and Salt Streets, Karen and I were surprised to see the gate of a private house open. It was the John Siewer house (c. 1844). This is now a private resident.

But there was a note on the fence inviting you to come in and enjoy their garden! And what was found was nothing less than magnificent. This small backyard had such an incredible flower garden inside the gates. As we continued to stroll, we noticed other private residents allowing visitors to enjoy their gardens. And most of the houses on the tours have incredible gardens in the back.

Most of these gardens have been designed and recreated to show what the Moravians would have grown at various times from the 18th and 19th centuries. These gardens would have been earlier referred to as "family gardens." While the gardens were utilitarian, they were also designed to be pleasing to the eye by incorporating flowers in with vegetables and herbs.

The gardens were a source of food and home medicinal remedies for these early inhabitants. Families planted rows of vegetables for cooking and herbs for cooking and home remedies. Many families also had "outlots," which were larger plots of land on the outskirts of Salem where they could keep livestock and grow bigger crops, such as corn and potatoes.

Once restoration of the village was underway, the gardens of the times were painstaking researched. Even today in the gardens on display, a great deal of care goes into keeping these gardens accurate and enjoyable for the thousands of visitors who pass through each year. They are often adapted to change with the season, offering incredible flowers from spring until well into the fall.

Please don’t automatically assume you can go through every garden. If there is a sign inviting you in to enjoy the garden of a private home, please be respectful of their kind invitation. Please don’t trample or pick the flowers. If you would like your own flowers to grow, then duck into any of the local shops - they carry seeds so that you can grow your own beautiful garden. Again, there is no charge in most cases to simply walk in the back of the houses and enjoy the gardens.