Take your time when you follow in Moravian Footsteps

The Winston-Salem Heritage Trail

by Marilyn Jones

Have you ever seen an imaginative drawing of a scent enticing a passerby to have a piece of pie cooling on a window sill; wispy fingers beckoning the person to take just one bite?

You’ll think you’re living such a scene as you stroll by Winkler Bakery in Old Salem, NC. The aroma of Moravian Sugarcake, breads and cookies will draw you in and invite you to enjoy the 19th century treats.

Still baked the way it was in 1800 when the bakery opened, bread and pastries are served hot from wood-fired ovens to tourists and locals alike every day.

The bakery, along with other buildings open for tour in this historic area of Winston-Salem, offer a glimpse into the lives of early settlers — the Moravians, a religious sect pre-dating the Lutherans by 100 years.

Moravian settlements in the New World

Their first Moravian mission in the British Colonies was in Savannah. Eventually the Moravians traveled north to Pennsylvania where they bought two tracts of land and founded Nazareth and Bethlehem. As these towns prospered, the brethren wanted to spread the Gospels to an area without churches.

They eventually decided on almost 100,000 acres owned by Lord Granville along the banks of Muddy Creek in Piedmont, NC. It was named Der Wachau, or creek along the meadow, after an estate in Austria that had been owned by a Moravian bishop’s family. The Latin form, Wachovia, was later adopted.

The Church paid about 35 cents an acre for the Wachovia tract; an area that now comprises most of Forsyth County .

Their mission was to establish a religious community where everyone contributed according to ability and took according to need.  

When the Moravians arrived in what is now North Carolina, they established Bethabara in 1753.

When you visit the museum here, you’ll be greeted by women in historic dress who will invite you to look at a few museum pieces and watch a short film to help you envision what the Carolina backcountry was like nearly 250 years ago when 15 brethren arrived after walking from Pennsylvania to settle this religious village and trade center in the wilderness.

In addition to the visitor center, the park features a restored 1788 church, archaeological ruins, exhibits and tours as well as a reconstructed village and a French and Indian War (1753-1762) fort along with the colonial and medical gardens.

Bethabara became a center for religion, government, trade, industry, culture, education and the arts. More than 75 buildings were constructed during the first 20 years. During the French and Indian War, Bethabara also served as a defensive center for settlers and a supply depot for the Catawba allies of the British.

The Moravians understood the need for trained and skilled settlers to be among their community. A doctor, minister, carpenters, farmers, tailors, shoemakers and millers were needed to carve a settlement out of the wilderness.

The settlement was meant to be a temporary until the central town could be established. It wasn't long before others on the frontier learned of the skilled tradesmen available here and within three years the population had grown to 65 people.

As the population grows, another community is established

The second of the Wachovia villages is Bethania, laid out in 1759 to help deal with the crowded conditions brought on by refugees flocking to Bethabara. After only 13 years in the wilderness, some 166 people lived in the two communities.

Bethania, the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, was the first planned Moravian settlement in North Carolina, designed to be a congregational, agricultural and trades community. This community is the only remaining independent, continuously active Moravian village in the southern United States, and is the only known existing Germanic-type Linear Agricultural village in the South.

The village and its 18th and 19th century properties are listed on the National and North Carolina State Historic Registers of Places.

The best place to start you exploration is at the visitor center and museum which includes a restored Moravian farmstead home, the Wolff-Moser House, dating to 1792. The home if one of the earliest known surviving rural Moravian farmstead homes in North America.

The house and visitor center are both located at the intersection of Main Street and Bethania Road.

Walking along quiet streets, you’ll find picturesque Moravian architecture and be able to explore Bethania's cultural landscape, including a walk into the historic Black Walnut Bottom with its winding paths traversing through wooded areas, across small wooden bridges and into large meadows.

Bethania Mill and Village Shoppes, just across the street from the visitor center, is the only shopping center within the city limits. Housed in an old seed mill, there are numerous shops with souvenirs, antiques and decorative items.

Although other Moravian communities sprang up across Wachovia — Friedburg in 1773, Hope in 1776 and Friedland in 1780 — the focus was on the founding of Salem which was to become the central congregational town.

Salem becomes the heart of the Moravian settlement

Founded in 1766 to house professional Moravian craftsmen, Salem, a congregational town and trading center, was a haven for entrepreneurs. Now known as Old Salem Museums & Gardeners, it is one of America’s most authentic and well-documented colonial sites with 100 restored and reconstructed buildings.

Start your visit at the Old Salem Visitor Center — your gateway to the historic district. Once you’ve purchased your tickets which allow you entry into the buildings open for tour, you’ll cross a covered bridge into Old Salem.

The Moravians are known for their excellent journaling and for this reason, what you see closely reflects the lives of North Carolina settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Costumed interpreters go about their daily household activities as they describe the lives of European and African descendants who resided here through 1840. Skilled trades, such as pewtering, pottery making, woodworking, shoemaking and tailoring, also are demonstrated.

Two National Historic Landmarks are here: the Single Brothers' House and Salem Tavern. The tavern is known for its traditional Moravian dishes including Moravian Gingerbread made with fresh ginger root and grated orange peel, and topped with lemon ice cream.

Strolling along tree-lined streets, you’ll find yourself slowing your gate to take in the serenity of your surroundings. At every stop you learn more about this religious sect, their beliefs and the way with which they worked together as one to complete their ideas and plans. 

In 1849 Salem Congregation sold land to the newly formed Forsyth County to build the county seat called Winston. In 1913 the village of Salem officially merged with the city of Winston to form modern Winston-Salem.

Each step you take in the Moravian’s footsteps is a lesson in perseverance, religious freedom and America. But walk slowly; the journey is one you’ll want to take time to enjoy.

If you go:

For more information on Old Salem, check the website http://www.oldsalem.org/.

For information on other attractions, hotels and restaurants, check the website http://www.visitwinstonsalem.com/.

The Hilton Garden Inn Winston-Salem/Hanes Mall, located close to all the city’s attractions at 1325 Creekshire Way. For more information check the website http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=INTWSGI.