Old Salem Museums & Gardens

The Moravians settled in North Carolina in the 1750s by acquiring a 100,000 acre tract of land which they called Wachovia.  In 1766 they began construction of Salem as the central town to serve as the craft, trade and professional hub for the surrounding Moravian farming congregations.  The restoration of Old Salem began in 1950, and included removal of modern buildings to allow the restoration of the historic landscapes.  Through diaries and journals, paintings and drawings, maps and photographs, Old Salem has been able to learn much about land use and what the early residents grew. Botanists were among Salem’s residents and recorded important inventories of local flora, collected specimens, and made contributions to the broad science.  With this rich body of documentation, the Horticulture Program at Old Salem has worked for forty years to re-establish a landscape recalling early Salem. Native trees and shrubs have been reintroduced, historic fencing separate lots.  Orchards, meadows and gardens are featured throughout the ninety-acre historic area.  Today, nine individual family gardens  illustrate the evolution of gardening from the pragmatic eighteenth-century gardens to the more ornamental plants of the mid-nineteenth century. Old Salem Museums & Gardens is committed to authenticity in the selection of heirlooms plants but also to sustainable practices in growing and seed saving.  The Gardens of Old Salem provide a practical and relevant model for small family gardening in the twenty-first century; through its educational programs, tours, seed swaps and workshops, the museum offers a variety of garden experiences to the public throughout the year. The garden shop in Old Salem features heirloom seeds, as well as heirloom plants grown by the museum.

The Fourth House in Old Salem is owned by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the state of North Carolina. This half-timbered house was constructed in 1768 and is the oldest building in Winston,Salem.

 

Website: www.oldsalem.org