Located 95 mi/155 km west of Raleigh in the Piedmont Triad, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is the site of the first North Carolina settlement founded by Moravians, a small religious community that came from Pennsylvania in 1753.
The Moravians started a small town called Bethabara (House of Passages), then, in 1776, started a larger town, Salem, a few miles away. The restored Old Salem is now among the top tourist attractions in North Carolina.
St. Philips Moravian Church, the oldest African-American church in North Carolina, was restored and opened in 2003. Nearby is the first log building that served as a place of worship for the slaves in the Moravian community.
Winston-Salem has much to do with tobacco (as you might expect, given that the town has inspired two namesake cigarette brands). Visitors can see a display of historical memorabilia (and a gift shop) at the R.J. Reynolds Manufacturing Center, though tours of the factory are no longer offered.
For a look at the wealth tobacco can generate, visit Tanglewood, a park the Reynolds family donated to the city, and ReyRead More ... nolda House, a 1917 estate built by R.J. Reynolds that is now a museum of American art. Nearby is the campus of Wake Forest University, which is worth a look for its chapel and neo-Georgian architecture.The city is also the birthplace and headquarters of the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts company. The original doughnut-making machine was sent to the Smithsonian in 1997 on the 60th anniversary of the company's 1937 founding. The tasty treats are now found throughout the world.
Annual events in the area include the Easter Sunrise Service in Old Salem, a traditional Easter service that has been held continuously since 1773 and draws thousands of worshippers. Each December, the Old Salem Christmas re-creates a Moravian Christmas with choral and church-band music, craft demonstrations, special decorations and activities.
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