Tanglewood and Old Salem

 

This was the view from the back of our campsite at Tanglewood this morning. The skies were overcast, but the temperatures were a mild 66F/17C. We enjoyed breakfast outside before heading up to the city to visit Old Salem Historic Museum.

Old Salem was founded in 1766 by Moravian settlers who moved into land once inhabited by the Saura tribe. The Moravians were Protestants from what is now the Czech Republic. You can learn more about them and the town at History Of Old Salem - My Winston-Salem.

The missus and I, along with our Corgi, took a walking tour of Main Street, the street along which most of the historic shops and houses are located. We purchased limited tickets that allowed us each to enter two of the buildings that were part of the museum. Because our dog was with us, we took turns visiting different buildings particular to our own interests.

My favorite building was the Boys' School. I learned the following facts about the school from our tour guide. The first floor was the living space for the lead teacher. It included a kitchen, living space, a bedroom, and a cold cellar. The second floor was where the classrooms were located. The boys' dormitory was on the third floor. Up to 30 boys, in bunks stacked 3 high, resided in the dorm at one time, as did the assistant teacher.

Boys from ages 6 to 14 attended the school six days a week, year-round, and graduated with the equivalent of what would be an associate's degree today.

We also stopped at the bakery, and the missus picked out some local delights for us to snack on during our ride home at the end of our trip. Our tour ended with a delicious lunch at the Muddy Creek Cafe, a quaint little restaurant at the corner of Main and West Streets.

Should you ever get a chance to visit Old Salem, I highly recommend you do so.