09/22/2026
I love the history of Old Salem. ❤️
What an incredible place!
In the Moravian settlement of Salem, now part of Winston-Salem, church members didn't just worship together, they were organized into life stage groups called choirs. ⛪ Beginning in the 18th century, Moravians grouped congregants by age, gender, and marital status, including Single Brothers, Single Sisters, Married Brothers, Married Sisters, Widowers, and Widows, and several of these choirs actually lived together in dedicated buildings.
The Single Brothers' House, built starting in 1769, and the Single Sisters' House, begun in 1785, still stand in Old Salem today as some of the town's oldest surviving buildings. The Salem congregation was established in 1771, but the present Home Moravian Church sanctuary was completed in 1800. Anchored the community's spiritual life, the choir system shaped daily life in Salem for generations before Salem and the neighboring town of Winston officially merged in 1913.
An entire town once organized its social and spiritual life around which choir group you belonged to, not just your family. 🎶
Had you heard of the Moravian choir system before visiting Old Salem, or is this new to you?
