The Tar Heel State - Winston-Salem/Greensboro

North Carolina - part four

(Sightseeing)

May 20, 2018 - May 23, 2018

From Raleigh we moved further west in order to see some of the sights in Winston-Salem and Greensboro, NC.

In Greensboro we visited the International Civil Rights Center and Museum which is housed in the actual Woolworth store where the first civil rights lunch counter sit-in occurred in 1960.

Site of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

These were the four young black men who, as local college students, planned and participated in the lunch counter sit in.

It was the first of many that followed all over the "Jim Crow" south.

The name Jim Crow came from an exaggerated and highly stereotypical black character played by a white actor in blackface.  It was originally used as a racial epithet for blacks and came to more generally represent laws and customs that oppressed blacks.

No photographs are currently allowed in the museum which is unfortunate.  We found it to be very interesting and educational, showcasing the difficulties of living "separate but equal" in the south.  It's presented in a uncompromising manner showing the tremendous struggle for civil rights that took place in the U.S.  Considering some of the events that have occurred in the last year or so I wonder just how far we've actually come.  If you are ever in Greensboro, this museum is a must see.

Old Salem was quite a surprise.  It's an amazing place - basically the remains of a Moravian town established in 1766.  Over 100 buildings have been restored or reconstructed on their original sites.  Many of them are open to view and are staffed by costumed interpreters.  Interspersed with these buildings are private residences, gardens, orchards, etc.

You can see that the site is quite large and the offering of building to visit is extensive.

This is the Moravian church in what is now Old Salem.

We were completely unaware of the Moravian religion until we visited Old Salem.

It dates back to followers of Jan Hus (originally referred to as Hussites) in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) who broke with the Catholic church a century before the Protestant Reformation.  Some say this makes it the oldest Protestant Religion.

Inside of the Church.  Woman sat on one side, men on the other.  Children sat up front.

Looking down one of the streets of Old Salem.

Exterior of the Single Brothers House

Tile stove in one of the bedrooms of the single brother's house.

Many of the rooms had a tile stove and each one was unique.

Bedroom in the single brothers house.  This one has a metal stove for heat.

Looking up one of the streets in Old Salem.

Example of the actual scaffolding.

Shop area of a watch maker and jeweler.

The shop was on one side of the building and his living area was on the other side as well as upstairs.

Old log building in Old Salem.

Home in Old Salem.  This might be a private residence or it might be a building open to the public - can't remember which!

Another home in Old Salem.

As you can see the area has lots of trees and shrubs.

Combined with the old buildings it is a very appealing place.

Have to say this is another "must see" place if you are ever in the Winston-Salem area.  They have done an amazing job of rebuilding and restoring the original buildings.