Bethabara Historic District facts for kids
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Bethabara Historic District
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Bethabara Moravian Church in 1934
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | North of Winston-Salem on NC 67, near Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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| Area | 41 acres (17 ha) |
| Built | 1753 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001948 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 15, 1978 |
| Designated NHLD | January 20, 1999 |
The Bethabara Historic District is a special place in Forsyth County, North Carolina. It includes old buildings and hidden foundations from a small Moravian community. This community was first settled in 1753. Today, it is a public park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 1999, it was named a National Historic Landmark.
History of Bethabara
Bethabara is a Hebrew name meaning "House of Passage." It was a village in what is now Forsyth County, North Carolina. In 1753, twelve men from the Moravian Church first settled here. They moved into an empty cabin on a huge piece of land. This land was 100,000 acres and was bought from Lord Granville. The Moravians called this area Wachovia.
The early settlers were known for their good farming methods. They had a special medicine garden. This garden grew over fifty kinds of herbs.
Bethabara was not meant to be a permanent home. It was a temporary place for the Moravians. They planned to find a better spot for their main village later. Just six months after they arrived, the Seven Years' War began. This war was also known as the French and Indian War in America. The fighting quickly spread to nearby areas. Bethabara gave shelter to many people needing safety until 1761. Because more Moravians arrived and many refugees needed help, building a main town was put off for thirteen years.
In 1766, it finally felt safe enough to start building the central town. This new town was called Salem. Many buildings in Bethabara were taken apart. Their materials were used to build new structures in Salem. As houses were removed, their small underground storage rooms were filled in.
By 1771, Salem was finished. The main leadership of the Moravian community moved from Bethabara to Salem. Only a few people stayed behind in Bethabara. It became a farming community. It supplied food to the other Moravian towns in Wachovia.
In 1788, Johann Samuel, an enslaved person, became the farm's manager. He became free in 1801. He had worked for the Moravians for 50 years. Bethabara slowly became less important. Its main jobs were farming and making pottery until the 1850s.
Historic Bethabara Park Today
Today, what is left of the village is part of Historic Bethabara Park. This includes the dug-up foundations of the first buildings. It also has the restored main church building, called the Gemeinhaus. A rebuilt fence, called a palisade, and old-style gardens are also there.
A famous archaeologist named Stanley South dug up the site in the 1960s. The park is 183 acres and is also a wildlife preserve. It is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The City of Winston-Salem Recreation & Parks Department runs it as an outdoor museum. The park also has 20 miles of nature trails.
The park often has festivals and historical shows on weekends. One popular event is the Independence Weekend Celebration. It happens around Independence Day.
The Bethabara site was named a National Historic Landmark in 1999. The Gemeinhaus (the church) was separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Images for kids
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Excavated cellar of the 1762 Smith's House.
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Log house, built around 1815–16 in Historic Bethabara.
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Bethabara Moravian Church, also known as the Gemeinhaus.
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See also
