Salem Tavern

Salem Tavern is a historic property at 800 South Main Street in the Old Salem Historic District of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Originally associated with the eighteenth-century Moravian settlement of Salem, the building served as a tavern, lodging house, and important community facility in a trade-oriented religious settlement. The present brick structure was built in 1784 after an earlier tavern constructed in 1771 burned. Its rapid reconstruction reflected the tavern’s practical importance to the Salem community and to travelers using the settlement’s commercial network. The 1784 building was constructed by mason Johann Gottlob Krause, using bricks that had already been prepared for another project. It became the first entirely brick building in what is now Old Salem and is regarded as one of the oldest surviving brick tavern buildings in the United States. The principal structure is two and a half stories tall, with public rooms on the ground floor and guest sleeping quarters above. A rear ell contained the kitchen and the landlord’s quarters. A neighboring wood-frame building provided additional accommodations. The property developed in stages. A wooden building was added to the north in 1815, and a connecting structure was constructed in 1832. A two-story porch once extended across the three-building complex in 1838, although that feature has since been removed. The tavern’s historical associations include a two-night stay by George Washington during his Southern Tour in 1791, an episode that contributes to the site’s significance as a surviving travel and hospitality building from the early United States. Salem Tavern no longer operates as a commercial tavern. It is owned by Old Salem Museums & Gardens and is presented as a tour building within the Old Salem visitor experience. The brick tavern and adjacent 1815 structure have been restored to represent their historic appearances. The restoration effort was spearheaded by Winston-Salem native Ada Allen, an interior architect and designer, who lived in the building with her sister Annie. Salem Tavern was the first building restored in the area that later became Old Salem. The property was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Its significance rests on its architecture, its connection to the Moravian community, its role in early American travel and hospitality, and its survival as part of the historic Old Salem landscape. Because Salem Tavern is a historic museum property rather than a conventional commercial brand, there are no established consumer product lines, public financial disclosures, stock listing, or conventional corporate executive structure associated with it.

Salem Tavern developed within the Moravian settlement of Salem, a community that functioned both as a religious center and as a regional trade town. An earlier tavern was built on the site in 1771, but it burned to the ground in 1784. The replacement building was constructed quickly because lodging and hospitality were important to the settlement’s commercial and civic life. Mason Johann Gottlob Krause built the present brick tavern using bricks that had been prepared for another building project. The 1784 tavern was architecturally significant from the beginning. It was the first entirely brick building in the area now known as Old Salem and combined public hospitality spaces with private lodging and service areas. The principal building contained public rooms on the first floor and sleeping quarters for guests on the upper level. A rear ell accommodated the kitchen and landlord’s quarters. A separate wood-frame structure was later used to provide additional sleeping rooms. The complex expanded in the nineteenth century. A wooden building was added to the north in 1815, followed by a connecting building in 1832. In 1838, a two-story porch was built across the three structures. That porch has not survived, but the principal brick building and the adjacent 1815 structure remain important components of the historic site. The tavern’s hospitality role also gave it a place in the travel history of the early republic. George Washington stayed there for two nights during his Southern Tour in 1791. Over time, the property ceased to function as an operating tavern and became part of the historic fabric preserved in Old Salem. Its restoration was led by Ada Allen, a Winston-Salem native who worked as an interior architect and designer. Allen lived in the building with her sister Annie during the restoration effort. Salem Tavern was the first building restored in what would become the Old Salem historic and museum district. The restored property is now owned by Old Salem Museums & Gardens and is open to visitors as an Old Salem tour building. Its interpretation focuses on the building’s architecture, domestic arrangements, role in Moravian community life, and connection to early American travel. In 1964, Salem Tavern was designated a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its national importance as an exceptionally old surviving brick tavern and as a representative structure associated with the history of Salem and the Moravian settlement. The building consists of two principal surviving components: a brick structure and a wood-frame structure. Both are two and a half stories high and have gabled roofs. The brick building stands on a raised foundation and has a single-story, shed-roof porch across its front. The porch is supported by square posts and reached from the sidewalk by side-facing stairs. These physical features, together with the preserved interior arrangement, help visitors understand how an early American tavern combined public rooms, guest accommodations, kitchen facilities, and administrative living space.

• 1964

  Designated a National Historic Landmark

  [1]Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  Salem Tavern received National Historic Landmark designation in recognition of its architectural and historical importance.

• 1838

  Two-story porch added

  [1]Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  A two-story porch was installed across the three-building complex; it has since been removed.

• 1832

  Connecting building constructed

  [1]Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  A building connecting the main tavern and the 1815 addition was constructed.

• 1815

  Wood-frame lodging building added

  [1]Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  A neighboring wooden building was added to provide additional sleeping quarters.

• 1791

  George Washington stayed at the tavern

  [1]Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  George Washington lodged at Salem Tavern for two nights during his Southern Tour.

• 1784

  Present brick tavern built

  [1]Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  After the earlier structure burned, the present brick Salem Tavern was rapidly rebuilt by mason Johann Gottlob Krause.

• 1771

  Earlier tavern constructed

  [1]Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  An earlier tavern was established on the site in the Moravian settlement of Salem.

A preserved eighteenth-century tavern interpreted as a historic museum property and architectural landmark within Old Salem.

• Historic museum property · 1784

  Historic Salem Tavern building

  The principal 1784 brick building is a two-and-a-half-story tavern with public rooms on the ground floor, guest sleeping quarters above, and a rear ell containing the kitchen and landlord’s quarters. It is preserved and interpreted as part of the Old Salem Museums & Gardens visitor experience.

• Historic museum property · 1815

  Adjacent 1815 lodging building

  The neighboring wood-frame structure was added in 1815 to expand lodging capacity. It has been restored with the tavern complex and helps explain how the property accommodated travelers and guests.

1. 1Salem Tavernen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Historic American Buildings Survey: The Tavern, 800 South Main Streetloc.gov