Bethabara, Bethania, and Salem

The first three settlements in Wachovia were Bethabara, Bethania, and Salem. Why were these towns established, and how were they established? What made them unique?   Bethabara: In 1753, the Moravians purchased a 100,000-acre tract that would be named Wachovia. 15 Moravian Brethren traveled from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and founded the settlement in November of 1753. This establishment was different from the Moravian settlements in Pennsylvania, being founded as an economic venture for the church rather than for missionary work. The town of Bethabara was meant only to be a temporary settlement until the Moravians were able to construct the central town of Salem, but the creation of this town would be delayed due to the French and Indian War. Bethabara operated under the Oeconomy system, a semi-communal institution controlled by the Moravian Church. Before the creation of Salem, Bethabara grew into a well-known and prosperous town, and after the creation of the central town, it became a farming community after most operations were moved to Salem. Bethabara is now a National Historic Landmark and a public park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Bethania: Bethania is the first designed town in Wachovia. During the French and Indian War, Bethabara hosted many refugees, causing Bethabara to become overcrowded. This and a few other factors led to the decision to create a new town that would help ease the population of Bethabara and also to help make sure that Bethabara would not become large enough to compete against the still unstarted central town of Salem. Established in 1759, the community consisted of Moravian and non-Moravian refugee families, something not common in Moravian towns. At first, no structures that could divert visitors from Bethabara and compete against Bethabara were allowed to be built in the newly created town (ex: stores, taverns). The town would develop into a small and thriving industrial town. Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina. The Wolff-Moser House at Bethania is one of the earliest known rural Moravian farmstead houses in North America and is open to tour. Salem: Having always been planned as the central town, the proposed settlement did not receive much attention until the mid-1760s after the French and Indian War ended. After the war, there was hesitation to proceed with the creation of Salem as Bethabara was now well-known in the area. This resulted in church authorities in Herrnhut, Germany, asking the Lot whether the Moravians should even start a new town. After receiving a “yes,” the Moravians began building the town in 1766, and by 1774, Salem was considered to be the leading commercial center of the Piedmont. Salem, now known as Old Salem, is a historic district of Winston-Salem and operates as a living history museum.   Bibliography & Further Reading: Crews, C. D. (Ed.). (1993). Bethania: A Fresh Look at Its Birth. Winston-Salem, NC: Moravian Church in America, Southern Province. Crews, C. Daniel, and Richard Starbuck. With Courage for the Future: The Story of the Moravian Church, Southern Province. Winston-Salem, NC: Moravian Church in America, Southern Province, 2002. Eller, Ernest. Bethania in Wachovia, Bicentennial of Bethania Moravian Church, 1759-1959. Winston-Salem, NC: Bradford Printing Service, 1959. Faull, Katherine, trans. Moravian Women's Memoirs. Women and Gender in North America Religions. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1997. Fries, Adelaide, ed. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume I: 1752-1771. Vol. I. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Print Company, 1922. Fries, Adelaide. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume II: 1752-1775. Vol. II. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Print Company, 1925. James, Hunter. The Quiet People of the Land: A Story of the North Carolina Moravians in Revolutionary Times. Chapel Hill