Old Salem expansion

Photo Credit: Digital Forsyth

The National Park Service has expanded the size of Old Salem's national historic landmark district.

The previous district covered 62 acres and focused on Moravian history between 1766 and 1856. It’s expansion now includes the 20th century and beyond and encompasses a broader swath of the community.

Mo Hartley of Old Salem Museums and Gardens  says the announcement will help show that the influence of Salem didn’t end after 1856.

“When you are able to say this is a national historic landmark, that elevates the awareness for grants, for public interest and preservation awareness that leads to support. This can only be beneficial.”

The new district includes part of the Happy Hill community, Winston-Salem’s oldest black neighborhood.

Hartley says the neighborhood was established after the Civil War when freedmen bought property in Happy Hill for $10 a lot from the Moravian Church.   — WFDD, Winston Salem