The lease system

The Salem pottery 

The lease system was a means for the church to maintain control over the affairs of the village of Salem. Families were assigned home sites but the land itself continued to belong to the Moravian church. The building(s) and improvements belonged to the individual or family but the land was leased one year at a time. If someone no longer wished to live under the discipline of the Moravian church the lease would not be renewed. 

The church not only leased property for the homestead but also for tradesmen - bakers and tailors and such. This enabled the church to limit the number of craftsmen for any given product. Limitations enabled Salem to be one of the richest and most productive communities in North Carolina.