You could be fired - the Hostler

The tavern is the dark building on the left 

In 1791, the year President Washington stayed two nights in the Salem tavern, the hostler (horse boy) at the tavern was an unnamed stranger (i.e. non-Moravian). In that year he was dismissed from service at the tavern because "he is not taking care well enough of the strangers, that he is too slow and negligent in his service."

The early Moravians walked a fine line. They valued hospitality and sought to extend it to "Strangers". On the other hand their life was organized to not be influenced or transformed by the thoughts, actions, and words of the Strangers. Above all the Moravians jealously guarded their spiritual life. 

A Moravian brother at the tavern

A Moravian brother at the 1784 Salem tavern. Why not visit Old Salem and swing by the tavern. 

Seventy Soldiers

"In the afternoon more than 70 soldiers arrived, passing through our neighborhood on their way to join the Army which is gathering on the frontier to meet the Indians. 

They camped about a half a mile from town on the road to Friedberg and stayed for two 

days, during which time they made many visits to the town, but their behavior was quiet and orderly. The officers took up their quarters in our Tavern. 

On Wednesday morning they marched away, through our town and through Bethabara." 

-- Diary entry for January 20, 1793.

Recovering the Moravian past is key to the Moravian future.

The 1784 Tavern Kitchen

The kitchen in the 1784 tavern (above and below)

The sister on the right describes the food and beverage served at the tavern. On selected days of the week the tavern, using 18th century methods and recipes, makes complete meals. 

The Ruins Of The Tavern in Bethabara

Going "hands on"

Brother Meyer, an 18th tavern keeper, in Salem, NC, found out that keeping a colonial tavern was not for the faint of heart. From time to time the keeper must go hands on. 

Come visit the 1784 Tavern in Old Salem, NC. Love to see you.

Photo Credit: Digital Forsyth

Historic Bethabara -The Bethabara Tavern

Bethabara, NC, is the 1753 site of the First Moravian settlement in North Carolina. 

Hospitality to the stranger and the needy topped the priorities of the first Moravians in North Carolina. Accommodating strangers, however, was difficult until the Brethren built the first tavern in 1757. This tavern served until 1775. 

All that remains of the historic tavern is the well pictured above. 

Below are two entries in the Wachovia Diary that relate to the tavern.

__________

"Many people come here to buy and sell, some remaining overnight with us, and some at the mill."

Wachovia Diary, January 13, 1757.

"Last night again one of the most unruly companies of hunters was in our Tavern. They have several times recently given much trouble, but this time kept fairly well within bounds, and left this morning."

Bethabara Diary, January 14, 1763.

Image - Colonial Games

The Public Room at the 1784 Tavern at Old Salem, NC

The Public Room at the 1784 Tavern in Old Salem is staged with the sort of things that were there in the last quarter of the 18th century. The inventory would include: newspapers, snacks, maps, Bibles, puzzles and games.

Most of the period games are recognized by current visitors to the tavern - dominoes, chess, and checkers. There are also games that are unfamiliar to most, such as The Royal and Most Pleasant Game of the Goose and Nine Mans Morris. It is to be noted that none of the games encourage gambling which was unwelcome in the tavern. 

The former game, Goose, is a precursor to Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders and may date back 2000 years. The latter game is a combination of checkers and tic-tac-toe.

You can find these games on the Internet. With the Internet as your resource you may learn, and perhaps purchase a two hundred plus year old game.

For Goose - click here.

For Nine Mans Morris - click here.

Image - The 1784 Salem Tavern

The Salem Tavern as it exists today was built in 1784. The 1784 tavern was built to be as fire proof as an 18th century building could be. A hard lesson and experience with fire was had when the earlier wooden tavern burned to the ground. With fire prevention in mind the replacement tavern was the first all brick building in Salem. Parts of the basement walls are from the original 1775 Tavern building.

In the late 18th century all who worked and lived in Salem were Moravians. Because Salem was a trade town, as contrasted with the Moravian farming communities, it was necessary to attract non-Moravians or “strangers” as they were called. Strangers were needed to purchase what the tradesmen of Salem made. The tavern housed only non-Moravian men coming to Salem to purchase goods. 

The tavern back in the day would be considered 4 Star by the standards of the day. 

The Strangers coming to Salem were a mixed blessing. They were needed for commerce but not for an exchange of ideas. The Moravians to put it bluntly did not wish to hear the latest trendy Christian idea. They were rightly satisfied with their corporate spiritual life. With that in mind the leaders of Salem decided to place the Tavern on the outskirts of town to avoid the influence of “strangers” as much as possible. 

The Tavern was built, owned and operated by the Moravian Church. It was the church that selected a married couple to run the facility. It was important that the couple could run a successful business as well as set a good example of the Moravian community. In addition to the tavern keeper and his wife, the Tavern required several workers. A hostler (horse boy) and female workers were usually part of the workforce. An enslaved African American family also lived and worked in the Tavern in 1791.

Several consequential Strangers or guests stayed at Salem’s tavern. The most famous visitor, President George Washington, stayed two nights in 1791.  

This was also the first building by mason Johann Gottlob Krause, who built most of Salem’s largest and most important masonry buildings in the subsequent 20 years.

Image - A Sturdy Lock

The study lock on the 1784 Moravian Tavern in Old Salem, NC. 

Basic Definition of a Moravian from c. 1750 to c. 1800

As a historical interpreter at Old Salem, NC, in the 1784 tavern - a living history experience in North Carolina I receive five or so reoccurring questions. One of the most common questions is: “what is a Moravian?” 

Below is the most basic description I can offer of a Moravian in North Carolina between the years 1750 and 1800. They were:

• German speaking Protestants,

• Products of the German Pietist Movement,

• Christ centered,

• Mission driven,

• Traditionally grounded,

• Congregationally focused,

• And generally life is lived out in congregational towns or villages. Salem was one such congregational town.