Old Salem Tavern

Salem Tavern in the colonial town of Salem, which sits in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, today, holds a lot of history. Built in 1771, the tavern burned to the ground in 1784. Fire always posed a threat to establishments with a kitchen and heavy use of candles. The Moravians quickly rebuilt the structure on the original foundations. Since Salem had become an important trading town, the tavern, which functioned as an inn, had become a necessity.

Over the years, many important people stayed in the tavern. For example, in 1791, George Washington stayed for two nights when he was on his tour of the South. He even wrote a letter back to the Moravian brothers saying how indebted he felt for their kindness.

The tavern had more economical facilities for the common traveler and more luxurious ones for the wealthy gentlemen. This included both the dining rooms and the bedrooms. In the common rooms a man could end up sleeping with a number of strangers, depending on how many came to stay that night.

The inn also had a large cellar for storage, a bigger kitchen than many dwellings, laundry house, and barn. Today, there are two tavern buildings in the historic village. There's the tavern museum, a brick building that shows what the original building was like, and the tavern that serves meals to tourists. Both are worth the visit.

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