Winston-Salem, NC

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  • History Institutions of Winston-Salem 

Reynolda House Museum of American Art - Originally the home of Katherine Smith and R.J. Reynolds, founder of the prominent R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, this house museum contains over 6,000 historic objects. The house also contains famous works of classic American art on its walls for visitors to see.1  

Lam Museum of Anthropology - Created by Winston-Salem’s Wake Forest University, the Lam Museum of Anthropology was created in 1963 to broaden student learning. The museum’s goal is to create awareness of global cultures through collecting, preserving and curating archeological artifacts, objects, and visual art.2 

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art- The SECCA began as a non-profit visual arts organization in 1956. The Secca produces exhibitions and holds programs for international and American artists. It serves as a center for exchange and partnership for the art community.3 

New Winston Museum- This is a local history museum focusing on the history of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County from the 1850s to the present. The museum also conducts programs for the local community.4 

Cowboy Museum- What started as a collection of cowboy and western memorabilia created by Richard Evans became a Cowboy Museum open to the public. There is an emphasis on American cowboy movies, and it attracts people of similar interests to visit.5  

Historic Town of Salem- A historic district dedicated to the Moravians that settled there. The town contains restored and preserved buildings focusing on colonial 18th-century and Early American 19th-century communal buildings, churches, shops, and houses.6 

Historic Bethabara Park-  Bethabara, Winston-Salem is one of the first European Settlements in North Carolina. The area has been turned into a historic park filled with gardens and various acres of wildlife preserves.7  

Kaleideum- The Kaleideum is a child-oriented museum based on learning. Their message is to introduce children to the world of science, engineering, arts and mathematics through interactive exhibits and programs.8 

Salem Tavern- A museum that is property of the Old Salem Historic District. Once an 18th-century tavern in the old town of Salem, it is now both a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest surviving buildings in the United States.9 

  1. “Discover the 1917 Estate of Katharine and R.J. Reynolds.” Reynolda, April 6, 2022. https://reynolda.org/.↩

  2. “History.” Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology, February 2, 2024. https://lammuseum.wfu.edu/↩

  3. “About.” About SECCA | Winston-Salem, NC. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://secca.org/about.php↩

  4. Gigley, Chris. “Museum, Unlimited.” Winston-Salem Journal, January 3, 2016. https://www.journalnow.com/winstonsalemmonthly/museum-unlimited/article_af105898-b0e4-11e5-b4c9-2365ee161437.html. ↩

  5. Report, Staff. “New Cowboy Museum Offers Old West Nostalgia.” clemmonscourier, February 15, 2022. https://www.clemmonscourier.net/2022/02/17/new-cowboy-museum-offers-old-west-nostaglia/.↩

  6. “About Us.” Old Salem Museums & Gardens, November 8, 2023. https://www.oldsalem.org/about-hours-contact/. ↩

  7. “Our History.” Historic Bethabara Park. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://historicbethabara.org/our-history/.↩

  8. Leighannwoodruff. “Say Hello to Learning Reimagined.” Kaleideum. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://kaleideum.org/. ↩

  9. "Salem Tavern". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2024↩

  • List of libraries and archival collections 

Forsyth County Central Library- This library is open to the public with a mission statement about forming connections between the community and the library. Forsyth Library offers events such as book readings for all different age groups.10  

Moravian Archives, Winston-Salem, NC - The Moravian Archives are the official archive for the preservation and collective memory of the Moravian Church, which plays a huge role in Winston-Salem’s settlement. The archives provide historical records and material objects pertaining to Moravian history, and the public has access to their contents.11  

Southside Branch Library- Southside Branch Library serves as the official library for the southeastern section of Winston-Salem. The library also provides many bilingual programs for those who have English as a second language.12  

Digital Forsyth- Accessible digital archives for Forsyth County. This digital archive provides easy-to-access photos, articles, and comment boards for people to hold conversations about their findings or ask questions.13  

Reynolda House and Village Collection- The Reynolda House, which is now a museum, also has extensive and accessible archives. Their collections connect the local history of the Reynolda family to the rest of Winston-Salem’s history and the impact the Reynolds Tobacco company had on the city and the rest of America.14  

  • Newspapers

The People's Press- One of Winston-Salem’s first newspapers. It ran from 1851-1892, primarily covering the time when Winston-Salem was known only as Salem.

 

The Twin-city Daily Sentinel- One of Winston-Salem’s afternoon papers. Its name derives from the fact that Winston and Salem combined their two cities into one Winston-Salem.

Winston-Salem Chronicle- This was Winston-Salem’s weekly newspaper made specifically for the local Black community. 

Winston-Salem journal- This daily newspaper was founded in 1897 and covers primarily Winston-Salem and Forsyth county. It also covers the  Northwestern part of North Carolina.



  • Books

Winston-Salem: From the Collection of Frank B. Jones Jr. by Molly Grogan Rawls - This book, utilizing photographs and film taken by Frank B. Jones, tells a story of how Winston and Salem combined their cultural and industrial forces together to create Winston-Salem. The book contains information on notable people and events that occurred from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Winston-Salem: A Twin City History by Michael Bricker - In this book, the author tells the story of Winston-Salem through the lens of the workers instead of wealthy public figures and businessmen. He also talks about the more recent history of Winston-Salem, rather than just focusing on its creation and Moravian background, like how Winston-Salem dealt with the American Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, Prohibition, the Great Depression, and the Cold War. 

Winston-Salem: A History by Frank V. Tursi - This book covers notable Winston-Salem figures. These include politician Marshall Kurfees, Simon Green Atkins, first president of Winston-Salem State University and founder of the North Carolina Negro Teachers' Association; vilified businessman F. Ross Johnson, and advertising icon Joe Camel. It explains how the buyout of RJR Nabisco, the merger of Nabisco Brands and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, affected the town and required the city to attract new businesses and address race relations. 



  • Documentaries

Merger: Making the Twin City (2013) - In 1913, Winston and Salem, two independent municipalities, merged their governments and their identities under the hyphenated name of Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem is a unique part of North Carolina's history because of this merger. The community of Salem was composed of people who wanted religious freedom. Though with political differences between business owners and farmers, there was something everyone there wanted. They wanted to form their own county for a county seat, which became Forsyth County. The “county town” then became known as Winston. Both Winston and Salem were eventually connected by the North Carolina Railroad. As the connection between the two grew, the towns decided to merge into one.

Engine Four (2007) - Tells the story of Winston-Salem’s first firehouse integrated into the city in  1951. The story is told by four surviving firemen of the integrated company, ignoring the conventions of the Jim Crow South and having Black and White firemen work together.

Chasing the Clouds (2003) - A documentary about Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem/ It is credited with its facilities helping defeat the Axis during World War II, and later giving rise to one of the nation’s leading airlines. With the use of photographs and video, this documentary shows how the airport went from one of the best to an eventual victim of overly commercialized aviation. 

This Old Chamber (2004) - This documentary covers the restoration of the City Council Chamber in City Hall and the history of it.15

  1. “Welcome to Forsyth County Public Library.” Forsyth County Library, Forsyth County, North Carolina. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://www.forsyth.cc/library/.↩

  2. “Welcome to the Moravian Archives for the Southern Province.” Moravian Archives WinstonSalem NC. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://moravianarchives.org/.↩

  3. “ABOUT SOUTHSIDE BRANCH.” Southside Branch. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://www.forsyth.cc/library/Southside/default.aspx.↩

  4. “Digital Forsyth Forsyth County, North Carolina.” Digital Forsyth, February 23, 2024. https://www.digitalforsyth.org/.↩

  5. “Archives & Library.” Reynolda, February 22, 2023. https://reynolda.org/museum/archives-library/.↩

  6. “Documentaries.” Documentaries | City of Winston-Salem, NC. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://www.cityofws.org/515/Documentaries#:~:text=Merger%3A%20Making%20the%20Twin%20City%20(2013)%20%2D%20In%201913,the%20history%20of%20North%20Carolina.↩

Audrey Ross

Local History
Winston-Salem, NC