"Old Hotel in Salem N.C. where / Geo Washington stayed" - James, E.N. (Old Salem Museums and Gardens, 1895)
The Salem Tavern on Main Street was on of the first public buildings constructed in the town. The site was chosen for it was on the southern outskirts of the settlement because the twon elders sought to protect members of the Moravian congregation from the worldly influence of outsiders.This image of the "Old Hotel," or Salem Tavern, taken from the southeast, shows the brick 1784 tavern building joined by a two-story connector, called the "dining hall," with a two-story porch running across the facade of all three structures. The connecting structure was removed in 1897. In 1941 the brick tavern was donated to the Wachovia Historical Society and it was partially restored to its 1784 appearance. It was fully restored by Old Salem in 1956.
Keywords: Forsyth County (N.C.) -- History -- Pictorial works; Forsyth County (N.C.) -- History -- Sources; Digital Forsyth