Yesterday my grandmother and I went to the living history town of Old Salem to do the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) Tour and peruse Old Salem's bakery and gift shops. The town of Salem was settled by members of the Moravian Church in the late 1700's. The Moravians were tradesmen who produced tools, ceramics, furniture, metals and food. However, they founded Salem primarily to maintain their faith-based protestant community. In the 1800's Salem experienced a secular transitioning which eventually led the township to merge with a northern town, Winston, to form the new city of Winston-Salem in 1914. Consequently, Old Salem was created in 1950 to preserve the history and integrity of Salem. In 1966, Old Salem was declared a National History Landmark. 
We purchased tickets at the Visitor's Center and walked across the bridge that connected us to a re-created perspective of the late 18th century.
At the end of the bridge stood the modern building of Frank L. Horton Museum Center, positioned on the outskirts of town. At the museum Grandmother and I did the guided MESDA Tour, which exhibited Southern decorative textiles, ceramics, paintings, metal ware, and hand crafted furniture in authentic 17th to 19th century period rooms.
Afterwards, we walked the brick lined streets that led to original homes and buildings of Old Salem. Living History workers dressed in period clothes to re-create trade work of that era.
Old Salem produces popular Moravian items year round, but sees a spike in commercial retail around the holidays for their Moravian stars, Moravian beeswax candles, and Moravian cookies. This holiday season Old Salem came out with 2 new items that have been selling like hot cakes at Old Salem: 3-D tin-pressed & pearl Moravian star ornaments and chocolate-dipped gingerbread Moravian cookies. Both have been quick to sell out. If you haven't gotten yours for the holiday season, get 'em while they last. I got mine!
