Old Salem

We were recently in Winston-Salem. In the heart of the city is a reminder of years and generations gone by. Here are some photos.

The first building built, The Apothecary. Not sure what this says about people, or Americans, in general, that the first building built is an apothecary…

I love the herringbone pattern of the sidewalk bricks. And the street is Bank Street because the bank was there. It appeals to me more to conjure a story about an embankment where people waved goodbye to loved ones sailing across the sea. Or better yet, a rise where people buried their treasure to safeguard it from pirate raids. But Salem is in north-central North Carolina, so no ocean-bound or pirate ships. Alas, it’s just a street where the bank was.

Here’s an allée leading to Salem’s cemetery. Some of the early leaves had turned and scattered the pathway. I can only imagine what it will look like in a few months.

Here’s the first grave. When our children were young, we moved from California to Connecticut, and one day the children asked me “What are all the stones along the side of the roads?” I discovered they’d never seen an old graveyard—in CA, the cemeteries were behind tall stone walls. So, though some people might find it macabre, we’d take the kids to walk through the graveyards and look at the markers. It reminds me of a quote from The Silver Chair, “He has died. Most people have, you know…There are very few who haven't."

Here’s an ongoing excavation of pottery kilns.                                                

And below is a photo of one of the beautiful homes. (Many of the homes are still private.) The architecture is exquisite. Even though buildings were mainly about function, they never lost sight of beauty, balance, and form.

And a close-up of the same home. They are bigger than they appear from the front.

I hope you enjoyed the photos!