When we look at Then & Now images of Old Salem, we must remember that the “Now” images actually show the buildings at an older time than the “Then” images. This can be confusing!
The Brothers House, located on S. Main Street, is shown above and in the following images from many angles. This is how the Brothers House in Old Salem looked before it was restored to its earlier look. The building was modernized at one time by adding clapboard to the exterior. When the clapboard was removed, the brick and cross-timbered facade was revealed. A multi-story porch was built on the back of the Brothers House, and there was another dwelling beside the Brothers House.
The Single Brothers lived and worked in this structure and today it is one of the exhibit buildings that can be toured by Old Salem visitors. It is also the location of the Candle Tea and the Putz in December. There is a Tannenberg organ in the Brothers House Saal that is used for concerts and to accompany the carols that are sung at Christmas.
Notice the house behind the Brothers House in the “Then” photo. The house was replaced by the workshop. This building is used for arts and crafts, classes, and for occasions that require a large meeting room.
The multi-story porch was removed, as well as the dwelling next door. Interpreters often use the area behind the Brothers House to gather groups and to demonstrate other activities that took place when Old Salem was just “Salem.”
Black and white photographs courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
Color images by Molly Grogan Rawls.
For more historical images of Old Salem, locate a copy of the book “Old Salem and Salem College” (Postcard History Series), Arcadia Publishing Company, 2010. Copies of the book are sold at Moravian Book & Gift, the Old Salem Visitor Center, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and the Cricket’s Nest on Country Club Road.
Stay tuned for the next delicious post on May 22nd and the next historical post on June 1st.
