St. Philip's Moravian Church
Also known as: St. Philip's Moravian Church in Salem; See Also:Old Salem His
Why it's listed
Set back about fifty feet from South Church Street at the southern edge of Old Salem, this red brick church was built in 1861 for a black Moravian congregation. The original block measured forty by sixty feet, with a standing seam tin roof, tall nine-over-nine windows and a small rear apse. In 1890 the congregation added a twenty-four-foot front section containing a central hall, two classrooms and a balcony with a sawnwork fleur-de-lis railing. The interior keeps plaster walls, wainscoting and the marks of the original pews. The congregation grew from a separate black church founded in 1822 and organized in 1823, and it is described as the oldest surviving black church building in Forsyth County and the only known antebellum black church building left in North Carolina. The congregation used the building until 1952 and later moved elsewhere in Winston-Salem. The building has stood unoccupied since then and needs stabilization. Graves from an earlier parish graveyard lie in the front yard.
Significance in brief: It is described as the oldest surviving church building of a black congregation in Forsyth County and the only known antebellum black church building left in North Carolina. It represents one of the oldest continuously existing black congregations in the South. The simple gable-front design was typical of mid-nineteenth-century churches in the county, and it is the only one of its kind to survive.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 91001170, listed September 3, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E side, S. Church St. near Race St., Old Salem, Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | September 3, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001170 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1861-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Houser, Charles, brickmason; Swink, George, carpenter |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant and not in use; the congregation left in the 1950s. The building has suffered water, insect and animal damage, and the northwest corner of the 1890 addition is cracked and sagging. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Old Salem Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.08449, -80.24051 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 91001170.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591523
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.