Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, points out details in the proclamation from N.C. Gov. Alexander Martin celebrating the July Fourth celebration in Salem Square in 1783.
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About 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence were printed by John Dunlap on the night of July 4, 1776. One of them was brought to Salem but its whereabouts are unknown.
The former Boys School at historic Salem opened in 1794.
Get a look inside the Moravian Archives Southen Province vault
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, points out details an original Christian Gottlieb Reuter map of Wachovia held in the vault of the archives' collection on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The archive is holding special tours to celebrate America 250.
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, points out details in the proclamation from N.C. Gov. Alexander Martin celebrating the July Fourth celebration in Salem Square in 1783. The document is held in the vault of the archives' collection. The archive is holding special tours to celebrate America 250.
An original copy of the Star Spangled Banner, of which there are less that 20 known to exist, is held by the Moravian Music Foundation is housed in the vault of the Moravian Archives Southern Province in Winston-Salem. The archive is holding special tours to celebrate America 250.
A handwritten letter from President George Washington to the Brethren of Wachovia, written after his visit to Salem in 1791, is housed in the vault of the Moravian Archives Southern Province in Winston-Salem.Â
A proclamation from N.C. Gov. Alexander Martin announcing the honoring the July Fourth celebration in 1783 is housed in the vault of the Moravian Archives Southern Province in Winston-Salem.Â
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, points out details in documents from merchant Traugott Bagge held in the vault of the archives' collection on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The archive is holding special tours to celebrate America 250.
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, points out the misspelling of the word "patriotic" in an original copy of the Star Spangled Banner held by the Moravian Music Foundation in the vault of the Moravian Archives Southern Province in Winston-Salem.Â
A 1783 proclamation by Gov. Alexander Martin regarding pardons is pictured in the vault of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The proclamation will be on display for the archives' America 250 vault tours.
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, shows the ideal way that certain bound documents are store in the archives' vault on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, points out details in one of Christian Gottlieb Reuter's map of Wachovia held in the vault of the archives' collection.
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, holds a miniature children's Bible that is part of the collection held in the vault of the archives. The archives has a collection of Bibles in various languages dating back to the 1500s.
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, shows the ideal way that certain bound documents are store in the archives' vault on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
A document printed by Benjamin Franklin is part of the collection of early American documents held in vault of the Moravian Archives Southern Province. The document is on display as part of the archives America 250 vault tour.
An anonymous handwritten letter about the relation to the Battle fought at Alamance in 1771 is pictured in the vault of the Moravian Archives' collection on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
A 1798 letter from President John Adams to the citizens of Stokes County is part of the Moravian Archives Southern Province collection that will be on display for the archives' America 250 vault tours.
Sabrina Garity, assistant director of the Moravian Archives Southern Province, shows a collection of hymnals and ledgers from the early days of Salem Academy that are held in the archives' vault.
Thousands of personal memoirs are housed in the Moravian Archives Southern Province vault.
Samantha Tullis, research archivist at the Moravian Archives Southern Province, prepares a collection of materials for a researcher in the archives' reading room on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
A selection of materials are laid out for a researcher in the reading room of the Moravian Archives on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
A collection of "Moravian Daily Texts", daily Christian devotional guides dating back to 1731 are housed in the reading room of the Moravian Archives Southern Province.
John Deem covers the Triad for the Winston-Salem Journal and Greensboro News & Record. Contact him at john.deem@lee.net

