What today is the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina was originally two towns that later were brought together. The first of these towns was Salem, which was settled in January 1753 by members of the Moravian Church. The area was called die Wachau, which in Latin is Wachovia, which is the name of a lush valley along the Danube River in Europe.

On November 17, 1753, the first settlers arrived at what would later become the town of Bethabara. This settlement grew rapidly, but it was not intended to be the prime city of the 99,000 acres purchased by the church. The primary town would be Salem and construction of it didn’t begin until January 6, 1766. The settlement was planned around a town square that still stands today, Salem Square. Only members of the Moravian Church were allowed to live in Salem for many years. This practice ended at some point before the American Civil War.

The town of Winston was founded in 1849 and named after the Revolutionary War hero, Joseph Winston. Around 1850 the towns of Winston and Salem each became incorporated within the newly formed Forsyth County. Winston was very successful, producing tobacco products, textiles and furniture. In 1851, it was designated the county seat and its courthouse square was placed one mile north of Salem Square. This was done in anticipation of the two towns one day being joined.

In 1889, the U.S. Postal Service opened one post office to carry mail for both cities. The post office was called Winston-Salem. Finally, in 1913, the two towns were officially joined, creating Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

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