WINSTON-SALEM,N.C. — A replica of one of the earliest Black churches in North Carolina has received a grant to make repairs.

What You Need To Know

Old Salem Museums and Gardens is working to reopen a replica of Saint Philips Moravian Church

The log church is one of the earliest Black churches in the state

The Winston-Salem Foundation awarded the museum $25,000 to restore the building

The Winston-Salem Foundation awarded Old Salem Museums and Gardens $25,000 to restore Saint Philips Moravian Church.

The replica originally closed during the pandemic, and church leaders decided to keep it closed until they could make repairs to the exterior.

Education Coordinator Jordyn Jones said they're now one step closer to preserving the church's history.

"With Winston-Salem full foundation, they are investing in us, honoring that history. They are saying, 'we have a vested interest in the healing that comes from history,'" Jones explained.

The outside repairs will only take a few weeks to complete.

The museum is still raising money for repairs inside the church.

Jones said getting the church back open to the public is a top priority for the museum.

"We want to hold it in the same kind of honor that they would’ve held it in, even if this is a reconstruction. We want to do the same things they would have done to teach people what they would have done," Jones said.

The museum's goal is to reopen the church this year.