WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — One of the oldest buildings from the Piedmont's first European settlements is getting a renovation after being awarded a grant from the National Park’s Service.
What You Need To Know
- Those who lived in Bethabara helped put Winston-Salem on the map
- People traveled for hundreds of miles to buy Moravian pottery made in Bethabara
- The Potter's House is crumbling due to water damage
- The house was awarded an over half a million dollar grant for restorations
When you step into Historic Bethabara Park in Winston-Salem, you are transported back into the later 1700’s.
“It really marks a Moravian milestone here since it was the first settlement in North Carolina,” said Diana Overbey, the park’s supervisor.
Overbuy has worked at the park for 17 years, learning about those who lived there through diary entries and artifacts. Although she later discovered she resonated with those who lived there more than she thought.
“I didn't realize it when I started working here, but my a direct ancestor actually built this house. His name was Johannes Schaub Jr. So, when I walk in this house now, I do feel a bit of a personal connection and pride,” Overbey said.
Sadly, there are no photos of her ancestor Johannes, a blue dyer who helped build The Potter’s House in 1782. Its one of the last buildings standing in the historic park, but Overbey is helping preserve her family legacy.
“Moravian pottery is thought of to be some of the best pottery that was produced in the 18th and early 19th centuries,” Overbey said.
People would travel hundreds of miles to Forsyth County to try to buy Moravian pottery, which many pieces were made at The Potter’s House.
“Pottery was such a crucial part of the Moravian history and to the economy in this area as well. So it's a very significant home and a significant area as well,” Overbery said.
Despite the house’s significance, water damage is peeling off paint and eroding the building, turning its brick foundation to dust.
The Potter’s House was awarded a $505,353 grant from the National Park Service’s Semiquincentennial Grant Program. It's a grant program to fund projects that retire and preserve sites and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We're breaking it up into phases and the grant that we received is actually going to take care of the first phase of repairs, which is for basically to secure the building from water,” Overbey said.
The grant will help fix the roof and divert water away from the basement, helping save the foundation and memories of Overbey’s ancestors.
“I think that they would be very, very pleased that we're trying to restore what they what they started here so many years ago,” Overbey said.
Overbey says at its peak, around 160 people lived in Bethabara but left to go live in what is now Old Salem. She hopes visitors coming to the park can learn the culture of those who once lived there, bridging the gap between the 18th and 21st century.
“My hope is by restoring these buildings, by offering these hands on demonstrations, that people will come out and appreciate the history because it tells the story not just of these people who lived there then, but also like our continuing story today,” Overbey said.
Overbey said staff is looking for more funding for the next phases of restoration including paint and new windows, as well as restoration for the other structures still standing at the historic park.
The Alexander Rock House in Charlotte and the Chowan County Courthouse in Edenton were also selected for this year's grant.
Historic Bethabara park is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30P p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pottery demonstrations and other events are available.