The most up-to-date information on the Research and Library at Old Salem Museums & Gardens can be found on MESDA's website, www.mesda.org.

 

Much of what we know today about Salem Moravians, African Americans in Salem, and early Southern craftsmen and artisans came from extensive research. Old Salem Museums & Gardens is dedicated to continual learning and ongoing research in the areas of decorative arts, material culture, Moravian and Southern history, archaeology, and architecture.

Our Research Center and its collection of more than 75,000 files, provides opportunities for visitors and scholars to learn more about objects, lifestyles, and beliefs of those living in the early South.

Our Library includes more than 20,000 rare books, periodicals, and manuscripts from across the early South.

Archaeology and Architectural research are two core aspects of our ongoing research in the Historic Town of Salem. Recent excavation sites like the Hege-Reich House and the Builders’ House continue to help us understand the history of the Moravians in Salem and what their life was like in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Our significant excavation work at the St. Philips Church site and subsequent research through Oral Histories was instrumental in helping staff and visitors understand the role of African Americans in Salem and the surrounding areas.