St. Philips Moravian Church (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

 museum, place with historical importance, Moravian Church / Unitas Fratrum, proto-/pre-protestant church, proto-/pre-protestantism

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The oldest standing African American church in the state of North Carolina.

In the early years of Salem, from the late 1760s through about 1820, enslaved Africans and African Americans played a significant role in the creation and construction of the town of Salem. Most enslaved persons were held by the church, rather than by individuals. But in time, about ten percent of the town's population was enslaved persons working in and around the community.

Over time, also, a fairly close relationship in the church became more distant and, in the early 1820s, it was decided to build a separate church for the worship of Africans and African Americans. The African Moravian Church, built of logs, was raised in 1823. Though a Moravian institution, it was attended by many of many faiths.

Eventually, a brick church was built nearby to expand the congregation, in 1861. In the early 1900s, it was officially named St. Philips Moravian Church.