Wachovia, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Wachovia was the area settled by Moravians in what is now Forsyth County
, North Carolina
, US. Of the six eighteenth-century Moravian "villages of the Lord" established in Wachovia, today, the town of Bethania, North Carolina
and city of Winston-Salem exist within the historic Wachovia tract. The Moravian Archives in Winston-Salem has a map of the original Wachovia tract, showing the approximate locations of the first six Moravian congregations and the approximate current boundaries of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
In 1752 Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb "Brother Joseph" Spangenberg
led an expedition to locate the area where the Unitas Fratrum, or Moravian church, intended to begin the Wachovia settlements. Members of the Moravian Church in Europe purchased 98985 acres (400.6 km²) of land in the backcountry (middle/western area) of North Carolina
, from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville
. They named the 98985 acres (400.6 km²) tract of land die Wachau, or "Wachovia," meaning "meadow of the Wach."
[The land in North Carolina was purchased on behalf of the Moravians by John Henry (Johann Heinrich) Antes who had also served as agent on behalf of the Moravians in the purchase of the 500 acres (2 km²) tract which became the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He also served as "Baumeister" ("Construction Manager") of the first buildings which still stand in Bethlehem's historic district. 4000 acres (16.2 km²) were purchased by Johann Steinhauer
, leader of the Moravian church in Riga
, Latvia
.]
The name "Wachovia" is the Latin
form of the German
"die Wachau
." "Die Wachau" was chosen as the name of the North Carolina Moravian tract, to honor Count Zinzendorf
, Moravian patron and bishop whose family estate was located in the Wachau region northwest of Vienna
, along the Danube River between the towns of Melk and Krems. The Moravians most likely felt that the landscape in the back country of North Carolina, with its nearby mountains, local waterways including the Dan River, the Yadkin River, Town Fork Creek and three forks of Muddy Creek, and its fertile land with abundant forest, resembled the Wachau region in central Europe.
Twelve Moravian Single Brethren traveling from Pennsylvania
, most from the Christiansbrunn farm near Nazareth, arrived in Wachovia in 1753, forming Bethabara, in Hebrew meaning "House of Passage", a transitional congregational settlement founded November 17, 1753. In July 1756, during the French and Indian War
(1754–1763), a wooden stockade was built around the central-most area of the Moravian settlement, and Bethabara became a place of refuge for settlers from across the region, with many refugees living near the Bethabara Mill, numbering 120 by May 1759.
The first planned Moravian settlement, and oldest incorporated municipality in Wachovia is Bethania, North Carolina
formed June 12, (1759), also known historically as Bethany, meaning in the Hebrew language, "house/place of dates and figs." The Town of Bethania, North Carolina
was incorporated 1995, following the reactivation of Bethania's 1838/1839 town charter, and was spared from being annexed into the city of Winston-Salem. Today, Bethania remains the only independent, continuously active Moravian town in the southern United States. In 2007, Historic Bethania, a visitor center and museum, opened in Bethania, providing information and historical interpretation in yet another Wachovia Moravian community.
Wachovia's central administrative congregational town of Salem, which can be visited presently in Old Salem Museums and Gardens
. Salem was begun in 1766 (formally organized in 1771), and was built by Moravians and friends from Bethabara and Bethania.
Subsequent Moravian congregational settlements to be formed include Friedberg (1769), Friedland (1772), and Hope (1775). The congregation at Hope was the first "English" Moravian church in the area.
A secular county seat was founded in 1849 in newly-drawn Forsyth County, north of Salem. Winston was the name given to the new county seat in 1852. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
, maker of Winston, Salem and Camel cigarette
s, was founded at Winston in 1875. The towns of Salem and Winston merged as Winston-Salem in 1913. Bethabara now lies within the city limits of Winston-Salem, and can be visited today in Historic Bethabara Park, operated by the city of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
Over time, the 98985 acres (400.6 km²) Wachovia Tract was redrawn into the following counties as the backcountry of North Carolina became increasingly populated:
, and Old Salem Museums and Gardens
are museums which serve to transport visitors in time to what Wachovia once was. The museums each contribute to the story of Moravians in North Carolina, and preserve, interpret, and demonstrate life in Wachovia over time.
, one of the world's largest bank
s. The bank was pioneered by Bethanian I.G. Loesch. Salem, then Winston-Salem was the corporate headquarters for the bank until its merger with the First Union corporation, when the headquarters was moved to Charlotte, North Carolina
.
becomes dative
and written as "in der Wachau." Many individuals and organizations have seen the dative phrase and have irresponsibly and unknowingly dropped the preposition, leaving "...der Wachau," which is incorrect when used as a proper noun. The feminine gender of "die Wachau" does not change, though the case might.
Forsyth County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was 747 people per square mile . There were 133,093 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, US. Of the six eighteenth-century Moravian "villages of the Lord" established in Wachovia, today, the town of Bethania, North Carolina
Bethania, North Carolina
Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and was most recently incorporated in 1995, upon the reactivation of the original 1838/1839 town charter...
and city of Winston-Salem exist within the historic Wachovia tract. The Moravian Archives in Winston-Salem has a map of the original Wachovia tract, showing the approximate locations of the first six Moravian congregations and the approximate current boundaries of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
History
Wachovia's early settlers were mostly German-speaking people who shared a common Germanic cultural background.In 1752 Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb "Brother Joseph" Spangenberg
August Gottlieb Spangenberg
August Gottlieb Spangenberg was a German theologian and minister, and a bishop of the Moravian Brethren. As successor of Count Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf, he helped develop international missions, as well as stabilize the theology and organization of the German Moravian Church.-Early life and...
led an expedition to locate the area where the Unitas Fratrum, or Moravian church, intended to begin the Wachovia settlements. Members of the Moravian Church in Europe purchased 98985 acres (400.6 km²) of land in the backcountry (middle/western area) of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville
John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville
John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark, KG, PC , commonly known by his earlier title as Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763.-Family:...
. They named the 98985 acres (400.6 km²) tract of land die Wachau, or "Wachovia," meaning "meadow of the Wach."
[The land in North Carolina was purchased on behalf of the Moravians by John Henry (Johann Heinrich) Antes who had also served as agent on behalf of the Moravians in the purchase of the 500 acres (2 km²) tract which became the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He also served as "Baumeister" ("Construction Manager") of the first buildings which still stand in Bethlehem's historic district. 4000 acres (16.2 km²) were purchased by Johann Steinhauer
Johann Steinhauer
Johann Steinhauer was a Latvian entrepreneur, social reformer and landowner, who made significant contributions to the Latvian civil rights throughout the 18th century.-Family:...
, leader of the Moravian church in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.]
The name "Wachovia" is the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
form of the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
"die Wachau
Wachau
The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans". It is in length and was already...
." "Die Wachau" was chosen as the name of the North Carolina Moravian tract, to honor Count Zinzendorf
Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf
Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, Imperial Count of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf, , German religious and social reformer and bishop of the Moravian Church, was born at Dresden....
, Moravian patron and bishop whose family estate was located in the Wachau region northwest of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, along the Danube River between the towns of Melk and Krems. The Moravians most likely felt that the landscape in the back country of North Carolina, with its nearby mountains, local waterways including the Dan River, the Yadkin River, Town Fork Creek and three forks of Muddy Creek, and its fertile land with abundant forest, resembled the Wachau region in central Europe.
Twelve Moravian Single Brethren traveling from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, most from the Christiansbrunn farm near Nazareth, arrived in Wachovia in 1753, forming Bethabara, in Hebrew meaning "House of Passage", a transitional congregational settlement founded November 17, 1753. In July 1756, during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
(1754–1763), a wooden stockade was built around the central-most area of the Moravian settlement, and Bethabara became a place of refuge for settlers from across the region, with many refugees living near the Bethabara Mill, numbering 120 by May 1759.
The first planned Moravian settlement, and oldest incorporated municipality in Wachovia is Bethania, North Carolina
Bethania, North Carolina
Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and was most recently incorporated in 1995, upon the reactivation of the original 1838/1839 town charter...
formed June 12, (1759), also known historically as Bethany, meaning in the Hebrew language, "house/place of dates and figs." The Town of Bethania, North Carolina
Bethania, North Carolina
Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and was most recently incorporated in 1995, upon the reactivation of the original 1838/1839 town charter...
was incorporated 1995, following the reactivation of Bethania's 1838/1839 town charter, and was spared from being annexed into the city of Winston-Salem. Today, Bethania remains the only independent, continuously active Moravian town in the southern United States. In 2007, Historic Bethania, a visitor center and museum, opened in Bethania, providing information and historical interpretation in yet another Wachovia Moravian community.
Wachovia's central administrative congregational town of Salem, which can be visited presently in Old Salem Museums and Gardens
Old Salem
Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It features a living history museum that interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents had restored buildings earlier...
. Salem was begun in 1766 (formally organized in 1771), and was built by Moravians and friends from Bethabara and Bethania.
Subsequent Moravian congregational settlements to be formed include Friedberg (1769), Friedland (1772), and Hope (1775). The congregation at Hope was the first "English" Moravian church in the area.
A secular county seat was founded in 1849 in newly-drawn Forsyth County, north of Salem. Winston was the name given to the new county seat in 1852. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1875, is the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S. . RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc...
, maker of Winston, Salem and Camel cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s, was founded at Winston in 1875. The towns of Salem and Winston merged as Winston-Salem in 1913. Bethabara now lies within the city limits of Winston-Salem, and can be visited today in Historic Bethabara Park, operated by the city of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
Over time, the 98985 acres (400.6 km²) Wachovia Tract was redrawn into the following counties as the backcountry of North Carolina became increasingly populated:
- 1753 Rowan CountyRowan County, North Carolina-Demographics and economics:As of the census of 2010, there were 138,428 people, 53,140 households, and 37,058 families residing in the county. The population density was 270.7 people per square mile . There were 60,211 housing units at an average density of 117.7 per square mile...
. - 1771 Surry CountySurry County, North CarolinaSurry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 73,673. Its county seat is Dobson.- History :The county was formed in 1771 from Rowan County...
. - 1789 Stokes CountyStokes County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 44,711 people, 17,579 households, and 13,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 19,262 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
. - 1849 Forsyth CountyForsyth County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was 747 people per square mile . There were 133,093 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
was drawn out of what had been the southern half of Stokes County.
Museums
Historic Bethabara Park, Historic BethaniaBethania, North Carolina
Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and was most recently incorporated in 1995, upon the reactivation of the original 1838/1839 town charter...
, and Old Salem Museums and Gardens
Old Salem
Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It features a living history museum that interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents had restored buildings earlier...
are museums which serve to transport visitors in time to what Wachovia once was. The museums each contribute to the story of Moravians in North Carolina, and preserve, interpret, and demonstrate life in Wachovia over time.
Wachovia corporation
The area is the namesake and birthplace of Wachovia CorporationWachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States based on total assets...
, one of the world's largest bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s. The bank was pioneered by Bethanian I.G. Loesch. Salem, then Winston-Salem was the corporate headquarters for the bank until its merger with the First Union corporation, when the headquarters was moved to Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Linguistic note
Present day students and scholars who are not familiar with the German language frequently, albeit incorrectly, use a masculine article "der" to modify "Wachau" when the feminine article "die" should be used, as historically documented. When speaking of "Wachovia" as a place, the proper title in German is "die Wachau," or "wach" "au," translated as "meadow of the Wach," When speaking of "Wachau" in a transitive sense, such as "in the Wachau," the articleArticle (grammar)
An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages extending to volume or numerical scope. The articles in the English language are the and a/an, and some...
becomes dative
Dative case
The dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given, as in "George gave Jamie a drink"....
and written as "in der Wachau." Many individuals and organizations have seen the dative phrase and have irresponsibly and unknowingly dropped the preposition, leaving "...der Wachau," which is incorrect when used as a proper noun. The feminine gender of "die Wachau" does not change, though the case might.
See also
- Adelaide FriesAdelaide FriesAdelaide Lisetta Fries was the foremost scholar of the history and genealogy of the Moravians in the southern United States...
- author of the 1907 The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence As Mentioned in the Records of Wachovia.