Lighting Project Celebrates 250th Anniversary Of Salem

A public art installation will help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Salem, a historic Moravian community that became part of Winston-Salem in 1913.

The group behind the installation is The Winston-Salem Light Project, known for work that transforms locations. At Halloween, lightning crawled up the columns of the White House. Last spring, a rocket appeared to lift off in front of a downtown church as part of a light show inspired by science fiction pioneer Jules Verne.

Now, the project takes its inspiration from a 250-year old home called the Builders' House. It was the first structure built in Salem in 1766. Director of the Lighting, Design, and Production School at UNCSA and the head of the project, Norman Coates, says the house doesn't exist now but light will be used to recreate a sense of place.

“This project is about that framework of the house, which is going to be painted white," says Coates. "The hearth is going to be illuminated basically using LEDs and flicker generators and some electronics to recreate the sense of a fire in the fireplace.”

He says the darker the night, the better you'll see it. 

On Friday, a group of Old Salem employees will recreate the walk that eight men took on February 19th, 1766 from Bethabara and Bethania to Salem. The walk will conclude at the Builders' House where the art installation will be lit and the Mayor, representatives from Old Salem, and leaders in the Moravian church will speak. The art installation will be illuminated for a year to commemorate the beginning of community in Salem.