| Winston-Salem | |||||
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| — City — | |||||
| City of Winston-Salem | |||||
| Skyline of Winston-Salem looking north from Broad Street | |||||
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| Nickname(s): City of the Arts, Twin City, Camel City | |||||
| Motto: Your Life. Enriched. | |||||
| Location in North Carolina | |||||
| Coordinates: | |||||
| Country | United States | ||||
| State | North Carolina | ||||
| Counties | Forsyth County | ||||
| Founded Consolidated |
1766 (Salem), 1849 (Winston) 1913 |
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| Government | |||||
| • Mayor | Allen Joines (D) [1] | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 132.4 sq mi (176.6 km2) | ||||
| • Land | 129.6 sq mi (335.7 km2) | ||||
| • Water | 2.8 sq mi (4.5 km2) | ||||
| Elevation | 970 ft (296 m) | ||||
| Population (2010)[2][3] | |||||
| • Total | 229,617 (83rd) | ||||
| • Density | 1,400.7/sq mi (559.0/km2) | ||||
| • MSA | 477,717 | ||||
| • CSA | 1,589,200 | ||||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||||
| Area code(s) | 336 | ||||
| Website | City of Winston-Salem, NC | ||||
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city[3] in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to the tallest office buildings in the region, such as 100 North Main Street. It is called the "Twin City" for its dual heritage and "City of the Arts" for its dedication to fine arts and theater. "Camel City" is a reference to the city's historic involvement in the tobacco industry related to locally-based R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's popular Camel cigarettes. Many locals use "Winston" in informal speech.
Winston-Salem is home to four four-year colleges and one two-year college: Wake Forest University, a nationally distinguished private university; Winston-Salem State University, a historically black university founded in 1892; Salem College, a four-year liberal arts college and the oldest women's college in America, founded in 1772; the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; and Forsyth Technical Community College.
In 2003, the previous Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was re-defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, resulting in the formation of the Greensboro-High Point MSA and the Winston-Salem MSA. The official 2010 Census population for the Winston-Salem, North Carolina MSA was 477,717. The Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point combined statistical area (CSA), popularly referred to as the Piedmont Triad, had a population of 1,589,200 in 2010.
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The Old Salem district and related Historic Bethabara and Bethania sites are the city's oldest historical attractions. Also of historical interest is Reynolda Village (which includes Reynolda Gardens and the Reynolda House Museum of American Art). Other sites of interest include the Horne Creek Historic Farm, Tanglewood Park golf course, the SciWorks educational facility, and SECCA, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. The city's major sports and entertainment venues are organized in a group known as the Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex.
The Winston-Salem metropolitan area (MSA) has an estimated population of 468,124 according to the 2008 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau. As of 2008, the combined statistical area (CSA) of Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, the Piedmont Triad, has a population of 1,603,101, making it the 30th-largest metropolitan area in the USA.[4]
The origin of the town of Salem dates back to January 1753, when Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg, on behalf of the Moravian Church and funded by Moravian benefactor, Cornelius Van Laer, selected a settlement site in the three forks of Muddy Creek. He called this area "die Wachau" (Latin form: Wachovia) named after the ancestral Austrian estate of Count Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf. Wachovia Bank takes its name from this area where it was founded. The land, just short of 99,000 acres (400 km2), was subsequently purchased from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville.
On November 17, 1753, the first settlers arrived at what would later become the town of Bethabara. This town, despite its rapid growth, was not designed to be the primary settlement on the tract. Some residents expanded to a nearby settlement called Bethania in 1759. Finally, lots were drawn to select among suitable sites for the location of a new town.
The town established on the chosen site was given the name of Salem (from the Hebrew word Shalom for "peace") chosen for it by the Moravians' late patron, Count Zinzendorf. On 6 January 1766, the first tree was felled for the building of Salem. Salem was a typical Moravian settlement congregation with the public buildings of the congregation grouped around a central square, today Salem Square. These included the church, a Brethren's House and a Sisters' House for the unmarried members of the Congregation, which owned all the property in town. For many years only members of the Moravian Church were permitted to live in the settlement. This practice had ended by the American Civil War. Many of the original buildings in the settlement have been restored or rebuilt and are now part of Old Salem.[5] Salem Square and "God's Acre", the Moravian Graveyard, since 1772 are the site each Easter morning of the world-famous Moravian sunrise service. This service, sponsored by all the Moravian church parishes in the City, attracts thousands of worshippers each year and has earned the name of "the Easter City" for Winston-Salem.
In 1849, the town of Winston was founded, named after a local hero of the Revolutionary War, Joseph Winston, who was well-known in the town of Salem. Shortly thereafter, both Winston and Salem were incorporated into the newly formed Forsyth County. It thrived as an industrial town, producing tobacco products, furniture and textiles. In 1851, Winston was designated the county seat, and, with plans to connect the cities of Winston and Salem, the county courthouse square was placed just one mile (1.6 km) north of Salem's square.
In 1889, the United States Post Office Department combined the mail offices for the two towns, and the towns were officially joined with a hyphen as "Winston-Salem" in 1913. The USPS Address Information System (AIS) does not recognize the hyphen. [6]
The Reynolds family, namesake of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, played a large role in the history and public life of Winston-Salem. By the 1940s, 60% of Winston-Salem workers worked either for Reynolds or in the Hanes textile factories.[7] The Reynolds company imported so much French cigarette paper and Turkish tobacco for Camel cigarettes that Winston-Salem was designated by the United States federal government as an official port of entry for the United States, despite the city being 200 miles (320 km) inland.[7] Winston-Salem was the eighth-largest port of entry in the United States by 1916.[7]
In 1917, the company bought 84 acres (340,000 m2) of property in Winston-Salem and built 180 houses that it sold at cost to workers, to form a development called "Reynoldstown."[7] By the time R.J. Reynolds died in 1918, his company owned 121 buildings in Winston-Salem.
In 1929, the Reynolds Building was completed in Winston-Salem. Designed by William F. Lamb from the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, the Reynolds Building is a 314 ft (96m) skyscraper that has 21 floors. When completed as the headquarters of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, it was the tallest building in the United States south of Baltimore, Maryland, and it won a national architecture award. The building is well known for being the predecessor and prototype for the much larger Empire State Building that was built in 1931 in New York City. Every year the staff of the Empire State Building sends a Father's Day card to the staff at the Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem to pay homage to its role as predecessor to the Empire State Building.
Winston-Salem is in northwest piedmont area of North Carolina at (36.102764, -80.260491).[8]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 132.4 square miles (343 km2), of which, 129.6 square miles (336 km2) of it is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) of it (0.81%) is water.
The city of Winston-Salem has a Humid subtropical climate characterized by cool, sometimes moderately cold winters, and hot, humid summers. The average high temperatures range from 45°F in the winter to around 85°F in the summer. The average low temperatures range from 26°F in the winter to around 68°F in the summer.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 48,395 |
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| 1930 | 75,274 | 55.5% | |
| 1940 | 79,815 | 6.0% | |
| 1950 | 87,881 | 10.1% | |
| 1960 | 111,135 | 26.5% | |
| 1970 | 133,683 | 20.3% | |
| 1980 | 131,885 | −1.3% | |
| 1990 | 143,485 | 8.8% | |
| 2000 | 185,776 | 29.5% | |
| 2010 | 229,617 | 23.6% | |
As of the census[9] of 2000, there are 185,776 people, with a total urban population of 299,290[10], 76,247 households, and 46,205 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,706.7 people per square mile (659.0/km²). There are 82,593 housing units at an average density of 758.8 per square mile (293.0/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 55.6% White, 37.10% Black or African American, 8.64% Hispanic or Latino American, 1.13% Asian American, 0.31% Native American, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 4.29% some other race, and 1.56% two or more races.
There are 76,247 households out of which 28.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% are married couples living together, 16.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% are non-families. 33.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.95.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $39,589, and the median income for a family is $46,595. Males have a median income of $32,398 versus $25,335 for females. The per capita income for the city is $39,468. 11.2% of the population and 4.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
It is the location of the corporate headquarters of BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust Company), HanesBrands, Inc., Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc., Lowes Foods Stores, ISP Sports, Reynolds American (parent of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company), Reynolda Manufacturing Solutions, Southern Community Bank, and TW Garner Food Company (makers of Texas Pete). Wachovia Corporation was based in Winston-Salem until it merged with First Union Corporation in September 2001; the corporate headquarters of the combined company was located in Charlotte, until it was purchased by Wells Fargo in December 2008. PepsiCo has it's Customer Service Center located in Winston-Salem.
Although traditionally associated with the textile and tobacco industries, Winston-Salem is transforming itself to be a leader in the nanotech, high-tech and bio-tech fields. Medical research is a fast-growing local industry, and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is the largest employer in Winston-Salem. Blue Rhino, the nation's largest propane exchange company and a division of Ferrellgas, is also headquartered in Winston-Salem. In December 2004, the city landed a deal with Dell, Inc. providing millions of dollars in incentives to build a computer assembly plant nearby in southeastern Forsyth County. However Dell closed its Winston-Salem facility in January 2010 due to the poor economy. A portion of downtown Winston-Salem has been designated as the Piedmont Triad Research Park for biomedical and information technology research and development. Currently, the research park is undergoing an expansion, with hopes of jumpstarting the city's economy.
According to the Winston-Salem Business Inc.'s 2010-2011 data report on major employers,[11] the ten largest employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center | 11,750 |
| 2 | Novant Health | 8,145 |
| 3 | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools | 6,692 |
| 4 | City/County Government | 4,689 |
| 5 | Reynolds American, Inc. | 3,000 |
| 6 | Wells Fargo | 2,800 |
| 7 | Hanesbrands Inc. | 2,251 |
| 8 | BB&T | 2,200 |
| 9 | Wake Forest University | 1,680 |
| 10 | Lowe's Foods | 1,500 |
According to the Winston-Salem Business Inc.'s 2010-2011 data report on major industries,[12] the major industries in the city are by percentage:
| # | Employment by Sector | % Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 17% |
| 2 | Manufacturing | 12% |
| 3 | Retail Trade | 11% |
| 4 | Educational Services | 10% |
| 5 | Accommodations and Food Service | 8% |
| 5 | Local Government | 8% |
| 7 | Administrative and Waste Services | 7% |
| 8 | Finance and Insurance | 6% |
| 9 | Transportation and Warehousing | 4% |
| 9 | Construction | 4% |
| 9 | Professional and Technical Services | 4% |
| 9 | Public Administration | 4% |
| 13 | Wholesale Trade | 3% |
| 14 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2% |
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has most of its schools inside Winston-Salem. WS/FC Schools include 51 elementary schools, 25 middle schools and 13 high schools.
Private and parochial schools also make up a significant portion of Winston-Salem's educational establishment.
Winston-Salem also has a number of colleges and universities, including:
Museums are an important portion of Winston-Salem's heritage. Most famous of Winston-Salem's museums is Old Salem, a living history museum centered on the main Moravian settlement founded in 1766. Along with the original 18th century buildings, Old Salem is also home to the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), a gallery of 18th and 19th century furniture, ceramics, and textiles. The Reynolda House Museum of American Art (built by the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and now affiliated with Wake Forest University) is another of Winston-Salem's premier museums. The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is a local art museum. The Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology is an anthropological museum, maintained by Wake Forest University, that has many artifacts and other pieces of history. The city also offers places oriented for children. SciWorks is an interactive museum for children, teaching basics in all areas of science, and offering experiments and educational tours. The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem offers engaging exhibits and programs designed to develop creative thinking, strengthen language skills, and encourage curiosity for children ages birth to eight.
Winston-Salem is often referred to as the "City of the Arts", in part because of its history, in having the first arts council in the United States, founded in 1949, and for the local art schools and attractions. These include the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Twin City Stage, Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance, the Piedmont Opera Theater, the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Stevens Center for the Performing Arts, and the Sawtooth Center for Visual Arts. There are many galleries and workshops in the city's art district centered at Sixth and Trade streets. The city plays host to the National Black Theatre Festival, the RiverRun International Film Festival and the Reynolda Film Festival. Winston-Salem is also the home of the Art-o-mat and houses nine of them throughout the city. The city is also home to Carolina Music Ways, a grassroots arts organization focussing on the area's diverse, interconnected music traditions, including bluegrass, blues, jazz, gospel, old-time stringband, and Moravian music. Once a year the city is also the home of the Heavy Rebel Weekender music festival. Winston-Salem is also home to one of the largest 'Indie' music and art scenes in the state. The Werehouse, a local hang-out, artists' residence, and theatre is the center of this growing lifestyle and artistic genre.
Reynolda Gardens is a 4-acre (16,000 m2) formal garden set within a larger woodland site, originally part of the R. J. Reynolds country estate.
Winston-Salem provides a number of athletic attractions. The Dash is a Class A Minor-League baseball team currently affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. After 52 years at historic Ernie Shore Field, the Dash now plays its home games at the new BB&T Ballpark, which opened in 2010. Previous names for the team include the Winston-Salem Spirits and, most recently, the Winston-Salem Warthogs.[19] Its players have included Carlos Lee, Joe Crede, Jon Garland, and Aaron Rowand, all of whom have played extensively at the major league level. Marc Johnson (skateboarder) is a Winston-Salem native. Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University both have outstanding basketball programs. Wake Forest is an original member of the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Among the successful NBA players who previously attended Wake Forest are Tim Duncan, Josh Howard, Muggsy Bogues, Chris Paul, and Rodney Rogers, and from Winston-Salem State University Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. Wake Forest plays basketball in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum which seats 15,000 people; it quickly became one of the nation's toughest venues under former Wake Coach Skip Prosser. Since Prosser's arrival, Wake has frequently been nationally ranked in the Top 20 and has made numerous post season appearances, including a trip to the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen in 2004. After Prosser's untimely death on July 26, 2007, Prosser's longtime assistant and friend Dino Gaudio guided the Deacons until he was let go at the end of the 2009-2010 season. On April 14, 2010, Jeff Bzdelik was named head coach of the men's basketball program.[20] Wake Forest University's football team plays its games at BB&T Field (formerly Groves Stadium), which seats 32,500 and is located across the street from the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Wake's football team won the ACC football championship in 2006 and played in the 2007 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Also Wake Forest has one of the top soccer programs in the nation, making four consecutive final four appearances (2006–2009) and were NCAA champions in 2007. Wake Forest also fields outstanding women's teams; its field hockey team won three consecutive national championships between 2002 and 2004. NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series racing takes place from March until August at city-owned Bowman Gray Stadium, after which the stadium is converted for football and is used by Winston-Salem State for Rams games. Besides major sports, Winston-Salem offers a variety of community and children's programs. Winston-Salem's YMCAs are a great place for exercise and athletics for both children and adults. Community recreation also provide cost-effective exercise. Winston-Salem Parks and Recreation also maintains several community pools for which memberships are available.
Winston-Salem is home to Hanes Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in North Carolina. The area surrounding the mall along Stratford Road and Hanes Mall Boulevard has become the city's largest shopping district. Other shopping areas exist in the city, including Thruway Shopping Center, Hanes Point Shopping Center, Hanes Commons, Pavilions, Stone's Throw Plaza, Silas Creek Crossing, and the troubled Marketplace Mall.
Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) has the responsibility of providing public transportation since 1972 after taking over the Safe Bus Company, Inc.. WSTA has 27 weekly routes, operating between 5:30am and 12:00 midnight Monday through Friday and from 6:30am through 6:30pm on Saturday, WSTA makes over 2 million passenger trips.
The metropolitan area is connected by Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART). In February 2010 the Winston Salem Transit Authority added 10 diesel-electric hybrid buses to its fleet.
US 52 (which runs concurrent with NC 8) is the predominant north-south freeway through Winston-Salem; it passes near the heart of downtown. Business 40 is the main east-west freeway through downtown Winston-Salem. In 1993 a bypass loop of I-40 was built. US 311, also a freeway, links Winston-Salem to High Point (southeast) and follows I-40 and US 52 through the Winston-Salem business district. US 421, which shares Business 40 through downtown, splits in the western part of the city onto its own freeway west (signed north) toward Wilkesboro, North Carolina and Boone, North Carolina.
The Winston Salem Northern Beltway is a proposed freeway that will loop around the city to the north, providing a route for the Future I-74 on the eastern section and the Future Auxiliary Route I-274 on the western section. The NCDOT plans for this project to begin after 2010.
By 2011, US 52 south of I-40 will be signed as Spur Route I-285. The Winston-Salem Department of Transportation also plans for the US 311 freeway to be extended north along the east side of the city to Business I-40 by 2030, according to the Long Range Plan.
Major thoroughfares in Winston-Salem include NC 67 (Silas Creek Parkway & Reynolda Road), NC 150 (Peters Creek Parkway), US 158 (Stratford Road), University Parkway, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, North Point Boulevard, and Hanes Mall Boulevard.
Winston-Salem is served by Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport. The airport also serves much of the surrounding Piedmont Triad area, including High Point, North Carolina.
A smaller airport, known as Smith Reynolds Airport, is located within the city limits, just northeast of downtown. It is mainly used for general aviation and charter flights. Every year, Smith Reynolds Airport hosts an air show for the general public. The Smith Reynolds Airport is home to the Winston-Salem Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit volunteer organization.
Amtrak runs a thruway motorcoach, twice daily in each direction, between Winston-Salem and the Amtrak station in nearby High Point. Buses depart from the Winston-Salem Transportation Center, then stop on the university campus before traveling to High Point. From the High Point station, riders can board the Crescent line or the Carolinian or Piedmont lines. These lines run directly to local North Carolina destinations as well as cities across the Southeast, as far west as New Orleans and as far north as New York City. Chicago is also accessible by transferring in Washington, D.C. Norfolk Southern passes through the city with a yard in north winston, known as North Winston Yard with over 22 tracks, the Winston Salem District runs from Winston Salem to Roanoke, Virginia. The NS K line runs from Winston Salem to Greensboro.
The Winston-Salem Journal is the main daily newspaper in Winston-Salem. Yes! Weekly is a free weekly paper covering news, opinion, arts, entertainment, music, movies and food. The Winston-Salem Chronicle is a weekly newspaper that focuses on the African-American community.
These radio stations are located in Winston-Salem, and are listed by call letters, station number, and name. Many more radio stations can be picked up in Winston-Salem that are not located in Winston-Salem.
Winston-Salem makes up part of the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point television designated market area. These stations are listed by call letters, channel number, network and city of license.
Cable-Only
Some minor outlying areas and surrounding municipalities are:
Some nearby major cities are:
Winston-Salem has five sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
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