The Wachovia Historical Society was founded on March 18th, 1895, through thirty-six willing individuals of the Moravian Church (Rauschenberg, 1995, p. 1). Rauschenberg (1995) helps us to better understand the history and purpose behind the historical society by reflecting back all the way to the beginning of the Salem Congregation in 1771. The Moravians were well known for keeping immaculate archival documents in which they would use to tell of the greatness and the establishment of their beloved Salem, and that of Wachovia. With the establishment of the Young Men’s Missionary Society, later evolved into Wachovia Historical Society, would be formed in the year 1840 in order to keep and preserve artifacts of Salem (Rauschenberg, 1995, p. 8). The museum in which these artifacts would exists dates back just a few years shy of the formation of the Young Men’s Missionary Society, and was presented as quite an attraction amongst the outside world. Eventually, the YMMS would become the Wachovia Historical Society, and exists to this day. The Wachovia Historical Society is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States, and is the oldest within North Carolina (The Wachovia Historical Society [WHS], 2010).
