God's Acre
God's Acre, which was staked out in the year 1770 as the graveyard of the Salem congregation, lies on the north side of town, one block north of the church. The name comes from the German "Gott's Acker" which means God's field, a place where the people of God are "sown" to await the resurrection. Two features distinguish God's Acre from other cemeteries.
First, all burials in God's Acre are according to the "choir system". The deceased are buried according to their age and marital status. Separate sections are maintained for little boys, single men and married or widowed men, and for little girls, single women and married or widowed women. A section of the oldest part of God's Acre is set aside for burial of cremation remains and there is also an area provided for the scattering of cremation remains.
The second distinguishing feature of God's Acre is the grave stones. All of the head stones are flat and of nearly the same size. ( A uniform size requirement was set in later years. ) This uniformity of head stones symbolizes the Moravian belief in the democracy of death. No matter what a member may have achieved in their lifetime, in death all are equal before God.
The first burial in God's Acre was that of the Single Brother John Birkhead, in June of 1771. Today, the Salem God's Acre still serves as the cemetery for the twelve Moravian churches of the Salem Congregation.
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God's Acre
Panorama |
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Cedar Avenue, as seen from the main gate to God's Acre. |
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A view to the northeast from the southern entrance. |
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A view to the north from the southern entrance. |
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A view to the northwest from the southeastern corner of God's Acre. |
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A view to the north from the southeastern corner of God's Acre. |
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The original sections of God's Acre. Beneath the tree lies the first grave. |
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The grave of the Single Brother John Birkhead, the first burial in God's Acre. |
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God's Acre decorated for Easter. The large building in the background is the former headquarters of Wachovia bank. |
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Looking north from the men's section to the women's section of God's Acre. |