Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation awards $25,000 to Old Salem

Two-year grant for its Transformation of the 1794 Boys’ School project "Trustees of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation have awarded a grant to Old Salem to support its capital campaign to restore the 1794 Boys’ School. The planned renovations are designed to create a more engaging experience for visitors and enhance one of Winston-Salem’s state and national treasures. Old Salem’s 1794 Boys’ School is one of the oldest school buildings still standing in the United States. The Foundation’s contribution will assist Old Salem in its efforts to open the building as a new educational interpretive site. Once restored, the Boys School will enable Old Salem to accommodate more school groups and provide hands-on activities and interactive lessons for teachers. “The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is delighted to support this historic, cultural gem in Winston-Salem,” said Leslie Winner, Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Old Salem to continue to promote one of the State’s oldest and most beloved assets right here in our own community.” The 1794 Boys’ School, a flagship project within Old Salem’s current capital campaign, will feature an early 1800s classroom with period reproduction furniture, a “cabinet of curiosities,” a piazza for outdoor activities, and lessons that offer insights into the early education of Moravian boys and girls. “For the first time in its history, the Boys’ School will be operated as an exhibition building to tell the fascinating story of education in early Salem,” said Old Salem President and CEO, Ragan Folan. “The Boys’ School transformation is just one example of Old Salem’s continuing efforts to provide engaging experiences for our community and for 21st century visitors.” On Nov. 21, 2014 Trustees voted to approve 103 grants totaling $6.6 million to organizations across North Carolina. ### ABOUT OLD SALEM Old Salem Museums & Gardens is one of America’s most comprehensive history attractions. Its museums—the Historic Town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), and the Gardens at Old Salem—engage visitors in an educational and memorable historical experience about those who lived and worked in the early South. Old Salem Museums & Gardens is located at 600 South Main Street in Winston-Salem. For more information call 336-721-7300 or visit oldsalem.org. ABOUT THE Z. SMITH REYNOLDS FOUNDATION The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) is committed to improving the quality of life of all North Carolinians. ZSR invests in statewide, regional and community-based organizations that are dedicated to building an inclusive, sustainable and vibrant state. The groups that ZSR supports both work to build healthy, robust communities at the local and regional level and engage in education, civic dialogue and advocacy around issues of importance to communities and to North Carolina. ZSR currently focuses on the areas of community economic development, environment, public education, social justice and equity and strengthening democracy. The Foundation is a 78-year-old private foundation based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For more information or to learn more about ZSR, visit www.zsr.org." - A Press Release