It’s hard to imagine where Winston-Salem would be without religion. After all, the city traces its origins back to a band of 18th-century Moravian settlers in search of a peaceful place to worship. Today, religion continues to provide many in the city with feelings of hope, stability, and spiritual peace. In addition, it’s given Winston-Salem some of its most intriguing and stunning structures to date.

With the holiday season here and religion on the minds of many, we decided to explore eight of the oldest houses of worship in the greater downtown area. Come along as we discover what makes each of these hallowed halls one of a kind.

Home Moravian
Completed: 1800
Style: Classic Moravian

Sure, Home Moravian isn’t in an area most would officially label as downtown, but it’s pretty close. Besides, without this church, who knows where downtown Winston-Salem would be today?

From the moment it was dedicated in the fall of 1800, Home Moravian was something special. It served as the heartbeat of the bustling Salem community — the administrative center of the 100,000-acre Wachovia Tract (known as Forsyth County today). With its arched windows, solid brick walls, and octagonal belfry, Home represented the crowning accomplishment of early Salem craftsmen.

The church has operated continuously over the past 209 years, pausing only for periods of renovation. The most recent was a $1.9 million project that began in April. Workers removed the longstanding carpet from the sanctuary, revealing heart-of-pine wood flooring that hadn’t been seen in nearly a century. Also, the walls received a fresh coat of wheat-colored paint, while extensive repairs were made to the pews and organ.

“People always get a little concerned when you say the word renovation around here,” says Associate Pastor Christine Clore. “So we always try to keep the changes understated, but with respect for beautiful things.”

Despite the new look, Home still carries a sense of unity that has defined its space throughout history. The sanctuary can comfortably seat more than 650 people, although you’d never know it. “I think there’s an incredible feeling of intimacy here,” Clore says. “People look at the depth of the room and instantly think we’re a smaller church, but that’s hardly the case.”

As you might imagine, the holidays are a busy time at the church. In early December, members will make the short walk across Salem Square to the Single Brothers House where they’ll put on the annual Candle Tea.

Things get even busier on Christmas Eve, as the church holds four candlelight Lovefeast services starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 7:45 p.m. Despite the hustle, Home seems to relish the opportunity to make the season a little brighter.

“I think a lot of people want to experience a Christmas Eve service here because of our history,” Clore says, adding that the chapel is opened for overflow attendance. “We’re happy to welcome them all.”

Home Moravian was also instrumental in the start of St. Philips Moravian — the oldest black church in the state. This congregation held its first service inside a log cabin in 1822, and moved into an adjacent brick church in 1865. While the congregation would eventually move out of Old Salem and into its current building on Bon Air Avenue, they still return to the historic brick church periodically to hold worship services.

Lloyd Presbyterian
Completed: 1900
Style: Carpenter Gothic

When Laura Spangler arrived at Lloyd Presbyterian 12 years ago, she found a church with a lot of history and not much else. The church had fallen into extreme disrepair and appeared to be on its last breath. “It was a lot to take on,” says Spangler, who serves as the church’s pastor. “But at the same time, I felt a call to be here.”

Lloyd was built around 1900, taking its name from William Lloyd Garrison, a 19th-century abolitionist. It became a center for the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s, and housed a local chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality in the 1960s.

But time slowly took its toll on the tiny white church. Paint began peeling. Walls began crumbling. By the time Spangler arrived, Lloyd needed more than a few repairs. It needed a miracle.

And then, a miracle came.

It came in the form of a $235,000 renovation paid for by area groups and churches. “It was a total community effort,” Spangler says. “We couldn’t have done it alone.”

Holes in the plastering were repaired, the ceiling and basement were redone, and landscaping work was completed. Most notably, the dingy wood paneling was replaced with a coat of white paint, giving the interior a remarkably cheerful tone.

The congregation is now comprised of folks of varying races and social standings. Together, they form a diverse family that seems to define what faith is all about. “We’re still a small operation,” Spangler says, adding the church has around 30 members, “but we’re full of love.”

Goler Memorial AME Zion
Completed: 1918
Style: Gothic Revival

A lot has changed since Dorothy Williams started attending Goler Memorial AME Zion in the 1960s. A longtime member, Williams remembers a time when the church was in the center of a vibrant black business community. “There used to be stores all down this street,” she recalls, pointing toward neighboring Patterson Avenue.

But somewhere in time, the area started decaying. Dilapidated buildings and weed-lined parking lots slowly turned the area into an urban wasteland, forcing members to make a decision — stay downtown or move elsewhere, Williams explains.

After some soul-searching, the congregation decided to stay put. More than that, they pledged to restore the 15 acres surrounding the church, forming the Goler CDC to lead the efforts.

That was about a decade ago. Today, the group’s visions are slowly becoming a reality, as lofts, duplexes, and apartments stand in the once-ominous surroundings. “And there’s still more to come,” Williams says.

In the midst of change, the one constant is the church’s sanctuary — a handsome brick structure with a red-clad interior. The land it sits on was donated by William H. Goler, a prominent black leader who served as the secretary for the entire AME Zion denomination. The church was eventually named in his honor.

Though fire would damage the building in 1941, the church held its ground. Later, when the area began decaying, its members held steady. Now, with the neighborhood in a state of rebirth, the church will continue to serve as a guiding light.

First Baptist
Completed: 1925
Style: Neo Classical

The 1920s were a time of rapid expansion in Winston-Salem. With corporate profits reaching all-time highs, the city became the most populated in the state, resulting in a building boom of unprecedented grandeur. At the forefront of the boom were the downtown churches, which seemed to rise in rapid-fire succession.

The first of these boom-era churches was First Baptist, a structure modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. Everything from the church’s domed ceiling to its circular sanctuary mimics the famed Roman temple. Inside, 24-foot Corinthian columns surround the auditorium, while a gold-plated baptistery glistens just behind the choir loft.

“We’ve had a lot of people who stop in just to take pictures,” says Senior Pastor David Hughes. “We’ve even had a couple of companies come film movies in the sanctuary.”

Like most of the downtown cathedrals, though, First Baptist’s beauty comes at a price. The church completed a massive renovation project in 2007 that saw wood flooring introduced to the front of the sanctuary, a new sound system installed, and an overall “refreshing” of the entire space. As a result, the 84-year-old church is now as stunning as ever.

The seeds of First Baptist can be seen throughout the city today. Aside from organizing a number of other churches, it’s also responsible for bringing Baptist Hospital to town, thanks to a large donation in 1941. With its 155-foot steeple still towering over Fifth Street, the church continues to give us a taste of Roman majesty born out of a bygone era

Calvary Moravian
Completed: 1926
Style: Moravian Revival

From the outset, Calvary Moravian was rooted in tradition. It was organized in the 1870s by Home Moravian to give folks who lived in the neighboring town of Winston a place to worship.

As Winston grew, so too did Calvary, resulting in the construction of its current church in 1926. The $186,000 structure was designed in a distinct Moravian style, but with a few twists. Its towering belfry, for instance, houses a gable clock that was removed from the old Winston Town Hall.

Like all things Moravian, there’s a simple grace inside the church. The mood is set by its dim lighting and vibrant red carpet. If there’s one area of extravagance, it’s in the church’s stained-glass windows, which feature a unique, raised texture.

These days, Calvary finds itself in the center of a downtown in the midst of rebirth. Stationed along Holly Avenue, the church’s serenity is often compromised by the nearby sounds of construction.

The noise sits just fine with Senior Minister Lane Sapp, though. He arrived at the church 14 years ago to find a somewhat unwelcoming downtown. “Crime was still bad, and it just didn’t feel very safe,” he says. “That’s not the case anymore.”

Revitalization efforts have helped with membership, too. “We’re seeing more young people come into the church,” he notes. “Surprisingly, I think a lot of them are drawn to our traditional style of worship.”

With its surroundings pushing toward the trendy, Calvary seems poised to keep Moravian tradition alive in the center of the city.

Augsburg Lutheran
Completed: 1927
Style: Gothic Revival

It’s hard not to stare a little when you pass by Augsburg Lutheran. Set on a picturesque plot on the Western edge of downtown, the church features a Gothic design highlighted by an arched entryway and two flanking turrets. But the most eye-catching aspect, without question, is the church’s exterior walls.

“The walls are made of Bald Mountain stone,” explains longtime member Joyce Hilton. “It’s the colors of the stones that really stand out.”

The stones — blue, brown, and white — create a virtual kaleidoscope of color along Fifth Street. Interestingly enough, the quarry that delivered the stones now sits under man-made High Rock Lake.

Of course, there’s a lot more to Augsburg than its exterior. The church’s cozy sanctuary features a heavy dose of red on the pews and altar. On one side of the altar sits a wooden baptismal font; on the other, the choir loft and organ.

Like many churches, Augsburg prides itself on its diverse collection of stained glass. One of the largest and most alluring of the stained-glass windows sits in the West Transept area of the sanctuary. The window, which depicts Jesus in a field of sheep, was purchased for a mere $100 in 1895.

Over time, Augsburg has steadily expanded, as new wings and additions now border the sanctuary. Still, the timeless beauty of the church remains intact. When first completed in 1927, the Winston-Salem Sentinel wrote a piece on Augsburg, describing it as “magnificent and enduring.”

Eighty-two years in, those words still ring true.

St. Paul’s Episcopal
Completed: 1929
Style: Neo Gothic

Like most members at St. Paul’s Episcopal, Jim Lippart swells with pride while discussing his church. “When they built St. Paul’s, they built it forever,” he says.

A purely Gothic structure, St. Paul’s is arguably the most stunning of all the boom-era churches. It was designed by renowned Gothic architect Ralph Cram, designer of St. John the Divine in New York City. “Cram called this his cathedral of the South,” Lippart notes.

St. Paul’s stands on a sloping hill along West End’s Summit Street, its 110-foot tower seemingly keeping watch over the neighborhood below. A covered walkway joins the sanctuary with a new wing that contains a library, chapel, and fellowship hall. Between the two structures lies an enchanting, multileveled green space.

Inside, the soft glow of numerous stained-glass windows fills much of the space. The sanctuary’s white oak pews face toward a central choir loft and raised altar, which is replete with intricate woodcarvings. Next to the altar sits the church’s Skinner organ, its 4,721 pipes ranging from a quarter of an inch to 32 feet in length.

The wow factor even extends into the church’s fellowship hall, which was completed during a 2005 renovation project. It’s there you’ll find a stunning fresco stretching across the top of the room.

Add it all up, and you’ve got a church of unparalleled beauty that only seems to grow with time. “It takes a brilliant designer to get the most out of this space,” Lippart says, pointing to the church’s hilly terrain and challenging topography. “Dr. Cram was just that.”

Centenary United Methodist
Completed: 1931
Style: Gothic Revival

The last and perhaps most imposing of the building-boom churches came in the form of Centenary United Methodist. The land it sits on was donated by Mr. Bowman Gray, who had moved his family to Graylyn.

Construction started in the late 1920s and pushed through even when the Great Depression rained down in 1929. By the time the church was completed, Centenary carried a price tag of $750,000 — making it the most expensive church ever built in the city.

These days, just as it was back then, Centenary’s 1,500-seat sanctuary is awe-inspiring. Once inside, visitors tend to look up. Towering columns made of Indiana limestone border the nave, while a high-arched ceiling seems to extend right up into the heavens.

The sanctuary itself is shaped like a cross, with separate balconies standing to the left and right of the altar and another in the back. A handsome wood facade encloses the church’s organ, while shimmering stained glass enlivens an otherwise dark space.

“It’s a lovely blend of traditional European and American styles,” says Dr. Peter Graves, the church’s senior minister. “It’s quite a sight.”

With the completion of Centenary, Winston-Salem’s building boom officially ended, as the Depression crippled much of the city’s development for years to come. But, thanks to a few congregations with a penchant for the magnificent, the remnants of that thriving 1920s culture still stand proudly today.