Forsyth County

Forsyth County was originally settled in 1753 by Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg, who acquired a 100,000-acre tract of land from Lord Granville, one of the lord proprietors of North Carolina. The Moravians called their land Wachovia after the Austrian estate of Count Nicholas Lewis von Zinzendorf, an early protector of the Moravian church. They established two major settlements - Salem and Bethabara. When Forsyth County was created out of a portion of Stokes County in 1849, the Moravians agreed to sell the government 51 acres north of Salem to become the county seat. The new town was called Winston, after a local Revolutionary War hero.

Salem continued to prosper as a trading center, while Winston and the rest of Forsyth grew under the guidance of R.J. Reynolds and his new tobacco company and P.H. Hanes and his knitwear operation. In 1913, the towns merged and the city became Winston-Salem. Today, more than half of Forsyth County's 317,810 population live in Winston-Salem.

The North Carolina School of the Arts, America's only residential, state-supported school for the arts, attracts talented young men and women to Winston-Salem. NCSA performs more than 350 cultural programs each year in the spectacular 1,200-seat Stevens Center for Performing Arts. The Piedmont Triad Symphony, Piedmont Opera Theatre and touring Broadway shows also perform at Stevens Center. A highlight every two years is the National Black Theatre Festival, which draws 30,000 attendees and talent from across the globe. NCSA also hosts the RiverRun International Film Festival, one of the premier film festivals in the Southeastern United States and is a sponsor of Films on Fourth featuring non-main stream cinema works from around the world.

SciWorks with its many hanks-on exhibits, planetarium and environmental park and The Children's Museum are popular attractions for families. Reynolda House, the former estate of R.J. Reynolds and his wife, features an amazing collection of American art from such masters as Georgia O'Keefe and Frederic Church. And for great shopping, nearby Reynolda Village is popular for its boutiques and restaurants.

The county's Moravian history comes alive at Historic Bethabara Park, a National Historic Landmark and site of the Carolinas' first Moravian settlement, and in Old Salem, considered to be one of the most authentic and well-documented colonial sites in America.

Tanglewood Park, just west of Winston-Salem near the town of Clemmons, offers 1,300 acres of parkland. There's something for everyone here, whether you enjoy fishing, horseback riding, camping, swimming or just picnicking with your family. Tanglewood is also home to two 18-hole PGA golf courses and was the former home to the PGA Vantage Championship. The Park also is famous across the state for its annual Christmas Light Festival.

Forsyth County and Guilford County are jointly developing The Triad Park on 426 acres between the two counties. Approximately 50 acres have been developed as of 2004, with development of the park planned to progress over the next six years. The park currently offers hiking/biking trails, sports fields, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits and picnic areas.

Neighborhoods in Winston-Salem pride themselves on their lush landscaping, towering trees, winding streets, and, above all, safety. You'll find everything from turn of the century homes in historic districts such as Old Salem to contemporary custom homes in new communities. The cost of living in Winston-Salem is among the most affordable in the country, and there is a home to suit any budget. The economic landscape of the area also continues to improve with the recent announcement that Dell, Inc., will open a $100 million desktop assembly plant in Winston-Salem's Alliance Science and Technology Park in late 2005.

Many people who work in Winston-Salem, Greensboro or High Point live in the charming town of Kernersville. Known as the "Heart of the Piedmont Triad" for its location smack in the middle of those three major cities, Kernersville has grown tremendously during the past two decades. The population has more than tripled since 1980, reaching almost 20,000 in 2004. The growth is expected to continue thanks to the town's annexation of 1,000 acres south of I-40.

The Piedmont Land Conservancy has proposed a Greenway that would run from Winston-Salem to Greensboro, passing right through Kernersville and adding one more charming element to this friendly town.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools serve 48,300 students in 70 schools, and each school provides programs for academically gifted children. The school system also received a $7.1 million Magnet Schools Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2004 to increase its number of magnet schools from six to 10. The community is dedicated to providing a top-rate school system. Bond packages passed by residents have provided for the construction of 10 new schools during the past few years, and two new high schools will open in August 2005. The public school system operates a "Schools of Choice" program that allows parents to select the elementary and middle schools for their children within a defined zone. Students attend high school according to where they live. There are also six Charter Schools in the county and approximately 30 private schools, both religious and secular.

The medical community in Forsyth County is among the best in the Southeast. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center includes N.C. Baptist Hospitals, Inc., as well as 20 affiliate or subsidiary hospitals and 87 satellite clinics. Baptist Hospital is an 830-bed teaching hospital that is regularly ranked among the nation's top medical centers. Forsyth Medical Center is an 847-bed not-for-profit regional medical center. Coupled with Medical Park Hospital, a 136-bed elective, outpatient surgery center, Forsyth Medical Center is the state's second largest tertiary care hospital and was the first hospital in the state to be nationally certified as a primary stroke care center. Combined, these two medical centers provide some of the highest quality medical care in the nation.