Grass fills Salem Square, the public green at the heart of Old Salem, North Carolina. The green you see dates to the settlement's founding in 1766 and was designed by Friedrich von Marschall. The square is ringed by East Academy Street to the north, on the east by South Church Street, on the south by West Street and on the west by South Main Street.
Look east toward South Church Street and you’ll see Salem College and the Single Sisters' House overlooking the grass. On the western edge stands the Market-Fire House, a National Historic Landmark, built after Dr. Samuel Benjamin Vierling began encouraging Salem residents to eat more fresh meat instead of the salted version; fresh meat was then delivered there on a weekly basis. At the square’s southwestern corner is a reconstruction of one of the water pumps that served the town beginning in 1778.
The square still hosts community life: several events take place here each year, including a long-running band concert series in the summer. Picture the water pump at the southwestern corner, the Market-Fire House on the western edge, and Salem College across South Church Street.