Old Salem’s Coffee Pot, the Most Exceptional Monument in Winston-Salem

Old Salem’s Coffee Pot, Winston-Salem

photography by: Omri Westmark

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Founded by Moravian settlers in the 18th century, Old Salem is widely known for its well-preserved German Style architecture and nostalgic charm. Somewhat eclipsed by the dozens of remarkable places to explore across the historic district, a giant coffee pot statue at the edge of town might first seem like a whimsical sculpture of a beautification program, yet this local monument bears a far more interesting story than what meets the eye.

South Main Street is where the majority of Old Salem’s most iconic and historically significant buildings are located, including two national historic landmarks.

photography by: Omri Westmark


The street bisects both Old Salem as well as Winston-Salem’s modern downtown. Nestled roughly where the two districts meet, the coffee pot sculpture is easily accessible from virtually every direction, albeit the best way to get there is by walking northwards along Old Salem’s South Main Street until you reach the edge of town.

photography by: Omri Westmark


Surrounded by a verdant patch of land, the Mickey Coffee Pot is named after the pair of tinsmiths, Samuel and Julius Mickey, who erected the monument in 1858 in front of their tin-shop to attract clients amid an increasing competition from nearby businesses.

photography by: Omri Westmark


Although the 3.5-meter-tall pot (12 feet) was originally created as an attention-seeking advertisement, it soon became a beloved monument, revered by locals as a source of pride and inspiration. Interestingly, while the metal kettle was never used as an actual coffee pot, it theoretically can contain almost 12,000 cups of brew cups.

photography by: Omri Westmark


Despite its sheer popularity among locals, its location along a busy street became a traffic hazard. Following several accidents where cars and carriages collided with the tin sculpture, the municipal authority tried to remove the pot. However, the monument’s public reverence was too great to resist and thus all attempts to removed it failed miserably.

photography by: Omri Westmark


After surviving the ongoing efforts to dispose it, the monumental pot faced yet another ordeal, when in 1930, during the Halloween celebrations, a group of teenagers threw a makeshift firecracker into the pot, which was heavily damaged as a result of the blast.

photography by: Omri Westmark


During the aftermath of the incident, the local police, despite knowing who the culprits were, refrained from inflicting any kind of penalty, leaving it for the parents to cope with.
Nevertheless, after Salem police discovered a scrap paper that was used as part of the bomb’s ingredients and contained the address of one of the culprits’ grandmothers, it was forced to take action. Eventually, the final settlement required each boy to pay 3 dollars for the damage.

photography by: Omri Westmark


Since its creation in the mid-19th century, the pot was relocated a couple of times, when in 1960, following the construction of I-40 and Old Salem Road, it finally found its last and current location, at a green traffic island between Old Salem Rd and South Main Street.

photography by: Omri Westmark