April Home Maintenance Checklist: Get Your Home Spring-Ready

As the days get longer and the weather warms up, April is the perfect time to refresh your home after winter and prepare for the months ahead. This month’s checklist will help you tackle essential maintenance tasks to keep your home in top shape. 1. Inspect Your Roof and Gutters Winter weather can take a toll on your roof and gutters. Check for missing shingles, signs of leaks, and clear out any leaves or debris from gutters to ensure proper drainage. 2. Service Your HVAC System Before the summer heat arrives, schedule a professional tune-up for your air conditioning unit. Change your filters and clean vents to improve air quality and efficiency. 3. Check Windows and Doors for Leaks Inspect seals and caulking around windows and doors to keep cool air in and pests out. Replace weatherstripping if needed to improve energy efficiency. 4. Freshen Up Outdoor Spaces Power wash your driveway, deck, and patio to remove winter grime. Check for loose boards or cracks and make any necessa...
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Explore Bethabara, NC


Bethabara (from the Hebrew, meaning "House of Passage" and pronounced beth-AB-bruh, the name of the traditional site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ) is a village located in Forsyth County, North Carolina. It was the site where fifteen men from the Moravian Church first settled in 1753 in an abandoned cabin in the hundred-thousand acre (400 km²) tract of land the church had purchased from Lord Granville and dubbed Wachovia.

Its early settlers were noted for advanced agricultural practices, especially their "Medicine Garden," which produced over fifty kinds of herbs. Bethabara grew slowly and today is known locally as "Old Town".

Although later parties of Moravians joined the first fifteen, including women and children, Bethabara was never meant to be a permanent settlement. It was intended to house the Moravians until a more suitable location for their central village could be found. In 1771, that place was completed: Salem. Many of the settlers moved to Salem, and Bethabara became an outlying farm to supply the residents of Salem and other Moravian villages with food.

In 1788, a slave, Johann Samuel, was named superintendent of the farm; he was freed in 1801, though he continued to rent the land from the church. However, the village of Bethabara, as it existed, was no longer needed, and it fell into disuse. The original buildings collapsed, and their foundations were filled in to make more farm land. Only the Church and a couple of other buildings continued in regular use.

Today, what remains of the village, including the excavated foundations of the original buildings, the restored Gemeinhaus, and the reconstructed palisade and colonial gardens, is part of Historic Bethabara Park, which is a National Historic Site serving Forsyth County. The 183-acre park and wildlife preserve is located in Winston-Salem and is operated by the City of Winston-Salem Recreation & Parks Department as an open air museum. The site also features 20 miles of nature trails.

There are frequent festivals and reenactments on the weekends, such as the Independence Weekend Celebration held the weekend prior to or during Independence Day. Winston-Salem State University also runs a summer archaeology program featuring on-site excavation.

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