Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta) Fries

Born in Salem, North Carolina, in 1871, Adelaide Lisetta Fries grew up in a Moravian family with deep roots in church life and scholarship. She studied at Salem Academy and Salem College, and her interest in history began early, especially through the original records of the Moravian community.

In 1911 she was appointed archivist for the Moravian Church in the Southern Province. From then on, she devoted her life to collecting, organizing, translating, and publishing records that dated back to the eighteenth century. Her work helped preserve materials that might otherwise have been lost and made them far more accessible to researchers and general readers.

Fries is especially remembered for major works such as Records of the Moravians in North Carolina, The Moravians in Georgia, and The Road to Salem. She was also recognized in her lifetime with honorary degrees for her scholarship. Today, she is still valued as an author, editor, translator, and genealogist whose careful work shaped the study of Moravian history in the South.