Best Historical Society Fayetteville Near Me

4worldlovers:
The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is the hub for history in Downtown Fayetteville. From the history enthusiast to families looking for fun, there is something for everyone here. The Historic Properties division operates the museum, museum annex, the North Carolina Veterans Park and city owned historic sites to include the Market House.

Located in the beautifully restored 1890 Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad Depot, the museum offers two floors of engaging, artifact-filled exhibits. The rich history of our area is told from pre-history through the early 20th century. Favorite spots in the museum include the steamboat interactive and the recreated Station Agent’s Office. Exhibits are frequently rotated.

Conveniently located next door to the museum, the annex continues Fayetteville’s story with additional displays. Vintage cars, the recreated 1920s gas station, and Fayetteville’s 1880s Silsby Steam Pump Engine are a delight. Exhibit topics also include plank roads, fire department history, and farm life.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is a wonderful, educational resource for the City of Fayetteville. In addition to a self-guided experience, guided tours are offered for schools, home school groups, scouts, churches, civic groups, military units, and more. Tours are free and can be adapted to suit the needs of a wide range of ages and educational objectives.

For more information or to schedule a tour or program call 910-433-1457, 910-433-1458 or 910-433-1944. Tours have maximum/minimum participant requirements. We open early for groups and tours can be shortened, lengthened, or tailored to meet your group’s needs.

Let staff lead the way through our exhibits. Our tours emphasize transportation and local history using a “now and then” approach to make the past relevant.

Discover the history of local landmarks and walk in the footsteps of historically significant personalities with a tour of Fayetteville’s Downtown Historic District. Your customized tour may include a visit to the Market House, the Fayetteville Light Infantry Museum and Armory, some of the historic churches, Liberty Point, Cool Springs Tavern, and Cross Creek Cemetery.

We offer themed experiences for visitors ages 3 to 5. Each program includes a sing-along, story time, and exploration of specific artifacts in the museum and annex.

Step inside City Hall to learn more about our local government. Held inside City Council Chambers, this experience highlights the role of local government and how it operates. Students can role-play various positions in the Council Chambers.

Need a speaker for your upcoming program or event? Staff at the museum offer presentations on a variety of local history topics to organizations and groups in the community. Whether it is military heritage, historic preservation, or anything related to Fayetteville or Cumberland County’s history, we can help make your program a historical success.

Many people enjoy visiting the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum. Did you know that you can expand your experience by becoming a volunteer? At the museum there are a number of opportunities: greeting visitors, assisting with our collections, or helping with our exhibits. Expand your knowledge of local history and the museum’s reach into the community. Help us let the history of Fayetteville and Cumberland County shine.

Join museum staff for a look inside the E.E. Smith House located at 135 Blount Street. A newly installed gallery space allows visitors to learn about the life of Dr. Ezekiel Ezra Smith and his impact on the community. Built in 1902, the E.E. Smith house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Stop in any time between noon and 3 pm at the house located at 135 Blount Street.

All ages; Fri., June 9 and Sat., June 10; noon -3 pm; Free

Join museum staff for a look inside the Massey Hill Mill House Museum located next to the Massey Hill Recreation Center. A newly installed gallery space allows visitors to learn about three historic textile mills and their impact on the community they helped to build. Stop in any time between noon and 3 pm.

All ages; Fri., July 14 and Sat., July 15; noon -3 pm; Free

Join museum staff for an all ages family -friendly archaeological discussion and demonstration on museum grounds followed by a chat on Cool Spring Street, the subject of previous archaeological investigations. Meet museum staff on Cool Spring Street learn about the excavation that took place in 1983, its findings and what is known about the early colonial and Scottish history of Cool Spring Street.

4worldlovers:

The 1897 Poe House is so named because it was built in the year 1897 and it was the home of the E.A. Poe family. Mr. E.A. Poe was a local businessman and owner of the Poe Brick Company, not the famous writer of the macabre! The deed of the house is in the name of his wife, Josephine Montague Poe, originally from Wake County, who married Poe in 1880. Learn about life in the first decades of the twentieth century and the changes that defined this era by touring the home of an affluent Fayetteville businessman and his family. Tours highlight women's roles, African American history, children's roles, and technological, economic, and social changes in southern North Carolina and the country during this era.


Effective Tuesday, March 8, 2022 masks will be optional for visitors and staff at the Museum of the Cape Fear and 1897 Poe House.

Guided tours of the 1897 Poe House are offered at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00 pm Tuesday-Friday. On Saturday tours are given on the hour beginning at 10:00, with the last tour at 4:00 pm. On Sunday tours are given on the hour beginning at 1:00, with the last tour at 4:00 pm. Visitors must check in at the Museum of the Cape Fear lobby to sign up for the tour. Suggested donation $2 per adult and $1 per child under age 12 yrs.

In 1897, the local paper supported William Jennings Bryan for president. Bryan was defeated by William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901 and succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt.

In 1897, Pepsi-Cola, concocted by a pharmacist in New Bern, NC named Caleb Bradham, turned one year old.

The New York Sun runs the famous editorial "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus."

The first Library of Congress building opens it doors to the public.

Elias Carr served as Governor of North Carolina until 1897 when he was replaced by Daniel Russell.