Press Releases

“We will surrender, Sir, on condition that no one shall be injured; otherwise we will make the best defense we can…,” Temperance Alston’s words to David Fanning ended the fight between opposing militia forces. She bravely stepped onto the porch of her home, amid a hail of bullets, carrying a flag of truce, the scars of this personal and complicated war can still be seen on the Alston House. This year, the battle will be remembered through a digital event that will be hosted on the site’s social media pages. 

Historic Stagville State Historic Site, the site of one of the largest plantations in North Carolina, has been accepted to join the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a worldwide network of historic sites that connect the past to present struggles for human rights. A Site of Conscience is a place of memory – a museum, historic site, memorial or memory initiative– that confronts both the history of what happened there and its contemporary legacies. 

Artists in all disciplines are eligible to apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development through a program of the North Carolina Arts Council.  North Carolina’s statewide network of local arts councils is accepting applications for the new Artist Support Grants program. 

The North Carolina Historic Preservation Office has received a $50,000 grant from the Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS) funded through the Historic Preservation Fund African American Civil Rights grant program to study and document locations associated with the Civil Rights movement in northeastern North Carolina.

Today, archaeologists and conservators from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources opened a time capsule buried in 1894 beneath the cornerstone of the Confederate Soldiers Monument on Union Square in Raleigh. 

In light of Governor Roy Cooper’s state of emergency declaration and guidance regarding canceling or postponing large gatherings in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, Mountain Gateway Museum’s 2020 Pioneer Day festival has been canceled.  Festival organizers had hoped to reschedule the event, usually held in late April, for July 4, but rescheduling has become impracticable. 

RALEIGH, N.C. — The State Library of North Carolina announces the 2020-2021 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant awardees. This year's $4,788,098 federal allotment will be distributed on behalf of North Carolina's libraries through programs and services available under the North Carolina LSTA Five Year Plan. The 49 awards go to local library projects that:      • Strengthen Capacity      • Expand Access; and      • Engage Communities

Charlotte Hawkins Brown was a woman to stand up and speak out, and in that spirit the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (CHB) will present an online celebration of women’s activism June 15-22. The “She Changed the World” initiative celebrates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women, though not all women, the right to vote. 

The Governor’s Advisory Council on Film, Television and Digital Streaming will meet via conference call Tuesday, June 9 at 10 a.m. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting agenda includes an update from the North Carolina Film Office and discussion of recommendations regarding the N.C. film industry that the council will make in a report to Governor Cooper. Recommendations will be in the priority areas of film industry messaging and marketing; grants, rebates, policies and statutes; access and diversity; and industry expansion.

The 2020 Mountain Gateway Museum Farmers’ Market will open Thursday, June 4, at 24 Water Street in Old Fort. Please note that the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center remains closed to the public.  Vendors and visitors to the market will be asked to abide by state health and safety guidelines and observe the “3 Ws”: Wear face coverings, Wash or sanitize your hands often, and Wait/walk/stand six feet apart in line. Hand sanitizer will be provided. No public restrooms will be available, and picnic tables on the museum’s grounds will not be available for use.