Press Releases

Join the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites at two upcoming listening sessions designed to gather community input on the division’s work to tell the story of Golden and Ruth Frinks, their home, and their central role in the struggle for Civil Rights in North Carolina and across the South. Since 2019, the division has been working to preserve the Golden Frinks home in Edenton. 

Summer is almost here. Flowers and centuries-old trees are in full bloom. And cool breezes from Lake Phelps stave off the stifling heat. The 11th annual "Days Gone By" living history event at Somerset Place State Historic Site offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy this beautiful weather.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is pleased to announce that one district boundary increase, two districts and five individual properties across the state have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The following properties were reviewed by the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee and subsequently nominated by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer and forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register for consideration for listing in the National Register.

The State Library of North Carolina announces the 2022-2023 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant awardees. This year's 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 37 awards, totaling $2,047,954, go to local library projects that:      • Strengthen Capacity      • Expand Access      • Engage Communities

Join the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum on Saturday, June 11, to honor educator and activist Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown for her 139th birthday. Hourly guided tours of Canary Cottage, Dr. Brown’s home, will take place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tour prices are $2 for adults (13-64), and $1 for children (12 and under) and seniors (65 and over). The site’s new Little Lending Library will be unveiled at 2 p.m., followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Dr. Brown’s gravesite on the grounds at 2:30 p.m.

In commemoration of Juneteenth, the North Carolina State Capitol will host an exhibit and Juneteenth themed tours Saturday, June 18. Juneteenth (a combination of 'June' and  'nineteenth') marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed.

A groundbreaking African American attorney born in Goldsboro soon will have a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker in town.

The Ocean City Beach Community will be honored for its historic role in North Carolina’s civil rights history with a marker on the North Carolina Civil Rights Trail. Founded in 1949, Ocean City was the only place African Americans could purchase coastal property in North Carolina, 15 years before the Civil Rights Act.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced today that Jeff Bell has been named as the next director of the North Carolina Arts Council. Bell currently serves as executive director of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum in Wilson and Arts Innovation coordinator for the city of Wilson. Bell brings more than two decades of arts experience to the role, including leadership positions at 21c Museum Hotel in Durham, CAM Raleigh, and Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.

Montgomery County has been chosen as the subject of a comprehensive survey of historic buildings and landscapes planned from 2021-23. Funding for this architectural survey comes from the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF), administered by the National Park Service, for hurricanes Florence and Michael.