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Hatteras Happenings at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

Posted July 2, 2009 – 4:10 pm

HATTERAS ISLAND — Try painting, food tasting, or hearing about “the good ol’ days” on Hatteras Island at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in July. The Meekins Chandlery Gift Shop and Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum are sponsors.

Award winning writer Ray McAllister, Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist, will reflect on his family’s annual visits to the island more than 25 years ago and relate entries from his new book, “Hatteras Island: Keeper of the Outer Banks” on July 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Although fast food restaurants, strip malls and beach-dominating duplexes have sprung up, much about the island has remained the same. Storm buffeted Hatteras has kept its soul. McAllister will tell stories of charter fishing, Billy Mitchell, U-Boats, the paving of Route 12 and the building of Oregon Inlet Bridge. He will relate how weather and the rugged people of the island have influenced the community.

Cast your vote at the Hatteras Island Methodist Cookbook Challenge on July 16, 12 noon-2 p.m. Two new cookbooks, “Kinnakeet Kitchens,” by St. John’s United Church Women in Avon, and “Keeping the Faith Recipes & Stories of the Windows,” by the Hatteras United Methodist Church family and friends, will offer favorite recipes and tasty samples. It’s a rare opportunity to meet local authors and try real Hatteras cuisine.

North Carolina watercolorist Jim Wordsworth will teach a Beginner’s Watercolor Painting Class on July 23, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The $25 registration fee includes a painting kit and lunch. There will be an overview of watercolor painting with a focus on good composition and tips to get a painting underway. Wordsworth will present a one-man show from 2:30-4 p.m. Participates must bring a small landscape picture, be aged 12 or older, and register with the museum at (252) 986-2995.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, located next to Ferry’s Dock in Hatteras, presents the maritime heritage and history of shipwrecks of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It is part of the Division of State History Museums within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.

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N.C. Maritime Museum Announces July and August Calendar

Posted July 1, 2009 – 10:04 am

BEAUFORT – There is a lot to see and do at the North Carolina Maritime Museum this summer. Programs and activities range from to investigations of microscopic marine monsters to classes in boat handling. The exhibit “Traditional Watercraft” is a hands-on exploration of how traditional North Carolina boats were designed, built, and used, and is on view through Sept. 28.

The Museum documents, collects, preserves, and researches the maritime and natural history of coastal North Carolina, and interprets history through educational services and exhibits. The N.C. Maritime Museum, 315 Front St., Beaufort, N.C., is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, call (252) 728-7317 or e-mail maritime@ncmail.net.

July

1 Wednesday  - Seafood Workshop: Wild About Shrimp

Museum educator Allison Gleason Besch presents this hands-on workshop that features the popular crustacean in science and culture, with samples to taste. Reservations are $10. 2-4 p.m.

2 Thursday - Rachel Carson Reserve

An interpretive walk, led by retired Museum educator Jeannie Kraus, features the wildlife and history of the local estuarine environment. Reservations $15, $10 ages 8-11. 9:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

2 Thursday - Museum Marvels

View artifacts from the museum collection not currently on display. The program will be presented by Museum staff. 3 p.m.

7 Tuesday  - “Ichthyology and Otoliths: My Life as a Foreign Fisheries Observer”

Join local author Dail Bridges for images, a lively discussion, and a book signing. 3 p.m.

8 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

8 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life

Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

9 Thursday - Museum Secrets Revealed

Take a behind the scenes tour of the Museum’s collection, research, and exhibit areas with the staff. Reservations are $5. 3 p.m.

10 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

11 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

14 Tuesday - Dolphins

The Museum’s Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster will share photos and speak about local dolphins by. 3 p.m.

15 Wednesday - Watson Shells Revisited

Featured shells from the Museum’s international collection will be available for viewing. The program will be led by Museum volunteer Doug Wolfe and Museum educator Allison Gleason Besch. 11 a.m.

15 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life
Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

21 Tuesday - Bonehenge

See a display of sperm whale biology and get a Museum project update from volunteer Carolyn Brooks. 3 p.m.

22 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

22 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life

Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

23 Thursday - Maritime Origami

Have fun with a maritime themed paper folding craft demonstration by volunteer Naomi Fontenoy. 3 p.m.

24 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

25 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

28 Tuesday - Learn to Kayak

Beginners receive paddling instruction and a guided marsh tour from Museum education instructor Dave Stroud. Reservations are $40, $35 FOM, $10 for those who own their own kayak. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

28 Tuesday - Beach Finds

Identify specimens from North Carolina beaches. 3 p.m.

30 Thursday - Nautical Skills

A demonstration of skills for life at sea will be presented by Museum intern Meghan Kaylor. 3 p.m.

31 Friday - Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks

Cape Lookout National Seashore biologist Dr. Sue Stuska will give a presentation on the wild horses of Shackleford Banks. 3 p.m.

AUGUST

4 Tuesday - Sea Turtles

Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster discusses sea turtle ecology & conservation. 3 p.m.

5 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

6 Thursday - Blackbeard and Queen Anne’s Revenge

Maritime Archaeologist David Moore will give an update on Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge project. 3 p.m.

12 Wednesday - Learn to Kayak

Beginners receive paddling instruction and a guided marsh tour from Museum education instructor Dave Stroud. Reservations are $40, $35 FOM, $10 for those who own their own kayak. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

12 Wednesday - Bonehenge
See a display of sperm whale biology and get a Museum project update from Museum volunteer Carolyn Brooks. 3 p.m.

21 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

22 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

For more information, call Lori Duppstadt at (252) 728-7317 or go to www.ncmaritimemuseum.org. The North Carolina Maritime Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m. There is no admission fee.

The N.C. Maritime Museum, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Podcasts are available 24/7 with information about the department at www.ncculture.com.

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New Civil War Roster Chronicles N.C. Teenaged Regiments

Posted June 30, 2009 – 4:21 pm

(RALEIGH) – The newest title hot off the press from the Historical Publications Section in the Office of Archives and History is “Volume XVII: Junior Reserves” in the popular “North Carolina Troops, 1861–1865: A Roster” series, edited by Matthew M. Brown and Michael W. Coffey.

Volume XVII contains the history and rosters of the North Carolina Junior Reserves. The Junior Reserves were 17-year-old boys drafted in the last year of the war, as the Confederacy faced a disastrous shortfall in manpower. Between the spring and fall of 1864, North Carolina raised eight battalions of Junior Reserves that were later consolidated into three regiments and one independent battalion. These young men were originally intended to guard bridges and depots in North Carolina, but eventually were drawn into combat. The Junior Reserves saw action in a number of minor clashes in eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, as well as the major battles of Fort Fisher and Bentonville.

An authoritative 120-page history begins the volume, followed by a complete roster and service records of the officers and men who served in the Junior Reserves. The service records include important information such as full name, rank, county of birth and residence, occupation, place and date of enlistment, age, whether the individual was wounded, captured, hospitalized, paroled, transferred, or promoted, and whether or not he died during the war. A thorough index completes the volume.

Matthew M. Brown received a B.A. in history from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from the UNC- Chapel Hill. Michael W. Coffey received a Ph.D in history from the University of Southern Mississippi.

“North Carolina Troops, 1861–1865: A Roster (Volume XVII: Junior Reserves)” (hardbound; pp. xvi, 509; index) costs $63.38 ($58.04, libraries), which includes tax and shipping. Order from the Historical Publications Section (N), Office of Archives and History, 4622 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4622. For credit card orders call (919) 733-7442, ext. 0, or visit the section’s secure online store at http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/. Volume XVII is also available through Amazon.com.

The Historical Publications section is administered by the Office of Archives and History, part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Information is available at www.ncculture.com.

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All N.C. Historic Sites Open on July 4

Posted June 30, 2009 – 2:29 pm

RALEIGH — All 27 N.C. State Historic Sites will be open on Independence Day, Saturday July 4. A number of the sites are planning special programs, including the State Capitol in Raleigh, Historic Halifax, the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo and Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens in New Bern.

All sites will be closed Friday, July 3, for the state holiday. For more information on individual sites’ schedules and programs, go to http:///www.nchistoricsites.org.

The Division of State Historic Sites and Properties is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.

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Celebrate a Traditional Independence Day at State Capitol

Posted June 30, 2009 – 2:22 pm

RALEIGH — Pack a picnic lunch, don’t forget your lawn chairs and blankets, and come out to enjoy the July 4th holiday at the State Capitol’s annual celebration of America’s independence. This fun-filled, patriotic family event has become a downtown Raleigh tradition. The Saturday festivities are free and open to the public.

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., musical performances, historical and military displays, a craft demonstration and several hands-on and play activities for children will be going on at the Capitol. Visitors will be able to listen to music inside the Capitol and outside on the square from groups such as the St. Mark’s Jazz Band, The Huckleberry Brothers and the Raleigh Concert Band. Families may also depart from Capitol Square on a narrated trolley ride throughout the historic downtown, featuring Raleigh landmarks.

Period-costumed re-enactors will evoke American military might from the Revolutionary period to the Vietnam era. Once again, the Capitol will sponsor the popular “Old Fashioned 4th” historical demonstration area where visitors can discover how Americans celebrated Independence Day in days gone by. Here folks will have a chance to try their hand at quill pen writing, sack races and much more.

At 11:45 a.m., those who fell in the Vietnam War and all remaining POW/MIA military personnel will be honored and remembered in a brief memorial service held at the N.C. Vietnam Memorial on the Capitol lawn. At noon, the annual “Salute to Independence” will begin at the 1840 State Capitol’s east front with a reading of Thomas Jefferson’s most noble achievement, “The Declaration of Independence.”

This moving presentation will be followed by a solemn placement of floral tributes to mark the 1775-1781 War for Independence and the successive wars that have helped preserve America’s freedoms and spread democracy and freedom globally. Concerts will follow the noontime ceremonies.

Food vendors, including Cooper’s BBQ and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, will be located on the Capitol grounds.

The N.C. Museum of History gift shop will be open from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., and its restrooms will be available to all attendees throughout the Capitol’s July 4th celebration.

A National Historic Landmark, the N.C. State Capitol is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in the United States. It features a domed rotunda and state senate and house chambers, meticulously restored to their 1840 appearance. Until 1888 its granite walls housed all of state government, and the Legislature met here until 1961. Today the governor and her staff still occupy offices in the Capitol.

The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the architecture, history and functions of the 1840 Capitol building and Union Square, where it is located. In downtown Raleigh, the State Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington streets. Free parking is available in state lots near the Capitol.

For more information on the State Capitol call (919) 733-4994 or go to http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, the State Capitol is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.

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Furniture Moved Back Into Restored Aycock Home

Posted June 24, 2009 – 3:10 pm

FREMONT – Visitors to the Aycock Birthplace can make good memories on Independence Day. The restoration of the fire-damaged farmhouse is nearly complete, and that part of the state historic site will soon be open for public viewing again.

Like other state historic sites, the Aycock Birthplace will be closed Friday, July 3, but open to visitors on Saturday, July 4.

It is often said that a house is not a home. So last week, after reconstruction of the childhood home of Governor Charles B. Aycock in Fremont finally was done, the first thing that Aycock Birthplace staff and other N.C. Historic Sites professionals did was to begin moving tables, chairs, beds, dressers and pictures back into the historic structure.

Most of these pieces had been salvaged from a fire that damaged the house on Jan. 24, 2008. The old furnishings included a dresser, five beds, four night stands, four blanket chests, a cradle and a small drop-leaf table. All these pieces were smoke damaged so they had to be cleaned by staff using special erasers and enzymatic solutions. Some of the furnishings needed extra care and were hauled to Historic Sites Conservator Jennifer French’s office in Durham.

Professional textile conservators were called in to help gently clean bed linens and other fabrics damaged in the fire. Cleaning historical artifacts is a painstaking process so it took several months to restore them. The staff also installed a few new pieces in the house, such as a 19th-century Victorian sofa and a slant-top desk.

After a few remaining furnishings are placed in the house and the tour information is updated to include information about the fire, plans are for tours of the governor’s family home to resume in late July.

Though the 2008 fire seriously damaged the main house, the state historic site subsequently reopened to the public and continues to present public programs. The period one-room schoolhouse and the historic area, including the kitchen, corn crib and smokehouses, have all remained open.

Visitors may also tour exhibits in the state historic site’s visitor center and watch a video on the late governor and his family.

A new exhibit recently installed at Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site also explains the governor’s key role in improving educational opportunities for deaf and blind North Carolinians, along with the evolution of a separate educational system for these populations.

Anyone wanting to aid in the home’s restoration may do so by contributing to the Aycock Birthplace Recovery and Restoration Fund. Contributions may be sent to Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace, P.O. Box 207, Fremont, N.C. 27830.

Aycock Birthplace’s mission is to preserve and interpret the birthplace and history of Charles B. Aycock, emphasizing his contributions to public education in North Carolina. To reach the site, take U.S. 117 north nine miles from Goldsboro or U.S. 117 south 14 miles from Wilson. Turn right (from Goldsboro) or left (from Wilson) on Gov. Aycock Road. The site is 1-1/2 miles on the right. From I-95 take the U.S. 301 exit at Kenly. Take N.C. 222 east for 10 miles to Fremont and turn right on U.S. 117. Go two miles and turn left on Gov. Aycock Road.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, Aycock Birthplace is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.

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Highway Historical Marker Honors Burnt Swamp Association

Posted June 24, 2009 – 1:36 pm

RALEIGH – For more than 100 years, the Burnt Swamp Association has responded to the religious needs of the American Indian community in southeastern North Carolina. The service to that community is being recognized with a N.C. Highway Historical Marker, to be dedicated on Saturday, June 27, at 10 a.m. on NC Highway 72 at State Road 1003, also known as Chicken Road, in Pembroke. It is the latest addition to more than 1,500 markers statewide; 48 relate to American Indian history in North Carolina.

Burnt Swamp Baptist Church was founded on Oct. 2, 1877, by 20 Lumbee Indians, with encouragement from two local white churches. The Lumbee community had held impromptu church services for about two decades. After four years and continued growth, two additional churches were formed. On Jan. 22, 1881, elders of the three churches adopted a resolution forming the Burnt Swamp Missionary Baptist Association of Mixed Race. After years of struggling to gain acceptance and several name changes, the Burnt Swamp Missionary Baptist Association was admitted to the Baptist State Convention in 1929.

The association was instrumental in efforts to establish American Indian schools in Robeson and surrounding counties. Members helped to organize the Croatan Normal School in 1887. A source of pride to the area’s American Indian community, the school was the forerunner of UNC-Pembroke. Today the association includes Indian churches in nine counties in North and South Carolina as well as in Baltimore, Md., representing 69 churches and a mission. Members are associated with the Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Pee Dee Coharie, Waccamaw-Siouan, and Tuscarora tribes.

For additional information on the marker dedication, call Rev. Michael Cummings, (910) 521-9850. For information on the Highway Historical Marker program, call Michael Hill, (919) 807-7290. The Highway Marker program within the Office of Archives and History is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com

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Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Launches New Summer Reading Program

Posted June 23, 2009 – 1:20 pm

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NCLBPH) will kick off a new summer reading program at an event featuring an Instrument Petting Zoo of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion from the North Carolina Symphony on June 25, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh.

Children and teens up to age 18 are invited to sign up for “Be Creative @ Your Library” through Aug. 31 with the NCLBPH, which is operated by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. Young NCLBPH readers will read books of their choosing to explore new places, cultures, people and adventures, and will receive prizes for every five books completed.

To harmonize with the theme of creativity, the event will explore the worlds of art, music, dance and more with special stories about creative people with disabilities and a craft activity in which participants will make Native American rain sticks. All interested young readers who are eligible for NCLBPH services are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.

The 2009 Summer Reading Program and related events are free, thanks to support provided by the Friends of the NCLBPH and by corporate sponsors Food Lion and Chic-Fil-A.

Registration for the 2009 Summer Reading Program is open to eligible readers until Aug. 1. For registration packets call the North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at (919) 733-4376 or (888) 388-2460.

The Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency dedicated to enriching lives through opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries.

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Civil Rights-ERA Photos of Alexander Rivera on View at Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum

Posted June 23, 2009 – 1:14 pm

SEDALIA — Already famous for using his camera to shine a harsh light on racism in the American South, Alexander Rivera visited Palmer Memorial Institute in the early 1950s to document life at this prestigious African American prep school. He captured images of students, teachers and administrators far different than the civil rights marches often featured in his photos.

Now through Aug.15, visitors to the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum in Sedalia can see the award-winning photographer’s work, including one photo taken at Palmer of Nat King Cole, Dr. Brown and other family members. “Bearing Witness: Civil Rights Photographs of Alexander Rivera” is free and open to the public.

This exhibit brings together 31 images and articles from Rivera’s career with some of the nation’s leading black newspapers including the Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.), the Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), and the Washington Tribune (Washington, D.C.). From pivotal moments in civil rights history to events in everyday life, the exhibit illustrates how his work brought national attention to African Americans, including North Carolinians. Rivera received the North Carolina Award for Fine Arts in 2008.

Visitors may see these photos during the museum’s normal operating hours and during the African American Heritage Day program scheduled for Saturday, July 18, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rivera had a particular interest in the former Palmer Memorial Institute, which the late Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown turned into one of the nation’s most elite prep schools for African American youth. His sister, Raven Rivera Elliot, attended Palmer, and their father, Dr. A.M. Rivera, a prominent Greensboro dentist and community leader, served on the school’s board of trustees.

The photojournalist’s press coverage ranged from the aftermaths of lynchings to “firsts” for black students, entertainers, athletes and others. Coincidentally, while reporting on others breaking racial barriers, Rivera was also breaking new ground. He not only made history but helped change it. His arresting images and impassioned articles revealed facts about the civil rights movement that mainstream media often ignored. Throughout the turbulent struggle for racial equality from the 1940s to 1960s, this award-winning photojournalist kept his lens and pen focused on the South’s African American communities.

“I had no idea that I was involved in the making of history,” Rivera once said. “To me, it was just another day on the job.”

Rivera also kept North Carolinians in the headlines. As southeastern correspondent at the Pittsburgh Courier, he followed the efforts of five African American students to integrate the law school at UNC-Chapel Hill. His articles attracted support for their efforts, and in 1951 the first blacks, Harvey Beech and Kenneth Lee, were admitted.

Nationally, the U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas in 1954 changed history. After this landmark decision ended legal school segregation, Rivera and Pittsburgh Courier News Editor Robert M. Ratcliffe initiated the series “The South Speaks,” which chronicled the political climate and public reactions across the South. In 1955 they received a Global News Syndicate Award for their coverage of the Brown decision and its impact on desegregation in public schools throughout the South.

Born in Greensboro in 1913, Rivera graduated from N.C. College for Negroes (now N.C. Central University) in 1941. Throughout his career, he regularly featured stories of his alma mater and Durham’s African American commercial district then known as “Black Wall Street.”

Visitors to “Bearing Witness” will see images of state and national events, well-known individuals and everyday citizens. These include:

• Nine-year-old Arthur Ashe attending a Durham tennis camp in 1952 (Ashe went on to become the first black man to win the Wimbledon championship in 1975)

• A mother and child on a segregated bus in Alabama in 1955

• New York congressman and prominent civil rights leader Adam Clayton Powell Jr. with N.C. College for Negroes founder Dr. James E. Shepard

• Vice President Richard Nixon in Ghana in 1957, attending ceremonies marking the country’s independence

• The Fultz quadruplets, born in 1946 in Reidsville, who gained international fame as the “world’s only identical quadruplets”

• Students on the campus of N.C. Central University during a 1965 Malcolm X rally

• African Americans voting in a Democratic primary in Columbia, S.C., in 1948 (for the first time since 1876)

After his newspaper career, Rivera returned to N.C. Central University, where he served as public relations director from 1974 until his 1993 retirement. Rivera died Oct. 23, 2008, at age 95 in Durham.

Opened in 1987, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site honors the late Dr. Brown, who first began teaching children here in Sedalia in 1902. For 50 years after founding PMI, Dr. Brown labored unceasingly to educate young people, building what started out as a tiny academy into a renowned African American prep school.

PMI closed in 1971 but after it was turned into a state historic site, five former school buildings have been designated as official projects of Save America’s Treasures, a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The museum’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history and legacy of Dr. Brown, PMI and African American education in North Carolina.

It is located in Sedalia on Hwy. 70 between Greensboro and Burlington. Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to make reservations in advance. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and admission is free. The site is located at 6136 Burlington Road, 10 miles east of Greensboro off I-85, exit 135.

For information about the site, visit http://www.chbrownmuseum.nchistoricsites.org, e-mail chb@ncdcr.gov or call (336) 449-4846.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture through such programs as “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.

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