RALEIGH—You know how that silly keychain stuck in the back of your drawer always reminds you of that Hawaiian vacation with your fun-loving aunt? A souvenir is an item a traveler brings home because it recalls memories of a trip. The name is taken from a French word spelled the same as the English and defined as “memory.”
Souvenirs that past visitors to the N.C. State Capitol picked up to remember their visits will take center stage there on Saturday, May 16. “An Afternoon at the Capitol: State House Souvenirs” will spotlight these souvenirs and give adults and kids a chance to make their own keepsakes from 1-2:30 p.m. during a unique drop-in program that is free and open to the public.
It kicks off the opening of the “Capitol Keepsakes: Souvenirs from North Carolina’s State House” exhibit, on display until Oct. 4. Though it is small, this display mounted in the House Chamber features some unusual items including a jar of honey harvested from a tree on the Capitol grounds in 1949. Pieces of the last Confederate flag to fly over the Capitol are included; Union soldiers cut it down and divided up the pieces as mementos when Raleigh was occupied by federal forces in April 1865.
A National Historic Landmark, the 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 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.