Dear Friends:
We’re excited to tell you about our progress in the past 12 months. The Pavilion is complete! The construction fencing that surrounds the property will contain the Pavilion for safety and security reasons until the entire project is finished. We look forward to utilizing it as an outdoor classroom and gathering place.
On July 25, we announced the start of construction of our main facility which could be finished—if there are no delays—in late 2027. Vines Architecture of Raleigh and Eisterhold Associates of Kansas City continue their work on building design and exhibits, and we have engaged Kubik Maltbie of Mount Laurel, New Jersey to build and install our exhibits. Becker & Frondorf of Philadelphia serve as our liaison with all parties to ensure that we stay on schedule and within budget.
We continue to raise funds for our programs and for any contingencies that may arise in the construction process, and we are nearing our goal! Cumberland Community Foundation (CCF) has once again invited us to join their Giving Tuesday program whereby gifts will be amplified from a $500,000 pool provided by the following generous donors: the Cumberland Community Foundation, Holmes Security Systems, Fayetteville New Car Dealers Association, Elizabeth “Beth” Keeney, Carol and Sammy Short, Daphne and Ray Manning, and 4 anonymous donors. We’re very grateful to them for their support to our community organizations.
“Ways to Give” at this link https://bit.ly/3WEASBF describes methods for making your own generous gift. For example, your check made payable to Cumberland Community Foundation (or CCF) can be mailed to them at PO Box 2345, Fayetteville, NC 28302, or it can be dropped off in person at: Cumberland Community Foundation, 308 Green Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301 (if the office is closed, use the secure mail slot at the front door). Add “Giving Tuesday – NC History Center” to the memo field so CCF will know to credit it to us (sample check below). Deadline for CCF’s receipt of gifts—not postmark—is December 2. If you prefer to make a donation by credit card, you may click this link which goes live on November 24 at 9:00 a.m.: https://bit.ly/47S6tFl
Our education program for teachers across the state has been remarkably successful. Since 2023, we have held symposiums in all 8 districts of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and we will repeat in 3 of the larger districts this winter and next spring. In Onslow County on October 13 we held the first of many professional development days planned.
In their evaluations, the teachers have been overwhelmingly positive:
“Localized history helps students see themselves in the broader context of historical events or periods. This symposium provided a lot of useful information to help teachers make those local connections for students. It also helped to connect teachers with one another to share those resources.”
“Lots of good teaching ideas for local history; I took many notes on the railroad, the turnpike, the types of slavery economy, and the complexity of Reconstruction. I will bring these ideas back to my colleagues in American Studies.”
“… [T]his symposium helped me to connect with resources and academics in the field that can support my teaching in the classroom. I also appreciate the local focus on the topics we discussed … it provided a meaningful break from the classroom to help me re-think and re-approach my content [in] a calm and welcoming environment.”
To learn more about the History Center’s progress and its education program, see the following links to a February 2025 article in The Assembly (https://bit.ly/4nVO7Jr), and an October 2025 broadcast on Public Radio East that was picked up by stations across the state (https://bit.ly/PublicRadioEast). We cannot use public monies for our programs; funding must come from our friends and other private sources.
As always, we appreciate your support! Please help us complete this world class center and continue our statewide education program. We look forward to our progress in the coming months thanks to the generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporate donors, and of course the State of North Carolina, the City of Fayetteville, and Cumberland County.
Chair, Board of Directors
mhealy@healywholesale.com
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