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Black Cat Station
800 Elizabeth Street
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone: 336-838-6747
Black Cat Station is a model railroad layout, with five tracks and up to ten trains running at once. Black Cat Station is a project of the Yadkin Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Black Cat Station will be open to the public on the second Saturday of each month. For further information, send an e-mail or visit the website using the links above.
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Brown-Cowles House
Downtown Wilkesboro
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: (336)667-3712
The Brown-Cowles House is the oldest known house remaining in Wilkesboro, dating from the 1830's. Hamilton Brown (1786-1870) built the central structure and Congressman William Cowles (1850-1901) expanded it. The slave kitchen and curing house are among the few outbuildings still remaining in the area.
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Fort Defiance
4555 Fort Defiance Drive
Lenoir, NC 28645
Phone: (828) 758-1671
Fort Defiance was the home of General William Lenoir. He was a major general in the North Carolina Militia, and fought at the Battle of King's Mountain during the American Revolution. General Lenoir built the original fort, which was known as Fort Defiance, on the banks of the Yadkin River to protect against warring Cherokees. In 1788 he built his new home and named it Fort Defiance in remembrance of the original fort. Several generations of the Lenoir family have lived in this house. Fort Defiance was purchased for restoration in 1965 and is furnished with original pieces of furniture from the earliest periods of the house. Over 300 pieces of original clothing and furnishings on display.
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Hutchinson Homestead at Stone Mountain Park
3042 Frank Parkway
Roaring Gap, NC 28668
Phone: 336-957-8185
The Hutchinson Homestead is complete with log cabin, barn, blacksmith shop, corncrib, meat house, and original furnishings. Visitors can play recordings that explain how different aspects of the farm were run. The farm was built in the mid-19 th century and restored in 1998, representing lives of early settlers. Open to visitors Thursday through Sunday, March – October. The homestead is closed during the week and winter, however visitors may walk the homestead grounds.
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Old Wilkes Heritage Walking Tour
202 Bridge Street
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: (336) 667-3171
FREE Self-guided walking tour visiting 13 buildings that reveal the character of the town of Wilkesboro as it developed. All are examples of the distinctive styling and culture of their times and are included in the National Register of Historic Places. Each represents an aspect of community life that makes them historically noteworthy. The buildings are within walking range of each other. Included on the tour are The Old Wilkes Jail, The Robert Cleveland House, The Federal Building, The Carl Lowe House, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Wilkes County Courthouse, Old Law Office, The Smithey Hotel, J.T. Ferguson Store, The Johnson-Hubbard House, The Presbyterian Church, Cowles Law Office, and The Brown-Cowles House. Reservations required for tour guide.
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Old Wilkes Jail
100 East Main Street
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: (336) 667-3171
The Old Wilkes Jail was constructed in 1859 and opened as jail in 1860. The history of its usage goes back to the War Between the States when it was used to house Confederate provisions as well as union prisoners. After the war, Tom Dula (of the famous ballad "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley") was incarcerated here until the change of venue was obtained by his defense attorney, former Governor Zebulon Vance. Another famous inmate was that of North Carolina's famous escape artist, "Otto Wood". The building was restored to its original state using as much of the original materials as possible. Access to the cells are through the original iron and wood doors. The old Wilkes County jail is one of the best preserved examples of nineteenth century penal architecture in North Carolina. Of particular note is the survival of its primitive security, including the front door which contains nails an inch apart so that if a prisoner got hold of an object that he could not saw his way out of the building. The Old Wilkes Jail is operated by the Wilkes Heritage Museum located in the Old Court House. Guided tours are included with museum admission.
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Overmountain Victory Trail
Varies
Varies, NC 28697
Phone: 336-838-8662
The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail follows the route of assembly of the American Patriot army which decisively defeated an American Loyalist army at the battle of Kings Mountain, South Carolina, in the dark days of the fall of 1780.
The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail covers approximately 220 miles from Abingdon, Virginia, through Eastern Tennessee, over the high mountains of North Carolina, across the Piedmont of North and South Carolina, to the Kings Mountain National Military Park. A 70-mile branch from Wilkes-Surry joins the main route near its center at Quaker Meadows (Morganton, NC).
Warrior Creek - Located at W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, this trail segment is certified and open to the public. The trail commemorates the Wilkes-Surry armies under Benjamin Cleveland and Joseph Winston as well as the Native-American "troops" who gave the creek its name.
Fort Defiance - This site is certified. The Caldwell Heritage Association owns the site and makes it available to the public on a limited basis. Contact Fort Defiance for information on visiting. The home of William Lenoir is on the Wilkes-Surry segment of the commemorative motor route on North Carolina 268 between Wilkesboro and Lenoir. The house is named for an earlier colonial fort built nearby. An interesting feature of the house is the large bald cypress brought by William Lenoir from the North Carolina coast. The tree is unique in the mountains.
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Robert Cleveland House
100 East Main Street
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: (336)667-3171
The home of Robert Cleveland, gentleman farmer, and his family of 17 children, is currently located behind the Old Wilkes Jail in full restoration and furnished in its period furniture. It was built in the 1770’s and originally located in Purlear, western portion of Wilkes County. Col. Benjamin Cleveland, Robert’s brother, led forces from Wilkes County to the Battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War.
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Whippoorwill Academy & Village
11929 Hwy 268 W.
Ferguson, NC 28624
Phone: (336)973-3237
Whippoorwill Academy and Village includes a one-room schoolhouse, known as Whippoorwill Academy, built in 1880. North Carolina's Poet Laureate, Larkin Pearson, attended this one-room school. In the loft of the Academy is the Tom Dula (Dooley) Museum, which includes paintings, drawings, and other Dula memorabilia, including a lock of Laura Foster's hair. The village also has the Smokehouse Art Museum, with regular shows local artists, a blacksmith shop, weaver's shop, country store, and Chapel of Peace.
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Wilkes Heritage Museum
100 East Main Street
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: (336) 667-3171
The Wilkes Heritage Museum, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1968. The Wilkes Heritage Museum, Inc. is responsible for operating and maintaining the Old Wilkes Jail (c. 1859), Robert Cleveland Log House ( c. 1779), and the Wilkes Heritage Museum (former Wilkes County Heritage Museum, c. 1902). The Wilkes Heritage Museum consists of a self-guided tour featuring exhibits including early settlement, medicine, military history, moonshine, and early stock-car racing. Guided tours of the Old Wilkes Jail and Robert Cleveland Log Home are given at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm Tuesday thru Saturday. They are open Monday through Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00pm. Admission fee is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for Students/Seniors.
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