Biennial report of the North Carolina State Department of Archives and History

              THE LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA
THE COLLECTION OF
NORTH CAROLINIANA
C906
N87h
V.34
1970/72
THE NC
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
00033953669
FOR USE ONLY IN
HE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION I
Digitized by the Internet Arciiive
in 2009 with funding from
Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA)
http://www.archive.org/details/biennialreportof197072nort
THIRTY- FOURTH BIENNIAL REPORT
THE NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF
ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
1970-1972 1
COVER—The new seal of the State Department of Archives and History,
the design of which was based on the reverse of the seal of the Lords Pro-prietors,
was adopted by the department's Executive Board in March, 1970.
(All photographs used in this report are by the State Department of Archives
and History unless otherwise noted.)
THIRTY-FOURTH BIENNIAL REPORT
OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
July 1, 1970
through
June 30, 1972
Raleigh
State Department of Archives and History
1972
NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
EXECUTIVE BOARDS
Josh L. Home, Chairman, Rocky Mount
Miss Gertrude Sprague Carraway, New Bern
Gordon S. Dugger, Chapel Hill
T. Harry Gatton, Vice-Chairman, Raleigh
Fletcher M. Green, Chapel Hill
Hugh T. Lefler, Chapel Hill
Edward W. Phifer, Jr., Morganton
H, G. Jones, Director, Raleigh
' For list and terms of office members of the Executive Board, see Ap-pendix
I, p. 85.
To His Excellency Robert W. Scott
Governor of North Carolina
Dear Governor Scott:
In compliance with Section 121-2(2) of the General Statutes
of North Carolina , I have the honor to submit herewith for your
Excellency's consideration the Thirty-fourth Biennial Report of
the North Carolina Department of Archives and History for the
period July 1, 1970-June 30, 1972.
As we enter the final six months of your term of office, may
I express on behalf of our Executive Board, our staff, and myself,
our profound appreciation for the personal as well as official
interest and support that you have given to the department. Your
active involvement in our preservation efforts not only brought
direct results in many instances, but perhaps just as important,
your participation gave inspiration to our nearly two hundred
staff members who were reassured that our work is indeed of great
significance to the people of our state. The General Assembly of
1971, too, responded to the awakened interest of our citizens.
This happy circumstance—support from both the executive and
legislative branches—made this indeed a good biennium.
Respectfully yours.
Wi^
H. G. /Jones
Director
Raleigh, July 1, 1972
CO,
/o
CONTENTS
The North Carolina Historical Commission, 1903-1943;
The State Department of Archives and History, 1943-1972 1
Division of Archives and Records Management 20
Division of Historic Sites and Museums 39
Division of Publications 68
Tryon Palace 79
Appendixes
:
Administration
I. The Executive Board 85
II. Appropriations and Expenditures, 1930-1972 86
III. Appropriations and Expenditures, 1970-1972 87
IV. Number of Employees as of June 30 at the End of
Each Biennium, 1908-1972 89
V. List of Employees, Showing Name and Title (and Period
of Service if Less than the Full Biennium) 90
VI. Publications of Staff Members 99
Division of Archives and Records Management
VII. Researchers Served in Search Room 104
VIII. Number of Visitors to Search Room for Each Biennium,
1928-1972, and Number of Inquiries by Mail,
1946-1972 106
IX. Accessions, July 1, 1970-June 30, 1972 107
X. Resume of Public Sales and Charges 173
XL Local Records Program 174
A. Microfilm Operations 174
B. Operations other than Microfilming 175
XII. State Records Program 176
A. Records Disposition and Servicing in the
State Records Center 176
B. State Records Microfilm Project Production 179
XIII. Technical Services Section 181
A. Pages or Records Restored by Laminating
Process 181
B. Microfilm Processed in Microfilm Processing
Laboratory 182
XIV. Nevi^spapers Microfilmed during Biennium 183
Division of Historic Sites and Museums
XV. Capital Improvements at State Historic Sites (State
Appropriations) 186
XVI. United States Department of the Interior, National
Park Service Preservation Grants, 1970-1972 187
XVII. Status of North Carolina Properties with Respect
to the National Register of Historic Places 189
XVIII. Legislative Grants-in-Aid for Special Restoration and
Construction Projects 198
XIX. New Highway Historical Markers Approved 200
XX. Smith Richardson Foundation Challenge Grants,
1970-1972 202
XXI. Accessions 204
XXII. Registration at the North Carolina Museum of History
by State and Foreign Country, 1970-1972 221
XXIII. Attendance at State Historic Sites 223
Division of Publications
XXIV. Publications Distributed 224
XXV. Publications Issued by the State Department of
Archives and History, 1970-1972 225
THE NORTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL
COMMISSION, 1903-1943
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES
AND HISTORY, 1943-1972
H. G. Jones, Director
It must be something like preaching one's own funeral—the
writing of the final biennial report of the State Department of
Archives and History as an independent state agency. But, unlike
funeral orations which traditionally focus on the virtues of the de-ceased
in an effort to remove any anxiety concerning ethereal
prospects, this potential valedictory will attempt to be more ob-jective
in evaluating the progress that has been made to date, the
present status, and the outlook for the future. For, whatever the
future holds, there must always be a basis for comparison—a basis
for measuring the effects and implications of altered courses and
new emphases.
The genesis of what is today one of the four largest and most
comprehensive archival and historical agencies among the states
of the union was described by R. D. W. Connor in a report to
Governor Charles B. Aycock sixty-eight years ago:
The people of North Carolina are realizing more and more every day
that it is not safe to trust the future to the control of a people who are
ignorant of their past; and that no people who are indifferent to their
past need hope to make their future great. But even when this lesson
is fully realized it will be valueless unless steps are taken at the same
time to preserve the material from which that pa.st is to be made intelli-gible
to the present and to the future. To accomplish this work the
General Assembly of 1903, at the instance of the State Literaiy and His-torical
Association, created a commission [the North Carolina Historical
Commissionl of five members to be appointed by the Governor to collect,
edit and publish valuable documents elucidating the history of the State, i
Connor, from whose professionalism the absence of a gi-aduate
degree detracted not one whit, thus inaugurated a series of bien-nial
reports which, in the aggregate, contain a remarkable and in-spiring
story of the growth of an agency which, building upon its
own experience and its independent status, lifted North Carolina
out of the dark ages of literary and historical underdevelopment
and into the leadership of a new profession. This story unfolds in
the biennial reports—this one is the thirty-fourth—of the agency
' Report of the Historical Commission to Governor Charles B. Aycock, 1903-
i505 (Raleigh: E. M. Uzzell & Co., 1904), 3.
2 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
which grew in accomplishments as well as stature in accordance
with the energy, imagination, and zeal of its successive heads.
What Connor began (of course he had assistance, but this young
former teacher was the brains and heart of the movement) be-came
something of a crusade, the spirit of which is as alive in 1972
as it was nearly seven decades ago when, with an appropriation of
$500, a state historical agency was established.
It is difficult at this long distance for an observer to visualize
the poverty of North Carolina's historical interest at the turn of
the century. Professor John Spencer Bassett of Trinity College
lamented that North Carolina "has had so little real historical
interest in it that it cannot support an historical society outright,"
but he thought it might be possible to enlist twenty persons ''who
would be really interested in the matter and who would form the
nucleus of a movement which would eventually build up con-siderable
interest in history. "^ Twenty North Carolinians
—
may-be
that many—interested in history!
For eighteen years Connor was secretary of the North Carolina
Historical Commission. During that time the agency broadened
its program, which initially was concerned primarily with archi-val
preservation and publication, to include museums, historical
monuments, legislative reference, and teaching aids. Though his
successors, Daniel Harvey Hill and Robert Burton House, were
short-termers, progress continued, and in 1924 the North Carolina
Historical Review was established. This quarterly is now in its
forty-eighth year and is recognized as one of the truly fine scholar-ly
journals of history published by state historical agencies.
Connor's influence upon the state did not end with his resigna-tion
as secretary in 1921. Indeed, as Kenan Professor of History
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and subsequent-ly
as the first archivist of the United States, as president of the
Society of American Archivists, and as a member of the North
Carolina Historical Commission and the Executive Board of the
State Department of Archives and History (chairman, 1942, until
his death in 1950), he remained a model of archival and historical
statesmanship.
Following in the scholarly paths previously set by Connor, Al-bert
Ray Newsome from 1926 to 1935 successfully guided the His-torical
Commission through the lean days of the Great Depression,
maintaining its vitality despite staff and salary reductions. And,
in 1935, he persuaded the General Assembly to adopt what at the
2 Bassett to Herbert B. Adams, April 3, 1899, in W. Stull Holt (ed.), His-torical
Scholarship in the United States, 1876-1901: As Revealed m the
Correspoyidence of Herbert B. Adams (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins
Press [The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political
Scieyice, Ser. LVI, No. 4], 1938), 270.
Director's Report
In this photograph, made in 1968, the last two executive heads of the North
Carolina Historical Commission and its successor, the State Department of
Archives and History, posed with pictures of their predecessors. At right is
Dr. H. G. Jones, present director, and at left is the late Dr. Christopher
Crittenden who was head of the agency from 1935 to 1968. Left to right in
the framed photographs are, top. Dr. Robert D. W. Connor, 1903-1921, and
Dr. Daniel Harvey Hill, 1921-1924; and bottom. Dr. Robert B. House, 1924-
1926, and Dr. Albert Ray Newsome, 1926-1935.
time was viewed as the model state records act of the nation, an
act which made possible the more spectacular advances of the
next two decades. The highway historical marker program was
also established during his secretaryship. Newsome's professional
standing nationally was recognized by his election as the first
president of the Society of American Archivists.
Still drawing from the academic community to which a histori-cal
agency must always look for knowledge, inspiration, and sup-port,
the Historical Commission chose Christopher Crittenden to
succeed Newsome in 1935. During Crittenden's thirty-three years
as head of the agency—whose name was changed to the State De-partment
of Archives and History in 1943—a good program was
transformed into an outstanding one. To mention only a few ad-vances:
(1) The department was organized into divisions, each
of which grew in both size and service; (2) the archival program
was broadened through the addition of records management func-tions,
including the opening of the first specially designed records
4 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
center among the states and the launching of pioneer programs
in the fields of local records, microfilming, document restoration,
and photoduplication; (3) the former "Hall of History" grew into
the present highly regarded North Carolina Museum of History;
(4) a vigorous historic sites program, now extending to seventeen
state historic sites (including Tryon Palace) and more than a
score of grant-in-aid projects and the statewide survey of hundreds
of historic places in private hands, was developed; (5) the publica-tions
program was broadened to include not only increased num-bers
of documentaries for scholars and popular booklets for the
general public but also two significant research and publication
projects—the second series of the Colonial Records of North Caro-lina
and a new roster of Civil War participants titled North Caro-lina
Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster; and (6) increasing historical
interest resulted in a continued growth of the department, lead-ing
to the occupation of new quarters in the Education Building
in 1939 and of the new Archives and History-State Library Build-ing
in 1968—^the latter a visual reminder of the meaning of the
words "Archives and History" to the citizens of the state.
These accomplishments resulted from both the personal leader-ship
of the successive directors and their wisdom in gathering
around them a staff of dedicated archivists and historians, several
of whom devoted entire careers to the department. To use one
superb example: David Leroy Corbitt's physical handicap only
increased his determination which led to thirty-seven years of ser-vice
during which he supervised the publication of virtually a li-brary
of historical documents, booklets, and journals.
During the past sixty-nine years. North Carolina's archival and
historical agency has demonstrated that a state can save much of
its heritage once leadership is given to its people. That leadership
has been provided, and the people have responded through their
elected General Assembly and their governors. It has been amply
proved that North Carolinians want to be proud of superiority
in certain governmental functions. From time to time the Depart-ment
of Archives and History has been advised to disavow honors
and awards from professional organizations throughout the coun-try
on the grounds that the people may assume that all of the
state's historical needs are being met. We know, however, that
North Carolinians do not react in this manner. Instead, they will
support that which is recognized as good, for they share in the
pride of recognition. They know that the leader of today can be
passed by the challenger of tomorrow. That is why the Depart-ment
of Archives and History has been successful in "selling" its
program of archival and historical preservation to the General
Assembly. The state's leaders share the staff's pride in receiving
Director's Report 5
the first Distinguished Service Award of the Society of American
Archivists, or awards of merit or certificates of commendation
from the American Association for State and Local History, or ac-colades
from the American Association of Museums, or good re-views
for the department's publications. They also share the sense
of satisfaction when members of the staff are elected to national
offices or are recognized for their professional services. No state
historical agency in the nation has been more consistently repre-sented
in the councils of national professional organizations.
The Department of Archives and History, therefore, does not
jeopardize its continuing generous support by the people of the
state when it portrays through its information service or publica-tions
its accomplishments and professional standing, for it is a
characteristic of North Carolinians—perhaps unique, and certain-ly
mystifying to citizens of other states—that our citizens will sup-port
that which places their state in the bright light of leadership.
In an earlier paragraph reference was made to "four largest and
most comprehensive archival and historical agencies of the union."
Almost all of the fifty states carry on a strong program in one or
more areas of archival or historical activity. Four, however, have
for many years followed the successful course of administering all
state responsibilities for archival and historical functions in one
broad agency. These are Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and
North Carolina.3 Let the doubter make his own investigation : He
will find nowhere in this nation a state with a more influential
and productive program in all areas of history than in these four.
The reason is simple: The administration of a history program
is unlike the administration of most activities of state government,
and it thrives best from a single professional viewpoint which
must be rooted in scholarship and allowed to grow—without pop-ular
interference—into a popularly accepted program. History
can never yield to majority vote, for if it did, it would no longer be
history. On the other hand, a history program will never succeed
in awakening the interest of the citizens unless history is made
understandable and exciting to the public. That success is best
assured when a state's historical program is an identifiable unit
of performance issuing from one respected set of sources, assump-tions,
and goals. Research—the foundation of history—depends
upon archival, published, archaeological, and museum resources;
information from this research makes possible a comprehensible
museum and historic sites program; historic sites require museum
' Other states, recognizing the strengths of a unified state archival and
historical agency, ai-e moving in that direction. Florida is an encouraging
example wfhich, with the completion of building plans, may soon take its
place among the leading states in archival and historical activity.
6 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
expertise and both information from research and access to the
sources.
The present stature of the department was reached as an inde-pendent
agency of state government. The department over the
years was free to pursue its course without overt political or
other interference. Its professional decisions were made in the at-mosphere
of scholarly evaluation and on the bases of criteria
adopted by historians. Its Executive Board and advisory commit-tees
were acutely aware of their missions.
Because of the success of the department as an independent
state agency, the Executive Board on September 23, 1969, ex-pressed
the desire to retain its separate status. However, recog-nizing
the apparent inevitability of reorganization of state govern-ment,
the board gave its second preference: a "State Department
of Cultural Affairs, to include Archives and History, the State
Library, the State Art Museum, and other cultural, historical, and
library agencies." Supported by this expression by the board, the
director subsequently worked with the professional staff of the
Commission on the Reorganization of State Government and the
chairman of the Senate State Government Committee in effecting
the inclusion of the historical and commemorative agencies in one
cabinet-level department under a "Type 11" transfer under which
Governor Robert W. Scott and Associate Justice Susie Sharp look on as
Sam Ragan signs his commission as North Carolina's first secretary of art,
culture and history on February 18, 1972. In the background is Dr. H. G.
Jones who was appointed state historian and administrator of the Office of
Ai'chives and History.
Director's Report 7
the respective governing boards and commissions retain all their
statutory authority except that relating to management functions.
The creation of the new Department of Art, Culture and History
was accomplished through the Executive Organization Act of
1971 (Chapter 864, Session Laws of 1971). Included, in addition to
the Department of Archives and History, are the State Library,
North Carolina Museum of Art, and thirty-five smaller cultural
agencies, boards, and commissions. Mr. Sam Ragan was sworn in
as secretary of art, culture and history on February 18, 1972, and
the process of reorganization continued through the remainder of
the biennium. First came the transfer to the principal department
of the "management" functions—^budget, personnel, mail, supply,
and public information. These changes were accompanied by pre-dictable
problems, not all of which had been resolved at the end of
the biennium.
Of great importance to the survival of the Archives and His-tory
programs is the professional independence of the Execu-tive
Board and the governing boards of the other historical and
commemorative commissions. Because of persistent rumors re-garding
the possibility of the removal of professional decision-making
powers of governing boards of various state agencies, the
director and the Executive Board on April 25, 1972, discussed the
destructive potential of such an effort and stressed the necessity
of the board's retention of its statutory powers governing the pro-fessional
decisions of the department. The board's position was en-dorsed
by the secretary of art, culture and history who said, in
part, **I agree fully with the absolute necessity of 'maintaining
the professional and scholarly standing of a department which
must remain free to make its decisions on the basis of objective
evaluation of facts without the intrusion of political or other con-siderations.'
To this end I am dedicated. ... In respect to the con-tinuation
of the Executive Board, the North Carolina Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation and the various advisory com-mittees,
it is my strong belief that they should be continued. . .
."
The board instructed its vice-chairman to work with the director
in drafting proposed amendments to bring the statutes in conform-ity
with the reorganization effort.
The secretary on June 6, 1972, established in the Department of
Art, Culture and History the Office of Archives and History which
will consist of the Department of Archives and History and
twenty-seven other historical and commemorative agencies,
boards, and commissions. Effective July 1, 1972, the new office,
headed by the former director of the Department of Archives and
History, will have five divisions, as follows: Archives and Records,
Historical Publications, Historic Sites and Museums, Tryon Pa-
8 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
lace, and Historical and Commemorative Commissions.
Thus, for the first time in its sixty-nine-year history, the state's
archival and historical agency is no longer an independent depart-ment
of state government. Whether this will be for good or ill
will depend upon the success of the secretary, the Executive Board,
and the various boards and commissions in maintaining the statu-tory
responsibilities of the governing boards to the end that poli-cies,
priorities, and criteria may continue to be established on the
basis of professional evaluation without the intrusion of political
or other considerations. If the 1973 General Assembly follows the
recommendations of the Executive Board, the future prospects of
the archival and historical programs will be bright. From a practi-cal
standpoint, however, there will remain the potential of a con-siderable
handicap that emerges when the priorities of one agen-cy
are meshed with the priorities of sister agencies. Whereas in
the past the Department of Archives and History's success has
come from its independence of action which encouraged leadership
and initiative limited only by time and imagination, restrictive in-ternal
policies may, if they are allowed to discourage initiative,
lead to a relaxation of efforts and the forced acceptance of the sta-tus
quo. If this happens, the spirit of the Connors and Newsomes
and Crittendens will have been lost and the spirit of adventure and
accomplishment will be replaced by a bureaucratic urge to main-tain
an even keel and secure jobs. Such would be an undeserving
fate for an agency with the pacemaking record of the North Caro-lina
Department of Archives and History.
Concern for—indeed, apprehension concerning—the future,
however, in no way lessens the pride with which this report
records the accomplishments of the past biennium. The reports of
the division heads amply demonstrate the vitality of the depart-ment's
undertakings and the degrees of success. Although names
of staff members are seldom given in the text, the reader will recog-nize
that each effort involved one or more of nearly 200 employees,
whose names are listed in the appendixes.^
It is inevitable that as time passes, valued staff members move
on and new ones replace them. Of special note was the retirement
of two administrators—Dr. Gertrude S. Carraway of Tryon Palace
and Rear Admiral Alex M. Patterson of the Division of Archives
and Records Management. Dr. Carraway devoted her adult career
to the preservation of North Carolina history, a record recognized
in 1971 when the North Carolina Literary and Historical Associa-
^ See Appendix V, p. 90.
DEPARTMENT OF ART, CULTURE AND HISTORY
> SECRETARY -[
[Ofrice of ArtB and Office
—^ of State Library not
shown on this chart]
i
ORGANIZATION CHART
as of March 1. 1972
NORTH CAROLINA STATE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
Chapter 121, General Statutes ("To promote and encourage throughout
the State knowledge and appreciation of North Carolina history. . . .")
LEGEND
Aathority
AdrUe
SUt«-EsUbli9hed
Hiatorical and
Cnltunl CommiHsioiu
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
DIVISION OF
ARCHIVES & RECORDS MANAGEMENT
FUNCTIONS
arrange, describe, and .
and other materials of hi;
their physical custody, pr«
them, and furnish informatic
are records retention and disposal schedules and
ate a records center for the receipt, storage,
cing, and disposition of these records. Conduct
ntralized microfilm program for all state agen-ventory
and prepare retention and disposition sche-dules
for county records. Microfilm for security and
prepare finding aids for local records of permaoent
wspapers and other department-
DIVISION OF
PUBLICATIONS
FUNCTIONS
Edit and publish
North Carolina Historical Review (quarterly )
;
Carolina Commenta (bimonthly);
documentary volume of official papers of each
documentary volumes coDtaining papers of hifltori-caJly
significant North Carolinians
;
charts, maps, and other materials relating to the
history of the .
inventory, and obtain primary source ma-s
relating to the colonial period from reposi-both
in the United States and England,
and individuals
TECHNICAL
SERVICES
SECTION
CIVIL WAR
ROSTER
PROJECT
North Carolina A
Council on Hit
Preaervatic
DIVISION OF
HISTORIC SITES A MUSEUMS
RESEARCH AND
RESTORATION
SECTION
Collections
Education
Exhibits
Maintenance
FUNCTIONS
re. research, preserve, restore, inter-inister
state historic sites which have
ational significance.
leant artifacts and
ch collecttODB.
; nonprofit organization
ablishing, developii
cultur.
of local gove:
in history, archi-and
anaging history
Corduct a highway historical marker progri
cl.tdiug research, selection of siiitab"
paratinn nf apiiropriate inscriptions.
1 underwater archaeology program
„_tion of sites, recovery and con-of
artifacts, and interpretation of items
including
recovered.
1 Regis - of Hif ; Pla.
DEPARTMENT OF ART, CULTURE AND HISTORY AT A GLANCE
(Figures for 1972-1973)
SECRETARY
and Administration
Office of Archives and History - 200
Director's Report
Mrs. Robert W. Scott (pictured at right in the left hand photo with her
secretary, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Wood) established a precedent by transferring
to the slate Archives her records as First Lady of North Carolina. At right
is the Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award for significant contributions
to the preservation of North Carolina history. The award was established by
the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association in memoiy of the
late Dr. Crittenden who served as head of the department for thirty-three
years.
tion presented to her the Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award.
Her name is indelibly associated with the restoration of the Tryon
Palace Complex of which she was director from its inception until
late 1971. She was succeeded by Mr. Michael W. Brantley. Admiral
Patterson, who joined the staff in 1958 after a distinguished naval
career, served successively as assistant records administrator and
archives and records administrator until his retirement in August,
1970; it was under his leadership that the local records program
became a model for other states. He was succeeded by Mr. C. F. W.
Coker.
The governing body of the department—the Executive Board
—
remained as constituted throughout the biennium with the reap-pointment
in 1972 by Governor Scott of Mr. T. Harry Gatton of
Raleigh, Dr. Gertrude S. Carraway of New Bern, and Dr. Hugh T.
Lefler of Chapel Hill, all of whose terms had expired.-^ Under the
chairmanship of Mr. Josh L.Horne of Rocky Mount, these and oth-er
members of the board—Dr. Gordon S. Dugger and Dr. Fletcher
M. Green, both of Chapel Hill, and Dr. Edward W. Phifer, Jr.,
of Morganton—continued to serve the state ably and assumed in-creased
responsibilities as members of the newly created North
Carolina Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and as mem-bers
of the newly constituted State Professional Review Commit-tee
for Nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.
For a list of members of the Executive Board, see Appendix L P- 85.
10 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
The latter committee is augmented by several members appointed
by the director.
In terms of legislation and appropriations, the biennium was
unparalleled. Of approximately two dozen bills actively supported
by the department, only one failed to pass.
Chapter 480, Sessi07i Laws of 1971, amended Chapter 121 of the
General Statutes to give the department broad new authority in
the field of historic preservation. In addition to enabling the depart-ment
to acquire less than fee simple interests in historic properties
and to maintain or dispose of such properties in the interest of their
preservation, the act established the North Carolina Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation to replace and succeed to the
authority of the Historic Sites Advisory Committee. The council is
composed of the seven members of the Executive Board of the de-partment,
the state budget officer, the state property officer, an
architect and a museum representative appointed by the governor,
and an archaeologist appointed by the director of the department.*^
It serves as "an advisory and coordinative mechanism in and by
which State undertakings of every kind that are potentially harmful
to the cause of historic preservation within the State may be dis-cussed,
and, where possible, resolved, giving due consideration to
the competing public interests that may be involved." The new
statute requires any official having charge of a state-funded, state-assisted,
or state-licensed project to "take into account the effect of
the undertaking on any district, site, building, structure, or object
that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. . . ." In
the event of an effect upon such a property, the council is required to
be given a reasonable opportunity to comment.
The act spelled out clearly and authoritatively the responsibility
of the council and the department in regard to legislative bills seek-ing
state funds for historic preservation projects. It also transferred
to the department the care of all interior portions of the State
Capitol except the offices and working areas on the first floor; and
the department's traditional publication of a volume of the ad-dresses
and public issuances of each governor was made statutory.
Chapter 345 of the Session Laics amended Chapter 136 of the
General Statutes to authorize the State Highway Commission to
contract with the Department of Archives and History for recon-naissance
surveys, preliminary site examinations, and salvage
work necessary to "retrieve and record data" and to preserve
^ In addition to the seven Kxecutive Board members, the following were
members of the council at the end of the biennium: Mr. Frank R. Justice, state
budget officer; Mr. Carroll L. Mann, Jr., state property officer; and Dr. Joffre
L. Coe, archaeologist of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The
architect and museum representative had not been appointed.
Director's Report 11
"archaeological and paleontological objects of value which are
located within the right of way acquired for highway construction."
The first contract under this authorization was for archaeological
salvage at the site of the Fayetteville Arsenal, and work was under
way at the end of the biennium.
Chapter 167 of the Sessio7i Laws, spelling out the design for the
state seal, resulted from the department's discovery that wording
and embellishments not included in the 1893 statute describing
the seal had been added through the years. A new seal, in conform-ity
with the new act, was prepared by the department and filed with
the secretary of state as the official design. The department failed,
however, in its recommendation that the date of the issuance of the
Carolina Charter be placed on the seal.
Two acts sponsored by the department granted broad powers to
counties and municipalities for the preservation of historic proper-ties.
Chapter 884 of the Session Laws, which added Chapter 160A,
Article 19, Part 3A, to the General Statutes, extended to all coun-ties
and municipalities the authority previously limited to a few
towns for the establishment of historic districts; and Chapter 885
of the Session Laws added Chapter 157A to the General Statutes
authorizing counties and municipalities to establish historic prop-erties
commissions. Assistance in the preparation of these draft
bills, as well as of Chapter 480 mentioned above, was rendered by
Professor Robert E. Stipe, assistant director of the Institute of
Government at Chapel Hill."
In the general appropriations bills, the department fared well.
The operating budget was increased from the $3,044,786 expended
during the 1969-1971 fiscal biennium to a state appropriation of
$3,343,457 for 1971-1973.« The latter figure does not include a
5 percent pay increase for staff members each year of the biennium,
receipts, or operating funds that subsequently were provided
through special bills (see below). In addition, capital improve-ments
funds were provided in the omnibus budget bill for a new
visitor center at Halifax State Historic Site ($230,000) and for
completion of exhibits in the Museum of History ($50,000). Of
special satisfaction was the appropriation of $1,635,000 to the De-partment
of Administration for the construction of a new State
Records Center for the Department of Archives and History—the
only state building in Raleigh authorized by the General Assem-bly.
This important item was saved by the personal intervention of
Governor Scott after it had been deleted in subcommittee. Another
'' The acts mentioned above were printed in a revised booklet issued in 1971
titled Lau's Relating to Arcltives a>id History in Sorth Carolina.
^ For budget figures for the past biennium, see Appendix III, p. 87.
12 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
project successfully supported by the governor and the department
was an appropriation of $525,000 to the Department of Adminis-tration
for the restoration of the historic State Capitol. Work on
the latter project was begun with the replacement of the copper
roof. The director served on the restoration committee.
Appropriated directly to the department by means of special
bills were $111,813 for operating expenses ($42,442 for Bennett
Place, $30,143 for House in the Horseshoe, $9,858 for Aycock Birth-place,
and $29,370 for an expanded underwater archaeology pro-gram)
and $116,500 for capital improvements ($66,000 for Bennett
Place, $30,000 for House in the Horseshoe, $7,000 for Fort Fisher,
and $13,500 plus $2,500 in private funds for Aycock Birthplace).
The recommendations of the Historic Sites Advisory Committee
concerning bills proposing grants-in-aid to local preservation
projects were followed by the General Assembly with but a single
exception. The committee's fair but firm procedure of evaluating
each request in the light of statewide needs and the financial condi-tion
of the state reinforced the respect with which the legislators
considered its recommendations. In all, $279,600 was appropriated
to the department for grants-in-aid. Except for the Bunker Hill
Covered Bridge, for which $4,600 was appropriated without match-ing
requirement, and Historic Edenton, for which $30,000 was
granted for the Iredell, Barker, and Cupola houses subject to the
raising of $15,000 locally, all grants-in-aid required dollar-for-dollar
matching by nonstate funds. These were as follows: $25,000
each: Hezekiah Alexander House, Blandwood, Hope, Murfreesboro
(Rea Store and John Wheeler House), Newbold-White House,
Thalian Hall, and Wright Tavern; $20,000 each: Joel Lane House
and Old Wilkes Jail; and $15,000 each: Burwell School and Rich-mond
Hill Law School.
Additional funding of the historic sites program came through
allocations from the United States Department of the Interior un-der
provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
(80 Statutes 915 as amended) for which the director of the Depart-of
Archives and History is state liaison officer for historic preserva-tion.
The state's share in survey and planning funds amounted to
$117,000 for 1970-1971 and $87,823 for 1971-1972. In addition, for
the first year of the biennium the state was allocated $89,599.72 in
matching funds for historic preservation and restoration, which was
apportioned by the state liaison officer as follows: Reed Gold Mine,
$29,599.72; Halifax Gaol, $17,500; James Iredell House, $2,500;
Joel Lane House, $6,000; Fort Defiance, $5,500; Wright Tavern,
$5,500; Nathaniel Macon Home, $4,000; Richmond Hill Law
School, $5,500; Hope Plantation, $5,000; Burwell School, $3,500;
Cupola House, $1,000; and Hezekiah Alexander House, $4,000.
Director's Report 13
The amount for 1971-1972 was $121,828 in matching funds, appor-tioned
by the liaison officer as follows: Reed Gold Mine, $26,328;
Van Der Veer House, $22,500; James Iredell House, $2,500; Con-stitution
House (Halifax), $5,000; John Wheeler House, $8,000;
Newbold-White House, $7,500; Nathaniel Macon Home, $4,000;
House in the Horseshoe, $7,500; Harper House Kitchen, $2,500;
Wright Tavern, $12,500; Fort Defiance, $20,000; and Clerk's Office
(Halifax), $3,500.
The department continued to administer the historic preserva-tion
challenge grants provided by the Smith Richardson Founda-tion,
Inc., of Greensboro. For the calendar year 1971, the foundation
offered $23,500 as follows (the first figure indicates grant, the second
figure denotes amount of local funds required to qualify): Historic
Bath Commission for the Van Der Veer House, $7,500 and $15,000;
Historic Hope Foundation for Hope Plantation, $5,000 and
$15,000; Iredell County Historical Society for land acquisition at
Fort Dobbs, $5,000 and $10,000; Robeson County Board of Educa-tion
for One-Room School, $1,000 and $2,000; and Cherokee County
Historical Association for land acquisition at Fort Butler, $5,000
and $10,000. All but the last mentioned group met the challenge
and received grants. For the calendar year 1972, grants totaling
$48,500 were offered, as follows: Wake County Committee of the
Colonial Dames for the Joel Lane House, $3,000 and $6,000; Per-quimans
County Restoration Association for the Newbold-White
House, $5,000 and $5,000; Historic Flat Rock, Inc., for the Old
Rectory, $5,000 and $10,000; Fort Defiance, Inc., for Fort Defiance,
$5,000 and $10,000; Historic Hope Foundation for Hope Planta-tion,
$5,000 and $10,000; Beaufort Historical Association for the
Josiah Bell House, $5,000 and $5,000; Yadkin County Historical
Society for the Richmond Hill Law School, $5,000 and $10,000;
Old Wilkes, Inc., for the Old Wilkes Jail, $2,500 and $5,000; His-toric
Darden Hotel Foundation for the Darden Hotel, $3,000 and
$3,000; and the Department of Archives and History for survey of
historic sites, $10,000 and $10,000. If all the latter challenges are
met, the Smith Richardson Foundation will have contributed
through the Department of Archives and History since 1960 the
sum of $344,616 for historic preservation in North Carolina, for
which an additional amount of more than $450,000 was raised to
qualify. No other nongovernmental source has supported historic
preservation so generously in the state.
It should be noted that all ofthe above cited funds, whether federal,
state, local, or foundation, are administered through the Depart-ment
of Archives and History, and the acquisition and restoration
work involved is supervised by the department's professional staff.
In addition, these staff members lend such assistance as they can to
14 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
worthy preservation and restoration projects not sharing in these
funds. This immensely valuable service, while it places an almost
overpowering burden upon the small staff assigned to the purpose,
demonstrates once again the role of the department in guiding
preservation efforts throughout North Carolina.
Implementation of directives issued in July, 1970, by the United
States Department of the Interior for sharing in the federal funds
referred to above necessitated the preparation on a crash basis by
August 31, 1970, of a state plan for historic preservation. Assisted
by the Institute of Government, the staff produced [An Interim]
North Carolina State Plan for Historic Preservation, which was
hand-carried to members of the State Professional Review Com-mittee
for approval and then forwarded to Washington by the dead-line.
The plan was approved by the National Park Service and will
require revision and reapproval in 1974.
As an adjunct to the state plan, the department contracted with
and assisted Mrs. Lee Wilder in producing a pamphlet entitled
A Lonesome Place against the Sky to publicize under the theme
"Progress a)id Preservation" the state's concern for historic pres-ervation.
This pamphlet, published with the assistance of a federal
matching survey and planning grant, received laudatory comments
from throughout the state .and nation and was adopted by the
Department of the Interior's Office of Archeology and Historic
Preservation as a model for other states to follow.
Actions were initiated during the biennium for the acquisition of
three additional properties—the Reed Gold Mine in Cabarrus
County, the Fort Dobbs site in Iredell County, and the Duke
Homestead in Durham County. Both the Reed Gold Mine and the
Duke Homestead are registered National Historic Landmarks,
and the Fort Dobbs site is on the National Register of Historic
Places. Their proposed addition to the system of state historic sites
will broaden both the system's geographical distribution and the
themes covered to present a reminder of the first discovery of gold
by our western civilization in the United States, the state's role in
the French and Indian War, and the impact of the tobacco industry
upon the state's heritage.
After almost two years of negotiations, acquisition by the state
of the Reed Gold Mine property was completed on December 31,
1971. Acreage totaling 752.9 acres was purchased for $182,000, and
the heirs of the late Armin L. Kelly donated the remaining seventy
acres. Funds for the purchase, plus $15,000 for closing and planning
costs, were allocated from the Contingency and Emergency Fund
by Governor Scott and the Council of State on April 19, 1971. With
the assistance of federal matching funds, the department contracted
with the Eastern Service Center of the National Park Service for
Director's Report 15
the preparation of a master plan for development of the site. The
70-page, printed, illustrated booklet, titled The First Gold Rush:
A Master Plan for Reed Gold Mine, was ready for distribution as
the biennium closed; and another contract, with Geological Re-sources,
Inc., of Raleigh, had been signed for further underground
studies and drawings. Funds for development of the Reed Gold
Mine site will constitute the department's largest single budget re-quest
for the new biennium.
Negotiations were completed and approved by the governor and
Council of State in August, 1971, under which the state accepted as
a donation from the Fort Dobbs Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution the ten-acre site of Fort Dobbs, the only
extant feature of the French and Indian War in North Carolina.
Funds for the acquisition of buffer property and initial development
of this site were provided by the state and a Smith Richardson
Foundation grant matched by funds raised locally by the Iredell
County Historical Society. An application for matching federal
funds was made to the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, United States
Department of the Interior. Negotiations to acquire approximately
twenty-one acres adjacent to this site were under way at the close
of the biennium. Funds for further development will be requested in
the new budget.
In December, 1971, upon the recommendation of the Duke family,
the Board of Trustees of Duke University offered to donate to the
state the Duke Homestead, consisting of the home of Washington
Duke and an important group of outbuildings on approximately
thirty-five acres of land in Durham. The condition of the offer is that
the property be developed as a state historic site. Acceptance will
depend upon favorable action by the 1973 General Assembly.
^
The most prominent development among many advances at
Tryon Palace was the restoration and furnishing of the John Wright
Stanly House and its dedication by the First Lady of the United
States on April 19, 1972. This enviable project, skillfully carried
out by the Tryon Palace Commission at no cost to the state, adds
to the Tryon Palace Complex a house of great historical and
aesthetic value. The commission, under the leadership of Mr. and
Mrs. John A. Kellenberger, its treasurer and chairman, respec-tively,
continued to serve the state as a model of unselfish and
enlightened leadership in the preservation of its patrimony. i"
In the Division of Archives and Records Management, the never-ending
tasks of acquisition, arrangement, description, and servic-ing
of public records and private manuscripts showed substantial
** For a more detailed report of the activities of the Division of Historic Sites
and Museums, see pp. 39-67.
'" The report of Tryon Palace will be found on pp. 79-84.
16 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
progress. More citizens than ever before made use of the growing
holdings in the Archives, and increasing service was given to state
agencies through the State Records staff. The first phase of the
Local Records program was completed—the fulfillment of a sched-ule
projected in 1959. Plans for the new State Records Center were
in the approval stage, and construction was expected to begin late
in 1972.11
The Division of Publications was severely hampered by the
escalation of printing costs which forced the postponement of a
number of publications previously scheduled for issuance. The
budgetary situation became so critical that in June, 1972, the
governor and Council of State allocated $24,200 from the Contin-gency
and Emergency Fund to restore some of the publications to
the schedule. High priority will be given in the 1973-1975 budget
requests for increased printing funds. Despite the situation, how-ever,
several important publications were issued and will be
reported by the historical publications editor. i^
Throughout the biennium the department continued the prepa-ration
of the weekly column "In the Light of History," which was
distributed to afternoon daily newspapers by the Associated Press.
Commencing in May, 1971, a weekly five-minute radio program
entitled "Tar Heel Footnotes" was begun for airing as a public
service program by approximately ninety radio stations. Each
program featured some aspect of North Carolina history. The costs
for production and distribution of this weekly radio program were
provided by a grant to the department by the Superior Stone
Company. Also in May, 1971, a series of public service advertise-ments
of the various activities and services of the department was
begun for use by radio, television, and newspapers. Newspaper ad-vertisements
feature line drawings of various state historic sites;
ten-second television announcements, each accompanied by a color
slide, are distributed monthly; and thirty-second radio announce-ments
in live copy form are furnished to every radio station in the
state. In addition to releases concerning special events or activi-ties
in the department, news releases together with photographs
were regularly furnished to area newspapers as each nomination
of a historic place was submitted to the National Register.
Commencing in May, 1972, a new newspaper column entitled
"Tar Heel Spotlight" was initiated exclusively for the state's
nondaily papers. This column goes out under the banner of the
Department of Art, Culture and History and features material from
all its components.
'1 For the repoi't of the Division of Archives and Records Management, see
pp. 20-38.
'2 See pp. 68-78 for the report of the Division of Publications.
Director's Report 17
At the end of the biennium, individual brochures for each state
historic site were being reprinted for distribution to the sites as
handout material for visitors.
The department was featured on two thirty-minute television
programs. The director was interviewed on "Sam Ragan Reports"
on January 30, 1972, and on UNC President William C. Friday's
"North Carolina People" on June 15 and 18, 1972. A sound record-ing
of the latter program was placed in the Archives.
In accordance with G.S. 121-13 and with the approval of the
governor, the director appointed Mr. Daniel E. Greene of New York
City to paint the official portrait of Governor Scott.
The department continued to cooperate with educational insti-tutions
in providing training for students. A two-semester course
in the administration of archives and manuscripts (History 551-
552) in the Department of History at North Carolina State Uni-versity
was conducted in 1970-1971 by the director and in 1971-
1972 by the archives and records administrator. A one-semester
course in historical publications and museums for Meredith College
students was conducted in 1971 by the historical publications
editor and the historic sites and museums administrator and their
staffs. One state government intern, Mr. Ronald C. Condrey, of
Appalachian State University, was given a summer's experience
in the department in 1971. Many students were employed during
the summers under the PACE (Plan Assuring College Education)
program.
The departmental staff continued to pursue opportunities for
individual academic studies. A number of the staff members en-rolled
in and completed courses in archival administration and
North Carolina history, and a large number of employees partici-pated
in seminars conducted by the State Personnel Department.
Two factors accounted for an improved recruitment program
during the biennium: salary increases of 5 percent each year and
a surplus of graduate school history majors. Together these factors
enabled the department to fill vacancies with persons having high
qualifications, including three new staff members who had com-pleted
the work for their doctorates. A study of all professional
positions was conducted by the State Personnel Department, but
the results were shelved pending solution of problems relating to
reorganization. Salaries for some professional positions remain
far below salaries in comparable agencies in the nation.
Staff participation in professional activities will be mentioned in
the division reports which follow. Here it may be noted that the
director delivered numerous papers and addresses, among them
the following out-of-state appearances: "Preservation Project
Grants-in-Aid" for the National Trust for Historic Preservation,
18 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
Charleston, South Carolina, November, 1970; "Genealogical Re-search
in North Carolina" for the National Genealogical Society,
Washington. D.C., March, 1971; "What Are Archives?" for the
Southeastern Archives and Records Conference, Tallahassee,
Florida, April. 1971; "A State Archival Program" for the Arkansas
Archives Symposium. Little Rock. Arkansas. May. 1971; "The
McClung Collection" for the fiftieth anniversary of the McClung
Collection. Knoxville, Tennessee, June, 1971; "North Carolina's
Historic Sites Program" for the Tennessee Preservation Confer-ence,
Nashville, Tennessee, October, 1971; "Presidential Papers"
for the American Historical Association, New York City, Decem-ber,
1971; and "What Is a State Archival and Records Manage-ment
Program?" for the Arkansas Historical Association, Fayette-ville.
Arkansas, April, 1972.'-* He spoke to many civic and histori-cal
groups in the state and presided over several ceremonies.
Out-of-state meetings attended, in addition to those at which he
spoke, included the Cooperstown (New York) Seminars, July,
1970; State Liaison Officers Conferences, Washington, D.C., Febru-ary,
1971 and 1972; Institute of Early American History and
Culture, May, 1971, and April. 1972; and American Association
for State and Local History, St. Paul, Minnesota, September, 1970,
and Portland, Oregon, September, 1971.
He continued to serve as a member of the council of the Institute
of Early American History and Culture, as secretary of the North
Carolina American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, as
secretary-treasurer of the North Carolina Literary and Historical
Association, and as a member of approximately a score of state
boards and commissions concerned with historical and cultural
affairs. During the biennium he was appointed to the North Caro-lina
Committee for Continuing Education in the Humanities and
to the AASLH's Administration of Manuscripts Committee. He
was recipient in 1971 of Appalachian State University's First Dis-tinguished
Alumni Award and of the North Carolina Society for
the Preservation of Antiquities's Cannon Cup for Historic
Preservation.
The assistant director, in addition to administrative duties,
coordinated a number of special projects (such as Halifax, Fort
Dobbs, and Fayetteville Arsenal) and participated in a variety of
committees concerned with historic preservation. He also spoke
at several in-state functions and meetings.
'•' Some of these addresses were published. See Appendix VI, p. 99.
Director's Report 19
Although this will be the last biennial report of the State Depart-ment
of Archives and History as an independent agency, the
director enters a fervent plea for the continuation of the series by
the newly established Office of Archives and History. It would be
difficult to overstate the value of the present and thirty-three pre-vious
reports in the recording of North Carolina's emergence from
the darkness of literary and historical myopia at the turn of the
century. One who reads the reports will trace the rise of a spirit
that has helped transform North Carolinians into a people of pride
and hope and energy—a people who take the attitude, "True, we
haven't done all that we should, but we're working on it." It is
this spirit that characterizes a North Carolinian. And let there be
no mistake: It was the stimulus of history that imbued this attitude
into our state character. In a time of unprecedented changes in
attitudes and tactics, however, the spirit can be sustained only by
the continued practice of historicism, the leadership of which must
be provided by an agency which refuses to deviate from its tradi-tional
path of objective evaluation by means ofthe historical method.
DIVISION OF ARCHIVES AND RECORDS
MANAGEMENT
C. F. W. CoKER, Archives and Records Administrator
The record of work of the Division of Archives and Records Man-agement
was one of solid progress during the biennium. The
significant increase in services offered the research public, the
completion of the initial phase of the Local Records Program, the
appropriation for and the planning of a new State Records Center,
and the publication of another edition of North Carolina News-papers
on Microfilm and a third volume of North Carolina Troops,
1861-1865: A Roster—all significant events or accomplishments in
themselves—are only the highlights of this record of progress. The
less dramatic results, reported in more detail in the narratives of
the several sections which follow and in the appendixes which
accompany this report, are no less worthy of attention.
Rear Admiral Alex McLeod Patterson, U.S. Navy (Retired),
served as archives and records administrator until his retirement
on August 31, 1970, when the present administrator was
appointed. Mr. Coker was assistant archives administrator prior
to his promotion.
The new Archives and History-State Library Building, occu-pied
by the Archives in 1969, continued to provide adequate space
and facilities for all sections of the division except the State Records
Section. That section occupied the State Records Center which,
although new shelving was added as recently as 1969, was filled to
near capacity. The 1971 General Assembly approved the depart-ment's
capital improvements request for funds for a new records
center, and an appropriation of $1,635,000 was made for this pur-pose.
It is significant to note that the new State Records Center was
the only new state building in Raleigh to be approved by the 1971
General Assembly.
The firm of F. Carter Williams, Architects, Raleigh, which was
responsible for the design of the Archives and History-State Library
Building, was again retained to design the new State Records
Center, and preliminary drawings were completed. The architects
anticipate that construction will begin in the fall of 1972 and that
the building will be ready for use by the summer of 1974.
The new building will be located in the same block as and adja-cent
(with underground connections) to the main Archives and
History-State Library Building. It is designed to have five struc-tural
floors, including a large underground storage and work area.
In all, it will have approximately 50,000 square feet of space and
Archives and Records Management 21
will have storage capacity for approximately 120,000 cubic feet of
records.
Comparatively little change in the number or organization of
the division staff was made during the 1970-1972 biennium. At the
close of the biennium, the permanent staff numbered fifty-seven, as
follows: administration, two; Archives Section, twelve; Local
Records Section, fifteen; State Records Section, eighteen; Tech-nical
Services Section, seven; and Civil War Roster Project, three.
Organizationally, the sections function as follows:
The ArcJi ires Section is responsible for the operation of the State
Archives, including its Search Room and Microfilm Reading Room
facilities, and for assisting visitors and researchers seeking infor-mation
from records and manuscripts in the department's custody.
Mr. Paul P. Hoffman is assistant archives administrator.
The Local Records Section gives advice and assistance to county
and municipal governments in connection with the management
of their records, inventories and schedules the records of local
governments, transfers to the Archives permanently valuable
records no longer needed in local administration, and microfilms
for security and research those permanently valuable records left
in their office of origin. Mr. Frank D. Gatton is assistant records
administrator (local records).
The State Records Section, physically located in the State
Records Center at the corner of North McDowell and West Lane
streets, serves as one of the two records management agencies of
state government. As reported in the Thirty-Third Biennial
Report, those records management responsibilities relating to
creation, utilization, and maintenance of records within state
agencies were transferred to the Systems Management Division
ofthe Department ofAdministration as ofJuly 1 , 1970. This transfer
of responsibility was accomplished without difficulty and with com-paratively
little confusion, and personnel of the State Records
Section and the Systems Management Division worked together
harmoniously in assisting agencies in the efficient management of
their records. The State Records Section continued to be respon-sible
for conducting records inventories and preparing records
retention and disposition schedules, for administering the State
Records Center, and for operating a central microfilm program for
state government. Mr. Ronald E. Youngquist serves as assistant
records administrator (state records).
The Technical Services Section, which is made up of the Docu-ment
Restoration Laboratory, the Microfilm Processing Labora-tory,
and the Newspaper Microfilm Project, is headed by Mr. Roger
C. Jones, assistant records administrator (technical services).
The Civil War Roster Project acquires service records and
22 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
historical data relating to individuals and military units from
North Carolina which served in the Civil War, prepares biograph-ical
sketches of men and histories of participating units, and edits
and supervises publication of the multivolume North Carolina
Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster. Mr. Weymouth T. Jordan, Jr.,
serves as editor of the project.
Reports of the four sections and the roster project follow.
Archives Section
The first full biennium in the new building was marked by a
significant increase in the demand for services. There was progress
in the fields of service to the public, arrangement and description of
records and manuscripts, and efficiency. With no additions to the
permanent staff, the Archives Section was able to meet the increased
demands for services without postponement of other important
archival functions.
The number of researchers using the Search Room increased by
approximately 25 percent over the 1968-1970 biennium to a total
of 16,857. The number of letters answered increased by approxi-mately
30 percent to 13,111.^ Should increases of this magnitude
continue, the Archives Section will have difficulty providing the
services demanded of it with the dispatch with which it has prided
itself in the past.
The Archives stack area, although not filled to capacity, has no
large concentrations of space available for new accessions. In all,
20,648 linear feet of records and manuscripts are housed in the
Archives, leaving 7,077 linear feet of shelving available, much of
which is committed to records scheduled to be transferred from the
Records Center. In order to assure adequate shelving space for
Here are two views of the Search Room—from behind the charging desk
(left) and from the balcony (right). Forty-eight researchers can be accom-modated
at the reading tables, and seventeen more can use microfilm ma-chines
simultaneously.
' For statistics of visitors and correspondents, see Appendixes VII and
VIII, pp. 104, 106.
Archives and Records Management 23
new accessions, the Archives has requested the completion of the
shelving of the third level of the stacks.
Accessions of records and manuscripts numbered 662 for the
biennium, or approximately 200 more than for the previous bien-nium.
2 Among significant state records accessioned were Gover-nor's
Papers, 1968-1970; Supreme Court Original Cases, 1800-
1909, together with an index to the cases; Prison Files, 1917-1931,
of the State Board of Charities and Public Welfare; minutes of the
Council of State, 1970-1972; and copies of records relating to the
North Carolina-Georgia boundary which were assembled by the
Department of Archives and History.
Some significant additions to the collection of unofficial records
and manuscripts during the biennium included the Weil Family
Papers, 1860-1970, which were made available by Mrs. Herbert
Bluethenthal, the executrix of the estate of Gertrude Weil of Golds-boro;
the Lynton Yates Ballentine Papers, 1949-1964, given by
Mrs. L. Y. Ballentine of Raleigh; the Richard Dobbs Spaight
Bryan Collection, 1766-1932, given by Mr. R. D. S. Bryan of New
York City; the Thomas Boiling Byrd Papers, 1917-1926, given by
Mr. W. C. Burton of Reidsville; additions to the Robert Gregg
Cherry Papers, made available by the estate of Mrs. R. Gregg
Cherry of Gastonia and the University of North Carolina Library;
the Augustus Clewell Letters, 1861-1865, given by Dr. Clewell
Howell of Baltimore; the Papers of David S. Coltrane, given by
Mrs. D. S. Coltrane of Raleigh; the Katherine Clark Pendleton
Conway Collection, 1769-1877, given by Miss Sylbert Pendleton
and Mr. Fabius Pendleton of Raleigh; the Doggett Family Papers,
1860-1970, given by Mrs. Lyman W. Doggett of Greensboro; an
addition to the Hugh Buckner Johnston Collection, 1809-1862,
given by Mr. Hugh B. Johnston, Jr., of Wilson; the Edward Waugh
Papers, consisting of records of the architectural firm of Mr.
Waugh, given by Mrs. Edwin Ruggles of Raleigh; the Euticus
Renn Collection, which consists of records of the 1968 presidential
campaign in North Carolina of Eugene McCarthy and which was
given by Mr. Euticus Renn of Wake Forest; and the May Thomp-son
Evans Papers, given by Mrs. W. Ney Evans of Washington,
D.C.
Several important series of records and col lections of manuscripts
were lent for microfilming and returned to the owners. The Archives
Section undertook these projects to assure the permanent preser-vation
of historically valuable documents which were not available
to be added to the permanent collection in the Archives. The
Holeman-Dobbin Collection, consisting of a variety of types of
records of the Holeman and Dobbin families of Person County, was
- Accessions are listed in Appendix IX, pp. 107.
24 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
lent by Mr. and Mrs. James H. Holeman of Timberlake; included
are records relating to Secretary of the Navy James Dobbin. Mr,
Charles S. Hollister, Jr., of New Bern, lent a series of thirty account
books of his ancestors related to a shipping business in New Bern
and dated 1801-1882. Mrs. Matthew Perry of Goldsboro lent a
collection of papers of the Williams and Dameron families of Nash
County to the Archives for microfilming; included are items related
to Governor Elias Carr. Dr. William Dallas Herring of Rose Hill
lent for microfilming his large collection of personal papers relating
to education in North Carolina from 1955 to the present. In addi-tion,
the Archives filmed a significant portion of its Black
Mountain College Collection for the Archives of American Art in
Washington, D.C.
The Archives staff presently consists of one archives and history
assistant III with working title of assistant archives administrator,
four archives and history assistants II, three archives and history
assistants I, two clerks III, one typist II, and one housekeeping
assistant I.
In addition to manning the Search Room, much of the effort of
the staff during the biennium was devoted to the arrangement and
description of records and manuscripts in the State Archives and
the preparation of other finding aids and reference tools. These
projects included a calendar for the Governors' Papers, 1835-1858;
finding aids for the North Carolina Seashore Commission, 1964-
1967; the records of the lieutenant governorship of Robert W.
Scott, 1964-1968; the appointments of Governor Dan K. Moore; the
Governor's Papers, 1968-1970; and additions to a number of find-ing
aids for other state agencies. In addition, finding aids were
prepared for the Receivership of the Tobacco Growers' Cooperative
Association; the Wake Forest College Birthplace Society, Inc.,
1956-1966; the North Carolina Literary and Historical Associa-tion,
1966-1967; the North Carolina Society for the Preservation of
Antiquities, 1966-1967; the L. Polk Denmark Collection; the
Roanoke Island Historical Association Papers; the Eric Norden
Collection; the Harold Minges Scrapbooks; the Elizabeth Winston
Papers; the David S. Coltrane Papers; the L. Y. Ballentine
Papers; the Virginia Dare Collection; the Calvin J. Cowles
Papers; the records of the North Carolina Chapter of the American
Institute of Architects; and the May Thompson Evans Papers.
Special projects completed in the biennium included the assem-bly,
cleaning, description, and preparation for archival storage of
the motion picture films owned by the Department of Archives and
History; the preparation of two exhibits, one relating to the genea-logical
records available in the Archives, and the other in conjunc-tion
with the bicentennial celebration of the founding of Wake
Archives and Records Management 25
Pictured above are two of three exhibits illustrating the services of the
Division of Archives and Records Management. The local records exhibit
(left) is on the third floor; the genealogical exhibit (right) is in the lobby.
County; the publication of two leaflets, one entitled Odyssey of the
Archives which relates the history of the Archives, and the other,
an Archives Information Circular, setting out the policies and
prices for photocopy work available at the Archives. In addition,
the value of the map collection was enhanced by the description and
addition of an extensive number of maps to the collection.
Receipts for copies, document restoration, and miscellaneous
sales during the biennium increased from $47,674 to $58,404, an
increase of approximately 30 percent.-^
Local Records Section
The Local Records Section, which is responsible for developing
and administering a program of archival preservation and records
management at all levels of local government, achieved marked
progress during the biennium in the various facets of its program.
A major function of the section from the beginning has been the
program of inventorying, scheduling, and microfilming for security
the permanently valuable records of the counties.^ This program,
which began in Wake County in August, 1959, was completed on
March 9, 1971, when the last volumes of the permanently valuable
Alleghany County records were microfilmed. The staff of the section
consists of one records management analyst II with the working
title of assistant records administrator (local records), one records
management analyst I, one archivist II, four archivists I, two
clerks IV, three clerks III, two clerks II, and one stenographer II.
Prior to July, 1970, records inventories were conducted and
schedules were prepared and distributed to officials in ninety-four
counties. Since then, the remaining counties of Graham, Swain,
Mitchell, Hoke, Avery, and Alleghany were completed. In com-
^ See Appendix X, p. 173, for an analysis of public sales and charges.
^ For statistics on Local Records Section, see Appendix XI, p. 174.
26 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
Archivists at work: at left, the arrangement and description of manuscripts
and photographs; at right, the shelving of county records. It is estimated that
the original records in the Archives comprise more than 40 million pages.
pleting this work, section microfilm camera operators filmed 943
reels of microfilm containing 2,242 volumes ofpermanently valuable
records in the above-mentioned counties, and work was in prog-ress
in Clay and Lee counties. During the eleven and one-half
years of work in this phase of the program, the department micro-filmed
over 76,000 permanently valuable county record books
which contained an estimated 40 million pages. Over 41,000 reels
of security microfilm have been indexed and placed in the security
vault. In addition, more than 20,000 reels of microfilm reading
copies have been made available to the public in the Archives
Search Room as a by-product of the program. Although the securi-ty
microfilm program will not prevent future loss of records to
fires, flood, and other calamities, it will eliminate the catastrophic
consequences of such loss.
In conjunction with the security microfilm program, the depart-ment
offered to the counties a means whereby deteriorating records
of permanent value could be restored and thus made serviceable
for years to come. Such records were restored by a process of
deacidification and lamination in the Document Restoration Labo-ratory.
During the biennium, 93,556 pages of county records were
restored. The contractural relationship with Heckman Bindery,
Inc., North Manchester, Indiana, was continued, and the firm
rebound 170 volumes. As in the case of all facets of the local records
program, this service was provided without cost to the counties
involved. Since 1959 over 765,000 pages of permanently valuable
records have been restored, and over 2,150 volumes have been
rebound.
When the original phase of the security microfilm program was
completed in March, 1971, the department immediately began
Phase II operations. This phase is concerned with microfilming
those records of permanent value created in the counties since the
previous microfilming visit. The inventorying and scheduling
function was discontinued as a regular feature of the program and
Archives and Records Management 27
is used only in isolated instances and for updating existing sched-ules;
however, the repair of permanently valuable records con-tinued
as a vital part of the program.
Efforts continued to be made to microfilm permanently valuable
records of municipalities and churches in the counties where micro-filming
was in progress. Records of 12 municipalities and 132
churches were microfilmed during the biennium. Since the incep-tion
of the program, the records of over 72 of North Carolina's
municipalities and over 500 churches have been microfilmed for
security.
All microfilm created by the section continued to be processed
by the Technical Services Section of the department. When process-ing
is completed, the master negatives are transferred to the Local
Records Section where each reel is carefully inspected. After
inspection, correction of errors, and editing, reels containing
records of high research value are selected and duplicate copies are
made for use by the public and are placed in the microfilm section
of the Archives Search Room.
In December, 1970, the last of the counties came under the
provisions of the Judicial Department Act of 1965. One of the
provisions of the act requires that the clerks of superior court record
documents of long-term value on 16 mm. microfilm. The film is
processed by Eastman Kodak Company in Charlotte; one copy of
all such film is sent to the department for security storage and
archival use, and one copy is returned to the office of origin. During
the biennium, the department received, listed, and stored 2,070
reels of this microfilm.
The transfer of vast quantities of valuable records from many
courthouses throughout the state was accomplished during this
biennium. Although the program was being conducted in many of
the newer counties during the biennium—counties with fewer
records to be transferred at this time—officials of the older counties
transferred considerable quantities of valuable older records from
their vaults to make room for those currently being created.
Records totaling 597 bound volumes and 751 cubic feet of un-bound
records were received from the counties. Of these, bound
volumes were repaired as necessary, cataloged, and transferred to
the State Archives. A small quantity of the unbound records re-ceived
was repaired as necessary, arranged, described, and trans-ferred
to the Archives Search Room. A large backlog of unbound
records from previous years made it necessary to store most of
those received until some future time.
Even so, splendid progress was made in the work of appraising,
arranging, and describing unbound records. During this period,
work was completed on 2,213 Fibredex boxes (document cases
28 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
holding 0.4 cubic feet) of such records which were received from the
counties during the biennium and in previous years. Some of the
groups of records worthy of special mention were those of Davie
(98), Gaston (180), Granville (279), Iredell (94), Mecklenburg
(166), Nash (198), Onslow (199), Pasquotank (282), Randolph
(424), Rockingham (94), Warren (122). At the end of the biennium,
work was in progress on the unbound records of Alleghany, David-son,
Gaston, Wilson, and Yadkin counties.
On May 19, 1970, the director established a new Advisory Com-mittee
on Municipal Records, under the authority of G.S. 121-2(12).
The committee included municipal officials, members of the Insti-tute
of Government, and representatives of state agencies, includ-ing
this department. The task assigned was the revision of The
Municipal Records Manual. This was completed during the sum-mer
of 1970, and the manual was received from the printer in Feb-ruary,
1971. Distribution was made to the various municipal offi-cials
during March and April, 1971.
The revised edition of The Comity Records Manual, which was
completed in the previous biennium, was distributed to the various
county officials in July and August, 1970.
The assistant records administrator (local records) and other
staff members continued the practice of attending the conventions
of the various associations of local government officials and ad-dressing
the conventions briefly on the various aspects of the local
records program. Such functions offer excellent opportunities to
discuss formally and informally local records problems. In addi-tion
to the conventions, ninety-three visits were made to various
counties throughout the state to discuss specific records matters.
The conventions and visits enable the section to become better ac-quainted
with the various officials and their problems and, in turn,
serve to acquaint local officials with the functions and capabilities
of the department. From this relationship has come a feeling of
mutual understanding and respect which has greatly contributed
to the success of the local records program.
The accent of the local records program in the past has neces-sarily
been on the records of the counties with little more than
cursory attention being given to the records problems of the
municipalities. The tremendous growth of many of the cities and
towns in the state has greatly increased their record-keeping
activities and municipal officials are in need of assistance. In the
coming biennium, this phase of the program will receive increased
attention.
Archives and Records Management 29
State Records Section
The State Records Section continued to conduct records man-agement
programs for the identification, retention, preservation,
and disposition of the records of state agencies, institutions, boards,
and commissions; to operate a central microfilm service for state
agencies; and to administer the State Records Center as a low-cost
repository for noncurrent and inactive records of state agencies.^
For the first time, the responsibility for records management
activities relating to records creation, utilization, and maintenance
in state agencies was not performed by the State Records Section.
These activities were transferred to the Systems Management Divi-sion,
Department of Administration, at the close of the thirty-third
biennium. As a consequence of this transfer of activities and the
prior and subsequent transfers of personnel, the State Records
Section entered the biennium with 25 percent of the staff new to
their positions by virtue of promotion or by reason of recent affil-iation
with the Department of Archives and History.
Following the initial training periods for the new staff members,
the section conducted a management self-study of its responsibilities
and programs. Each records disposition schedule was reviewed
and was amended, where necessary, to place the schedules in
compliance with the fiscal and personnel standards for state
records. Record quantities and locations shown in schedule
descriptions were updated after verification of hardcopy and micro-filmed
records stored in the State Records Center and on security
microfilm in the Archives vault. Overdue records disposition
actions were identified to, and coordinated with, the appropriate
state agencies. One hundred eighty-two professional assistance
visits were made to various state agencies to complete this project
and to demonstrate and explain records management procedures
and forms used to accomplish records transfer and disposition
actions. Over 600 cubic feet of records that had no further value were
destroyed by the agencies as a result of these visits.
The program to revise all records disposition schedules written
before 1961 was abandoned when implementation of the Executive
Organization Act of 1971 began. As a result of the reorganization of
state government, many records series, and in some cases records
groups, will be transferred to new agencies or incorporated into
new records groups. Virtually all existing records disposition
schedules will have to be rewritten or revised. Careful and accurate
identification and adequate cross-referencing will be essential so as
to preserve original order and assure complete information re-trieval
in the State Records Center after transfers of records are
made.
^ For statistics on the State Records Section, see Appendix XII, p. 176.
30 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
As an aid in handling records following reorganization, a new
records disposition schedule was designed for state records. The
new format provides for standardization in certain areas and per-mits
expansion without the necessity of retyping the schedule.
The new records disposition schedule was first used in the major
revision of the schedule of the State Board of Embalmers and
Funeral Directors. This pilot program was then used in an
expanded form in the major revision of the records disposition
schedule of the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement Sys-tem.
During the biennium, five schedules were revised in their
entirety, and four schedules were approved for the first time ; eighty-one
schedule items were amended for twenty-eight state agencies.
Two major schedule revision projects undertaken in the bien-nium
remained unfinished and in progress. The inventorying of
the vast records resources of the State Highway Commission was
completed after eighteen months of study, but it is still in the
appraisal and coordination stages of production. Over 15,000 cubic
feet of records in thirty-three departments of the commission were
inventoried and identified, many for the first time. Over 300 cubic
feet of records stored in the State Records Center were destroyed
as a result of this project, and literally hundreds of cubic feet of
records in the field offices of the State Highway Commission were
destroyed as a direct initial result of the study. The inventorying
of the Department of Social Services, in progress for over sixteen
months, was delayed by the agency's move into a new building, by
internal reorganization, and finally by assimilation into the De-partment
of Human Resources. This project involves some 5,000
cubic feet of records, many of which are restricted by law, making
careful control and protection obligatory. An opinion of the attor-ney
general was sought relative to the handling of adoption
records; a ruling permitting these records to be microfilmed will
result in greater control of adoption records. Microfilming of
these records will allow over 550 cubic feet of records to be de-stroyed
after microfilming, freeing seventy five-drawer, fireproof
filing cabinets for reuse.
The final units of shelving ordered and delivered as part of the
renovation of the State Records Center authorized by the 1967
General Assembly, and begun in 1969, were erected in 1970 in the
last designed storage area in the State Records Center. Despite
an increase of another 5,000 cubic feet of storage space provided by
these additional units, the State Records Center was filled to 92
percent of its storage capacity within ninety days following com-pletion
of the project. Economic growth and the resulting quantities
of records created to record births, deaths, automobile and busi-ness
licensing, tax payments, and other activities explain the de-
Archives and Records Management 31
J
32 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
143,846 refile or interfile operations in providing this service.
Microfilm projects were many and varied as a result of the
management self-study mentioned earlier and the increasing use
of microfilm by state agencies applying for federal programs or
updating their security programs. Student records were micro-filmed
for several community colleges and technical institutes
which needed security copies of those records and which were seek-ing
to meet accreditation requirements. As a follow-on project
associated with the revised records disposition schedule of the
Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, the following
were among the records series filmed in the agency: payrolls for
participating units, 1961-1963; minutes of the Board of Trustees
(Local Governmental Unit), 1945-1972; minutes of the Board of
Trustees (Teachers' and State System), 1941-1972. Permanent
academic records, 1908-1971, were filmed for security for the Uni-versity
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Summer school records,
current transcripts, 1967-1968, and main file records, 1903-1967,
originally filmed by the university were microfilmed by the unit
when inspection of the commercially prepared security copies
revealed filming and processing errors. Consolidated inmate
records (M-2), 1914-1958, were microfilmed for the Department of
Correction on 219 reels of microfilm. The total M-2 project consisted
of 1,564,751 images and required thirteen months of arranging
and verifying before filming could continue.
The Microfilm Unit microfilmed records of 20 agencies, institu-tions,
and boards. A total of 4,946,881 images was filmed on 2,827
reels of microfilm. In addition, 1,017 reels of checks microfilmed by
the state treasurer's office were proofread by the unit.
The 1969 proposal to microfilm the plans and engineering draw-ings
submitted to state agencies received initial funding by the
General Assembly in 1971.
Full-time operation of the project began with the hiring of one
clerk II microfilmer in September, 1971. The original coding system
was modified to accommodate the various numbering and filing
systems used by the agencies. This modification resolved the prob-lems
formerly experienced with the plans of the School Planning
Division, Department of Public Instruction. This agency was
selected for initial full implementation. Nearly 25,000 plan sheets
were trimmed, repaired, flattened, and microfilmed for the School
Planning Division in the last nine months. Aperture card format
was designed, and cards and equipment for mounting the microfilm
and for reproducing the aperture cards were ordered. Assembly of
the first group of security cards is expected to be completed before
the year is over.
A surprising aspect of this microfilming project is that the orig-
Archives and Records Management 33
A ik'W program of microfilming state building jilans was begun by the
State Records Section. In the upper two photos staff members are shown
microfilming and checking the plans. In the lower photos, film is being pro-cessed
and printed by the Technical Services Section.
inal plans, which would normally be destroyed after microfilming,
will be preserved and sent to the schools to assist in the adminis-tration
and maintenance of the facilities. In many cases, the plan
sets that have been repaired and collated from the several drawings
submitted to the agencies cannot be duplicated as a set; they will
provide invaluable planning aids to principals and school boards.
The section was staffed, when the biennium closed, with the
records management analyst II with the working title of assistant
records administrator (state records), four records management
analysts I, one stenographer II, two clerical unit supervisors I,
three clerks III, five clerks II, one clerk I, and one housekeeping
assistant I.
Technical Services Section
The Technical Services Section, consisting of the Microfilm
Processing Laboratory, the Document Restoration Laboratory,
and the Newspaper Microfilm Project, completed its first full bien-nium
as a separate section within the Division of Archives and
Records Management.** The staff of the section consisted of seven
full-time employees, including the archives and history assistant
II with the working title of assistant records administrator (tech-
*^ For statistics on the progi-am of the Technical Sei'vices Section, see Ap-pendix
XIII, p. 181, and Appendix XIV, p. 183.
34 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
nical services), one photographer II, one photographer I, one
archives and history technician, and three clerks II.
The Newspaper Microfilm Project, created in 1959, continued
its task of microfilming all known issues of early North Carolina
newspapers. After thirteen years of operation, approximately 2,400
reels of newspapers, containing virtually all available issues of
known titles published from 1751 to 1900—and many of more recent
origin—have been filmed and made available to the public. The
project was created in recognition of the enormous value of news-papers
as historical source material. Work was begun with a sense
of urgency because of the extremely perishable nature of newsprint.
This sense has deepened through the years with the realization
that many libraries, sorely pressed for expansion space, were
beginning to dispose of their newspapers.
During this biennium 283 reels were microfilmed."
In May, 1971, the department published the fourth edition of
North Carolina Newspapers on Microfilm, edited by Roger C.
Jones. This lists all newspapers microfilmed by the Newspaper
Project from July 1, 1959, through June 30, 1970. The new edition
was expanded with the inclusion of two new appendixes. One gives
a statewide list of the titles filmed by the project; the other presents
a list of the cities and towns, by county, for which papers have been
filmed.
The Microfilm Processing Laboratory continued its work of
processing and printing all microfilm generated by the various
units of the department. Staff members of the laboratory serve as
technical advisers in all matters relating to microfilm production
in the department, and they assist in the training of camera opera-tors
and in the maintenance of all microfilm equipment operated by
division personnel.
During the biennium the laboratory output of processed micro-film
totaled 12,356 reels amounting to 1,194,985 linear feet, as
follows: 2,861 reels (273,475 feet) of 16 mm. negatives; 4,330 reels
(422,600 feet) of 35 mm. negatives; 202 reels (19,750 feet) of 16 mm.
duplicates; and 4,963 reels (479,160 feet) of 35 mm. duplicates.
Additionally, the laboratory staff produced all photostatic copies
and all paper prints from microfilm requested by the public or used
within the department.
The Document Restoration Laboratory, utilizing the Barrow
method of lamination, repairs and restores deteriorating records,
manuscripts, newspapers, and other materials. The laboratory
serves as an important part of the county records program of the
Local Records Section by repairing records retained by the
counties, and it works in close cooperation with the Archives Sec-
^ A complete list of titles may be found in Appendix XIV, p. 183.
Archives and Records Management 35
More than 146,000 pages of deteriorating manuscripts were rehabilitated
by the Barrow laminating process during the biennium. At left, staff members
in the Document Restoration Laboratory are "patching" documents; and at
right another staff member has just removed a document from the laminator
in preparation for trimming.
tion in restoring to useful life many deteriorating volumes and
boxes of loose papers which otherwise could not be researched.
Many colleges and universities of the state, and the general public
as well, are permitted to use the services of the laboratory for a fee.
During the biennium the Document Restoration Laboratory,
deacidified and laminated 146,498 pages of deteriorating paper. Of
these, 92,480 pages were county records, 21,534 pages were non-county
materials in the Archives, and 32,484 pages were materials
laminated for state agencies, public and private institutions, and
individuals for a fee.
Civil War Roster Project
Volume III of North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster, con-taining
rosters for four infantry regiments and four infantry batta-lions,
was published on September 3, 1971. This volume was com-piled
and edited by Dr. Louis H. Manarin, who served as editor of
the roster project from its inception in 1961 until February 1,
1970. Dr. Manarin also wrote the unit histories which preceded
the rosters for each company, battalion, and regiment included in
the volume. The index was compiled by the new editor, Mr.
Weymouth T. Jordan, Jr., and the volume was proofed by Mr.
Jordan and members of the project. Service records for approxi-mately
10,000 North Carolina soldiers are included in this volume.
Manuscript for Volume IV, which will contain rosters for five
infantry regiments, was sent to the printer on May 5, 1972, and it
is anticipated that this volume will be published sometime during
the winter of 1972-1973. Dr. Manarin was retained to write the unit
histories for this volume; the remainder of the book was compiled
and edited by Mr. Jordan and the project staff. Approximately
9,000 service records will be included in this volume.
Concurrent with the preparation of manuscript for Volume IV,
36 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
the abstracting of service records for Volume V went forward ; and
approximately 60 percent of the records which will be required for
this publication were abstracted by the end ofthe biennium. Volume
V will contain rosters for five infantry regiments and one infantry
battalion.
Professional Personnel and Their Activities
The department continued the arrangement with the Depart-ment
of History of North Carolina State University to sponsor and
teach the course in archives administration. Divided into two
semesters, the course was taught in 1970 by the director and in
1971-1972 by Mr. Coker. In addition to the regularly enrolled stu-dents
at North Carolina State University who completed one or
both of the semesters, ten members ofthe division staffcompleted the
first semester course, a requirement for all beginning archivists and
records management analysts in the department. These were Mr.
Paul Hoffman, assistant archives administrator, Mr. George Stev-enson
and Miss Sharon Sandling i-n the Archives Section, Mr. Per-cy
Hines, Mr. V/ayne Daves, Mrs. Corise Gambrell, and Miss Kay
Goodrich in the Local Records Section, and Mrs. Sara Hunter, Mr.
Carroll Stearns, and Mr. Jimmy Allred of the State Records Sec-tion.
In addition. Miss Rita Harwell and Mrs. Gambrell of the Local
Records Section completed the North Carolina history course
required of new professional staff members.
Mr. Frank Gatton, assistant records administrator (local rec-ords).
Miss Betsy Fleshman of the Archives Section, and Mr.
David Stephens of the State Records Section each took several
courses at North Carolina State University in pursuit of master's
degrees in history.
Individual professional interests of the members of the division
are many and varied. Mr. Coker attended meetings of the Society
of American Archivists in Washington in 1970 and in San Fran-cisco
in 1971. He gave papers at the South Atlantic Archives and
Records Conference in Tallahassee in 1971 and Charleston in 1972,
at the Virginia Genealogical Society meeting in Richmond in 1971,
and at Louisiana State University, New Orleans, in 1971. In
addition, he spoke to a number of local meetings and societies in
North Carolina.
Mr. Gatton, attended and/or addressed several statewide meet-ings
of county and municipal officials. He spoke to the Mountaineer
Chapter, American Records Management Association, in Charles-ton,
West Virginia, in 1972, and he participated in a panel discus-sion
at the South Atlantic Archives and Records Conference in
Charleston in 1972. Mr. Ronald E. Youngquist, assistant records
administrator (state records), and Mr. Roger C. Jones, assistant
Archives and Records Management 37
records administrator (technical services), participated in a panel
discussion at the Charleston meeting as well.
Mr. Hoffman attended the meetings of the Society of American
Archivists in Washington in 1970, the American Historical Asso-ciation
in New York in 1971, and the South Atlantic Archives and
Records Conference in Charleston in 1972.
Mr. Stevenson read a paper to the Historical Society of North
Carolina in 1972, and he and Mrs. Ellen Z. McGrew, also of the
Archives Section, participated in panel sessions at the Charleston
conference.
Mr. Donald E. Horton, supervisor of the Microfilm Processing
Laboratory, attended the meetings of the National Microfilm Asso-ciation
in Washington in 1971 and New York in 1972.
Out-of-state visitors to the Archives during the biennium in-cluded
Lord Heap of Guildhall, London; Mr. John Newman, state
archivist of Indiana; Mr. A. K. Johnson, Jr., regional director of
the National Archives and Records Service; Mr. Wayne Morris,
research specialist with the Genealogical Society of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Inc.; Senorita Maria De La
Concepcion De La Fuente Cobos, of the Spanish Ministry of Public
Workers; and Senorita Maria del Carmen Salas Larraxabal. of the
Spanish Ministry of the President of Government (Prime Minister).
A Look to the Future
Although the future of the division programs described in this
report looks promising, there are various clouds on the horizon
which warrant concern. Naturally enough, the most ominous of
these is the budget. Past appropriations for the division by the
General Assembly have been ample, but the prospect for appropria-
' tions in the future which will permit the continued expansion of
archival and records management functions by the department is
discouraging. The effects both of inflation and of the ever-widening
demands for legislative appropriations will make it more and
more difficult to live within the budget or to secure additional
funds. The increased demand for research and reference services
in the Archives, the effects of greater volumes of records at both
local and state agency levels, the costs of more and more sophisti-cated
technical equipment, and the rise in production costs for the
Roster Project will each have its thinning effect on available funds.
Still, it is promising to look to wider and wider public use of the
Archives, to the completion of a second round of the local govern-ment
microfilm program, to the construction of a new and larger
State Records Center, and to the extension of records manage-ment
services to more and more agencies of North Carolina govern-ment.
38 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
The noteworthy accomplishments of the past biennium will, it
is earnestly hoped, be equaled and excelled by those of the com-ing
years. The staff of the division looks forward with anticipation
and determination to serve the people of the state of North Caro-lina
to the best of its ability and to take pride in the knowledge
that the public's confidence in it is justified.
DIVISION OF HISTORIC SITES
AND MUSEUMS
Mrs. Joye E. Jordan, Historic Sites and Museums
Administy^ator
In recent years increased public interest has brought about an
expansion in the field of historic preservation and interpretation.
Response by federal, state, and local governmental agencies to
the many demands required the preparation of legislation, appro-priation
of funds, and enactment of protective laws. The work of
the division was geared to facilitate both the public and private
participation in these activities essential to the promotion of pres-ervation
projects.
In some cases the primary consideration was based on taking
advantage of a situation where adequate funds were available. A
comprehensive program evolved, but achievement of a balanced
development of such a program was difficult. Taking note of some
of the projects which received priority will serve to illustrate the
practical solutions adopted as a part of the continuing effort to
serve the people of North Carolina.
Museum accreditation was achieved for the North Carolina
Museum of History and eight of the state historic sites (Alamance
Battleground, Aycock Birthplace, Historic Bath, Brunswick
Town, Fort Fisher, Polk Birthplace, Town Creek Indian Mound,
and Vance Birthplace). After the museum submitted a detailed
questionnaire which was given careful study, a competent accredi-tation
committee of the American Association of Museums con-cluded
the investigation with an on-site visit and a written report
on each unit involved.
The administrator in 1971 received the first North Carolina
Museums Council Award for "service, leadership, or guidance per-formed
within the museum field."
Although the director's report summarizes legislation and ap-propriations
for the biennium, it is proper to point out here that
funds became available for the full-time staffing of the remaining
two state historic sites. Bennett Place, previously staffed only on
a part-time basis, was put into full operation on September 1,
1971; and the House in the Horseshoe (Alston House), formerly
leased to the Moore County Historical Association, was made a
full member of the state historic sites system on April 1, 1972. In
addition to an increase in operating funds, the following capital
improvements appropriations were made: $30,000 for restora-tion
work at House in the Horseshoe; $16,000 (including $2,500
in local matching funds) for restoration of the 1870 schoolhouse at
40 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
Aycock Birthplace; $230,000 for a visitor center at Halifax;
$66,000 for a central supply depot and manager's residence at
Bennett Place; $50,000 for completion of exhibits in the North
Carolina Museum of History; and $7,000 to be added to funds on
hand for a manager's residence at Fort Fisher. i An expanded un-derwater
archaeology program was provided, effective July 1,
1972, by a special appropriation of $29,370.
Actions initiated in connection with three proposed state his-toric
sites—Reed Gold Mine, Fort Dobbs, and Duke Homestead
—
are described in the director's report.^
HALIFAX STATE HISTOIIC SITE
Siotwt of Land AcquUllien
•I •! Jun« 30, 1972
ITATI ACOUIIED MOMITT
KHOOL DISTIICT PtOPCtlT
NEGOTIATIONS I
At Historic Halifax administrative details related to relocation,
which had stymied land acquisition progress during the first three
quarters of the biennium, were solved in January, 1972, with the
assistance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-ment.
In February, 1972, two public meetings were conducted in
Halifax—one with the affected property owners and the other with
the community at large—following which land acquisition nego-tiations
were reinitiated. By the end of the biennium sixteen
separate parcels had been acquired by purchase or condemnation
required because of faulty titles or unknown owners. Negotiations
are continuing to acquire the remaining six parcels necessary to
incorporate within the site the entire area between the Roanoke
River and St. David Street, and Dobbs Street and Magazine Gut.
Authorities of the Weldon School District, which owns a large
' For information on capital improvements at state historic sites, see
Appendix XV, p. 186.
2 See above, pp. 14-15.
Historic Sites and Museums 41
Capital improvements at state historic sites are demonstrated in these
three photographs. At top is the visitor center at Historic Bath, dedicated in
October, 1970. In the center photogi-aph Governor Scott is shown delivering
the address on the two-hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Alamance in
May, 1971; during the same ceremony the improvements to the visitor center
(background) at Alamance Battleground were dedicated. Shown in the bottom
photo is the visitor center at the C.S.S. Neuse which was near completion at
the end of the biennium.
42 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
tract within this area for the operation of the Andrew Jackson
School, indicated their future plans call for the attrition of this
school and the ultimate reversion of this property to the state.
After funds were provided by the 1971 General Assembly, an arch-itect
was appointed; and preliminary plans were in progress for
the design and construction of the visitor center.
Two events at state historic sites were marked by festivities. On
each occasion Governor Robert W. Scott was the featured speaker:
the dedication of the visitor center at Bath State Historic Site on
October 17, 1970, and the dedication of visitor center improve-ments
at Alamance Battleground during the commemoration of
the bicentennial of the Battle of Alamance on May 16, 1971.
A new State Historic Sites Manual was drafted. It was designed
to acquaint the site managers with departmental policy and pro-cedures
as they relate to the state historic sites, as well as to em-phasize
the responsibilities and fundamental practices essential
to successful site management.
The survey staff inventoried and prepared nominations to the
National Register of Historic Places for 180 properties across the
state—144 of which have been entered in the register while the
remainder were in processing in Washington at the end of the
biennium. Several considerations guided the selection of areas of
concentration: a need to record and encourage preservation of
properties in urban areas where a number of significant struc-tures
are threatened by present or projected growth, an effort to
achieve a better distribution of nominations across the state, and
a response to groups and individuals interested in identifying and
preserving local historical properties.^ A roster of North Carolina
properties entered in the register was published and distributed
to the various state, local, federal agencies, and private concerns
involved in land use, planning, and developing. This roster is
periodically updated through publication and distribution of page
inserts.
Special legislative appropriations were granted to approximate-ly
twenty historic properties in the state on a matching basis. Only
five of these related to departmental requests."* The National Park
Service funds allotted to preservation projects where needs met
the criteria amounted to $211,427.72 for 1970-1972. Departmental
staff assisted with advice, counsel, and supervision in the expendi-ture
of all state and National Park Service funds.^
3 For information on the status of North Carolina properties with respect
to the National Register, see Appendix XVII, p. 189.
"* For information on legislative grants-in-aid for special restoration and
construction projects, see Appendix XVIII, p. 198.
^ For information on National Park Service allotments for preservation
projects, see Appendix XVI, p. 187.
Historic Sites and Museums 43
On December 3, 1971, contract negotiations were completed
with Mr. Glenn Little of Alexandria, Virginia, for salvage excava-tion
at the site of the Fayetteville Arsenal. The project was funded
by the State Highway Commission under the provisions of the
1971 General Assembly amendment to G.S. 136 as referred to in
the director's report. During December the right-of-way was sur-veyed
and the property to be excavated was staked. Site clearance
was accomplished as weather permitted, and full-scale excavation
commenced June 15, 1972.
Also under this amended G.S. 136, during March and April,
1972, the archaeological salvage of a significant prehistoric site
was conducted along U.S. 421 in Yadkin County by the Research
Laboratories of Anthropology, under the direction of Dr. Joffre L,
Coe, and through the auspices of this department.
With all of the activity in the field of historical museums, his-toric
sites, and historic properties, there still remain vast untapped
resources of human interest that need to be aroused so that all
citizens of the state will show greater concern for the work in
preservation that needs to be done now. Much of the work cannot
be put off indefinitely or there will be no work to do.
Research and Restoration Section
The preservation and interpretation of North Carolina's his-tory
was enhanced during the biennium by the activities of the
section. The documentary history of a number of subjects was
completed by the research unit and used in scholarly studies, as
the basis for archaeology, restoration work, and museum exhibits.
During the biennium implementing requirements related to the
U.S. Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968 and the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as dictated by the Office of
Management and Budget Circular A-95 (Revised), imposed signi-ficant
research activity to comment upon the historical impact of
352 separate applications for federal funds and for projects related
to land use. Where these applications indicated possible impact
upon prehistoric archaeological remains, comments were obtained
by the department from the Research Laboratories of Anthropolo-gy,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Archaeological
investigation of state-owned properties proceeded as did the de-partment's
review and direction of archaeology, research, and
restoration on numerous local projects. The state's survey of his-toric
places became a fully developed program, turning up new
sites of historical importance, reviewing properties of known signi-ficance,
and thoroughly recording the most important on a system-atic
basis by documentation, photography, maps, and drawings.
The work of all three units is by nature interrelated and the find-
44 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
ings of each have been of great use to the others, producing a well-rounded
program of study and application.
Research
Research was conducted to authenticate sites or buildings for
which grant-in-aid appropriations were sought from the 1971
General Assembly.
Mr. Tony P. Wrenn completed the Beaufort research project,
funded by a special legislative appropriation, and published a re-port
during the biennium. Research was done for the publication
of A Lonesome Place against the Sky. Material to be published
in two dictionaries on North Carolina's role in the American
Revolution was reviewed.
The staff worked with a summer intern from Western Carolina
University on a research report on Fort Defiance, home of General
William Lenoir.
The Highway Historical Marker Advisory Committee held
three meetings. Thirty-one markers were approved and forty-two
were deferred or rejected. The State Highway Commission was
given orders for twenty-five replacement markers along with
recommendations for marker maintenance, repair, removal, and
relocation. Special orientation map markers were erected at His-toric
Bath and Alamance Battleground.^
Documentary Research
Major research projects were completed, continued, or reviewed:
Bath, the Hezekiah Alexander House, Fort Dobbs, The Grove, Old
Fort, Cherokee Indian sites, the Tuscarora forts and towns. His-toric
Halifax, and the Battle of Alamance.
Maps for a variety of projects were prepared. A map of Halifax,
based on a map by C. J. Sauthier (1769) and on a map showing the
original town plan found in the Thomas Person Papers, Southern
Historical Collection, Chapel Hill, was drawn for use in land ac-quisition.
"The American Revolution in North Carolina" was the
title given a map which depicted battle sites and the campaign
marches of Rutherford, Greene, and Cornwallis. A map of the Cape
Fear region, with emphasis on the Moores Creek area, and a Civil
War map were completed for use in the museum.
Topics researched for exhibits in the Museum of History in-cluded
David Marshall "Carbine" Williams, Apollo 12, the Stamp
Act Resistance in Brunswick and Wilmington, the Battle of
Moores Creek Bridge, the British Empire in 1763, Escadrille
6 For a list of new highway historical markers approved, see Appendix XIX,
p. 200.
Historic Sites and Museums 45
Lafayette, the Civil War in North Carolina, and North Carolina
newspapers of the 1920s. Research for exhibits was completed for
Historic Bath and Alamance Battleground state historic sites and
Old Fort.
The general public requested information on a variety of topics
including medicinal springs in North Carolina; the suggested use
of camels by the Confederate Army; the Carson House; Dr. Fran-cis
Kron; the ram Albemarle; Peter Stuart Ney; Thomas Jerni-gan
and Chinese-American relations; John Morton, a signer of
the American Declaration of Independence; Nathaniel Rice, act-ing
colonial governor; and Reginald A. Fessenden. The research
staff continued to cooperate with individuals and other agencies
by supplying information as needed.
An updated list of historical and preservation societies in North
Carolina was supplied to the American Association for State and
Local History for its Directory. While only two new county his-torical
societies—Richmond and Lenoir—were organized by the
staff, advice was given to seven groups.
Archaeology
The archaeology staff conducted major excavations at Fort Fish-er
and Historic Halifax state historic sites. The excavations at
Halifax located the site of the second jail and attempted to find re-mains
of the colonial courthouse. Uncovered on the jail site was a
brick-lined privy built ca. 1758 and later used as a trash pit. The
pit contained some of the earliest ceramics to be found at Halifax
and the first eighteenth century handcuffs and leg irons unearthed
in North Carolina. Erosion and earth removal from the court-house
site apparently destroyed all evidence of its location.
In the fall of 1970 excavations began at Fort Fisher to examine
the interior construction of a bombproof. The sand and earth
mounds were built over heavily timbered bunkers which protected
both men and ammunition from artillery bombardment. In June,
1972, the main chamber under a mound at Fort Fisher was exca-vated.
During the 1971 and 1972 May seminars at North Carolina
Wesleyan College, the archaeologist taught a field course in his-toric
site archaeology. In 1971 the students excavated an eigh-teenth
century site, Dudley's Tavern; the investigation was com-pleted
during the summer with help of PACE students. The next
year fifteen participating students partially excavated the site of
The Grove, home of Willie Jones, in Halifax. One half of the cellar
was studied; a search for dependencies proved futile.
Testing of the Halifax commercial and residential areas was
carried out during 1971. A warehouse cellar, a house or small
46 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
Among the archaeological projects conducted during the biennium was the
excavation of the site of Dudley's Tavern in Historic Halifax. At left three of
fifteen North Carolina Wesleyan College students who assisted the archaeo-logist
are shown at work. At right is an aerial view of the site. The remains
of the earthen steps and chimney base are clearly shown.
commercial structure, and a water drain for the latter were ex-cavated;
and several probable house sites were marked for later
study.
A dig was made beneath the floor of the State Capitol to deter-mine
the nature of a brick ring, discovered by workmen installing
a duplicate of Canova's statue of George Washington, in the center
of the rotunda. The ring was built ca. 1833 with bricks and debris
from the first statehouse to support a proposed replica of the
statue.
An excavation at a site adjacent to the Bath Visitor Center was
made to ascertain whether there were structural remains on the
property to which the Van Der Veer House was moved, but results
were negative.
Mapping of the foundations and removal of the brick courses at
the original Constitution House site were completed in May, 1972.
The data recovered will aid in accurately replacing the structure
on that site.
A short probe at Guilford College to locate a house site associ-ated
with Dolley Madison uncovered a possible root cellar, but no
datable remains were found.
Restoration
Legislative appropriations and the availability of local, state,
federal, and foundation funds^ continued to support a broadening
restoration interest in the state. The 1971 General Assembly pro-vided
the addition of a second professional staff member to work
with the department's expanding restoration program beginning
July 1, 1972.
" For details concerning Smith Richardson Foundation grants, see Appen-dix
XX, p. 202.
Historic Sites and Museums 47
Grant-in-Aid Projects
Hezekiah Alexander House, Charlotte—Restoration plans and
specifications were approved; the exterior work and over three
fourths of the interior were finished.
Old Burying Ground, Beaufort—A protective masonry and iron
fence was built to prevent vandalism in this cemetery filled with
ancient and unusual gravestones. Most of the old fence, including
the base and the decorative masonry balls, was reused.
Blandwood, Greensboro—The exterior restoration of Bland-wood
was virtually completed with particular emphasis on the
older, rear, frame section. The front two rooms were completed
and furnished, and progress was made on restoration of the other
interior sections.
Burwell School, Hillsborough���A wooden shingle roof was in-stalled
on the main structure, and the contract was let for complet-ing
the second floor rooms.
Historic Edenton, Edenton—Structural repairs were made on
three houses in Historic Edenton: The Penelope Barker House,
the James Iredell House, and the Cupola House. During the porch
restoration at the James Iredell House evidence was found that
originally the upper ceiling was plastered; this was restored. At
the Cupola House plans for a protective fence and the restoration
of formal gardens were completed.
Fort Defiance, Lenoir—Plans and specifications for the exterior
restoration were finished, and work was begun. The architect fur-nished
plans and specifications for the electrical and mechanical
systems.
Historic Hope, Bertie County—The Samuel Cox House was
moved to Hope, refurbished and made a caretaker's residence and
semi-exhibit building. The electrical and mechanical systems were
installed in the main house and a "dairy" was constructed to house
the mechanical equipment. The restoration of Hope was virtually
completed.
Joel Lane House, Raleigh—The architect completed the plans
and specifications for the exterior restoration. The brick piers
were replaced with handmade brick foundation walls; the T-stack,
double-shouldered, Flemish bond chimneys were restored; and the
nineteenth century wing was detached from the house, moved to
the rear of the lot, and refurbished as a security residence.
Historic Murfreesboro, Murfreesboro—Electrical and mechani-cal
systems were installed in the Rea Store, and interior work was
completed. An architect was employed to prepare plans and speci-fications
for the John Wheeler House. The Roberts House, com-pleted
and dedicated June 3, 1972, was assisted by a preservation
matching grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
48 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
Newbold-White House, Perquimans County—Architectural re-search
for this project was carried out on four seventeenth cen-tury
houses in Virginia. An architect was selected and planning
was begun.
Richmond Hill Law School, Yadkin County—The architect
completed the plans and specifications for some of the exterior
restoration. Restoration and stabilization work included repair to
the masonry walls, installation of new prefabricated trusses
covered with a temporary asbestos-shingle roof, reconstruction of
the wine room, and installation of subflcoring on new floor joists.
Thalian Hall, Wilmington—The commission for this project ob-tained
a matching $25,000 appropriation from the 1971 General
Assembly and is now raising the matching funds.
Old Wilkes Jail, Wilkesboro—The architect completed plans
and specifications for the exterior restoration of the mid-nine-teenth
century brick building. The masonry walls were repointed,
the roof framing was replaced, and a new shingle roof was in-stalled.
Wright Tavern, Wentworth—Following completion of the archi-tect's
plans and specifications for the exterior restoration, the con-tractor
rebuilt two chimneys, replaced a large part of the sills and
floor joists under the building, and extensively reworked the din-ing
room wing.
Buck Spring, Warren County—Plans and specifications pre-pared
by the architect were approved for the restoration of the oak
log corncrib at the Nathaniel Macon house.
Darden Hotel, Hamilton—Structural repairs were completed
on the porch and entrance steps prior to a successful open house
and fund-raising event May 7, 1972.
Van Der Veer House, Bath—Given to the Historic Bath Com-mission
by Mrs. Ruth Smith of Bath, the house was moved to the
historic area near the visitor center. Plans and specifications for
the exterior restoration were approved by the department.
One-Room School, Robeson County—The Robeson County
Board of Education and the Colonel Robeson Chapter, DAR,
moved a nineteenth century, one-room school, donated by Mr.
John Pat Buie, to the Robeson County Educational Resources Cen-ter.
The building was restored, furnished, and opened to the public
in the fall of 1971.
Historic Flat Rock, Inc., Flat Rock—A matching foundation
grant was obtained for planning the refurbishment of the Old Rec-tory
Building of St. John in the Wilderness.
Hastings House, Smithfield—The Hastings House, Inc., a non-profit
corporation, was reactivated. Exterior restoration was be-gun
on this mid-nineteenth century frame building; louvered shut-
Historic Sites and Museums 49
ters were acquired for the structure, and a contract was let for
minor repairs to the porch, steps, windows, and foundation and
for exterior painting.
Mordecai House, Raleigh—The Raleigh Historic Sites Commis-sion
received a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-ment
preservation grant for restoration. The Department of Ar-chives
and History made a study of the building and advised the
project architect. The house was opened to the public on April 14,
1972.
Old Rowan County Courthouse, Salisbury—The Rowan County
Board of Commissioners received a U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development preservation grant for the refurbishment
of the old courthouse as a community center. The Department of
Archives and History studied the building and advised the project
architect. The building opened for a public meeting on April 12,
1972.
Local Projects
Among the other projects (or proposed projects) advised and as-sisted
by staff members were: Shell Castle, Halifax County; Bad-ger-
Iredell Law Office, Wake County; Old Post Office, Raleigh;
Female Academy, Asheboro; Calvary Episcopal Church, Tarboro;
Archibald Arrington House, Nash County; Romulus Saunders
House, Caswell County; Matthew Moore House, Stokes County;
Latta House, Mecklenburg County; Merck Log House, Polk
County; Rehoboth Church, Washington County; Henson House,
Roper; Ruffin-Roulhac House, Hillsborough; St. Pauls Methodist
Church, Randleman; Nash-Hooper House, Hillsborough; Person
Place, Louisburg; Saddlebag Log House Museum, Brasstown;
Bernard Franklin House, Surry County; and the Beaufort County
Courthouse, Washington.
State Historic Sites
Historic Halifax—Roseheaded nails were put in the siding of
the Owens House and the Constitution House, and both buildings
were painted. First bids for the exterior restoration of the jail ex-ceeded
available funds, but additional moneys from a National
Park Service grant made it possible to readvertise the jail project,
and new bids were received within the budget.
Historic Bath—Structural repairs were made to the Palmer-
Marsh House and the Bonner House, resulting in replacement of
half the plaster and electrical ceiling heat in the Council Room of
the Palmer-Marsh House.
Vance Birthplace—A two-pin log barn was acquired, disas-sembled,
and moved for reerection at Vance Birthplace.
50 Thirty-fourth Biennial Report
Plans were made for additional restoration work at nine other
state historic sites: Alamance Battleground (Allen House),
Brunswick Town (St. Philips Church and archaeological ruins),
Aycock Birthplace (Schoolhouse heating system), Polk Birthplace,
Fort Fisher, Town Creek Indian Mound, Somerset Place, Benton-ville
Battleground, and the Bennett Place.
Survey
The survey staff was involved in an expanding number of activi-ties,
including inventories and surveys of selected areas, prepara-tion
of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places,
review of environmental impact statements, provision of informa-tion
and advice to groups and individuals, and maintenance of the
survey's collection of information about historic properties.
An extensive inventory and survey for a group of National Reg-ister
nominations were completed in New Bern. An outstanding
collection of old photographs, original architectural drawings,
and other records was gathered there; and copies were incorpor-ated
into the survey files. In Wilmington and Edenton full inven-tories
(including approximately 600 properties and 250 proper-ties,
respectively) were completed, and survey work began. Con-centrated
work commenced in the cities of Murfreesboro, Hills-borough,
Charlotte, Salisbury, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Raleigh,
and the counties of Lenoir, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Burke, Catawba,
Buncombe, and Caswell.
The State Professional Review Committee for Nominations to
the National Register of Historic Places approved 296 properties
for submission to the register. Since July 1, 1970, 180 nominations
were prepared and submitted to the National Register, and 144
properties were entered in the register. In addition, nominations
were com