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News and Special Events

America 250 Event at the Johnston County Museum on August 12th

The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Johnston Resolves will be observed in Smithfield on Monday, August 12th, at the Johnston County Museum.

Johnston County leaders met at the old courthouse by the river on August 12, 1774, to adopt resolutions asserting their rights as British subjects and to choose delegates to represent Johnston at North Carolina's first Provincial Congress later in the same month. The Provincial Congress was supposed to take place at Johnston Courthouse but was relocated to New Bern a few days prior. Two Samuel Smiths (Jr. and Sr.), two Needham Bryans (Jr. and Sr.), Benjamin Williams, Col. William Bryan, John Smith, Henry Rains, and William Ward were the names affixed to the Johnston Resolves.

The event will feature the North Carolina Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps from Camp Flintlock, historical characters in monologue, and refreshments. A fife and drum parade will begin at 1:00pm in the Smithfield Town Commons and will end at the Johnston County Museum, where the program will begin at 1:30pm.

Historical "ghosts" making an appearance will include John Smith (founder of Smithfield), Benjamin Williams (future NC Governor), Mary Powell Artis (free person of color whose husband and brother both died during the Revolutionary War), and Mattie Pou (descendant of the Bryans and Smiths who will recount family stories about visits by British soldiers).

The public is invited to the event. Those who would like to follow the parade on foot are asked to rally at 200 N. Front Street at 12:45 pm.

This event is a collaborative effort of the Johnston County Committee for America250NC, the Johnston County Heritage Commission, and the Smith-Bryan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Facebook page for the America 250 Event


For more information, visit www.jcheritagecenter.org, call 919-934-2836, or send an email to
heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com.

 

Cold War era exhibit at Johnston County Museum           

The Johnston County Museum will open a new exhibit entitled “Living Under a Mushroom Cloud: The Early Cold War Years,” on Saturday, April 20, at 11 am.

"This was a time of monumental changes and turning points in our history," says Heritage Center and Museum Director Todd Johnson. "The exhibit will resonate with senior residents who lived through this era, but also with younger generations who inherited its legacies."

Sula Hansley of Four Oaks will be present to share stories of her journey from war-torn Berlin to Johnston County.  

The museum is located at 329 E. Market Street in Smithfield. For more information, visit www.jcheritagecenter.org, call 919-934-2836, or send an email to heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com.

 

Johnston County Literary and Historical Journal Published

The Johnston County Heritage Center recently published a second edition of the Johnston County Literary and Historical Journal. The book includes contributions by 22 writers. It is on sale in the Johnston County Museum for $30.

View the press release:  Johnston County Literary and Historical Journal Published

  

Videos of Special Events

Videos of our most recent Ghost Walks, Black History program, Patrons' Gala, and Historical Marker unveiling ceremonies are available for viewing on the Heritage Center Video Library page, the Heritage Center YouTube channel or the Johnston County YouTube channel. 

 

Donations are needed and greatly appreciated to offset costs of putting on these events. You may give online by clicking "DONATE" at the bottom of our home page.  

2023 Annual Report

Pre-2023 Newsletters  

Newsletters through 2022 are in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF) and can be downloaded using the links below.  

 



Page last updated:  August 5, 2024