Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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JANUARY 10-16, 2018 UCW 11 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NEWS e Civil War His- tory Center proposed for Fayetteville has struggled with image for the 10 years the idea has been developed. "Mention of the Civil War brings with it the issue of slavery," said City Councilman Larry Wright. He and some other African-American members of council say nearly half of Fayette- ville's population is sensi- tive to and struggles with the topic of slavery. Coun- cilwoman Tisha Waddell said that's precisely why a history center is important to the community. e facility's board of directors recently changed the name to the NC Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. Officials believe the new name more accurately describes the center's purpose, which is to educate. "is will not be a memorial to or celebration of the Confederacy," said President Mac Healy. "Our center is searching for stories of how families dealt with the hardships that came as a result of the Civil War." Healy said it will not be a museum filled with Confederate weapons and uniforms. Instead, the focus will be on much of the 19th century, including the antebellum run up to the war, the war itself and the reconstruction period between 1865 and 1877. "We will be the first history center ... in the coun- try that will approach the Civil War and its after- math from the perspective of what it was like to be living as a citizen of North Carolina at the time," said Senior Consultant David Winslow. e facility will include a place for permanent exhibits that in- terpret the antebellum history and the Civil War in North Carolina as well as a 3D theater that portrays U.S. General William Sherman's final march and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's surren- der at Bennett's Place. e History Center Foundation said it is taking an evenhanded approach to North Carolina's expe- riences. e Fayetteville Arsenal will be the jump- ing off point of experiences involving the entire state. Anecdotal stories from all 100 counties will make the center a his- toric educational desti- nation for Fayetteville. As envisioned, oral his- tories of people, places and events told and retold through genera- tions will tell the story of what North Carolina was like before, during and after the War be- tween the States. ose personal recollections are still being sought from Tar Heel farmers and businessmen, Native Americans, African-Americans, immigrants, the freed and enslaved. Research reviewed by the University of North Car- olina will be used to write a public-school curricu- lum to be used by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction statewide. e 60,000-square-foot history center will replace the existing Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. Since the center was announced in 2014, $27 million has been raised. e city of Fayetteville, county of Cumberland and state of North Carolina have made significant financial commitments. $7 million has been raised privately. Once complete, the center will be owned and operated by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Civil War History Center image a problem by JEFF THOMPSON Pa i d f o r b y C i n d y B l a c k we l l f o r C l e r k o f Co u r t Experienced. Qualified. Committed. the PEOPLE'S CLERK