Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site

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Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site North Carolina’s first State Historic Site to honor an African American and a Woman. Our site offers tours, activities, and private rentals.

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is North Carolina’s first and only official State Historic Site to honor an African American and a woman. The site is the former Palmer Memorial Institute, an African American preparatory school established by Brown in 1902. The historic site opened to the public in 1987 and has as its mission to preserve and interpret the history and cultural legacy of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Palmer Memorial Institute and African American education. Visitors can explore and learn about a unique environment where many African American boys and girls lived and learned during the greater part of the 20th Century. Call today to set something up! Additional links to uncover more about the legacy of Dr. Brown:
http://ncpedia.org/biography/brown-charlotte-hawkins -1344
http://www.biography.com/people/charlotte-hawkins-brown-206525
and a selection from a fantastic PBS documentary, "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow"
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_people_brown.html

Looking for a family friendly activity just before the holidays? Bring in the yuletide season with the Town of Sedalia a...
10/12/2026

Looking for a family friendly activity just before the holidays? Bring in the yuletide season with the Town of Sedalia and the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum this December at the 5th Annual Christmas in Sedalia! Join us for holiday shopping, good food, Santa, and more December 12, 2025 from 4 pm to 6:30 pm.

Looking to volunteer for this event? Sign up here:
https://tinyurl.com/CiSVolunteer2026

Look to be a vendor at this event? Sign up here:
https://tinyurl.com/CiSVendors2026

Site Update:The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will not be offering  the 11 am tour of Canary Cottage tomorrow, Saturday...
10/09/2026

Site Update:

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will not be offering the 11 am tour of Canary Cottage tomorrow, Saturday, October 10th. 8. Feel free to grab a pamphlet from the Visitors Center and enjoy a self-guided tour of campus then join us at 1 pm or 3 pm for a tour of Canary Cottage!

Site Update:The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will only be offering self-guided tours of the grounds Friday, October 9t...
10/08/2026

Site Update:

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will only be offering self-guided tours of the grounds Friday, October 9th. Grab a pamphlet from the Visitors Center and enjoy your time on campus!

Join the Town of Sedalia in keeping Sedalia beautiful at their Fall Litter Sweep THIS SATURDAY October 10th! Folks will ...
10/07/2026

Join the Town of Sedalia in keeping Sedalia beautiful at their Fall Litter Sweep THIS SATURDAY October 10th! Folks will meet at Town Hall at 9am on Saturday and all equipment and snacks will be provided!

Interested in helping in the future but can't join the town this Saturday? Call or email at336-449-1132 or [email protected]

..AAANNNDDD WE'RE BACK! Looking for something to do with all the things you didn't wear this summer and make room for th...
10/03/2026

..AAANNNDDD WE'RE BACK! Looking for something to do with all the things you didn't wear this summer and make room for the fall / winter layers? Bring your things down to Bethany Community Church on Saturday, October 17th from 8 am to 12 pm for the Sedalia Community Yard Sale! If you are interested in selling your items, please register here: https://tinyurl.com/SedaliaYardSale .

See you soon!

Are you a budding filmmaker with a story to tell? Want your work to be shown in a historic setting? Enter your film in t...
09/30/2026

Are you a budding filmmaker with a story to tell? Want your work to be shown in a historic setting? Enter your film in the 2nd Annual Sedalia Film Festival!

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum hosts the annual Sedalia Film Festival in the historic town of Sedalia, NC. This festival is a special celebration to honor the legacies of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown and Palmer Memorial Institute by highlighting films that showcase stories of legacy, heritage, and education; Through the power of cinema, we strive to preserve the spirit of resilience and tenacity, holding true to the rich history of CHB and PMI. This event is free and open to the public.

This year's theme is HERITAGE. In honor of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown and the work she championed, we highly encourage filmmakers with stories emphasizing education, equality, civil rights, or North Carolina to submit!

Submit your film here: https://filmfreeway.com/SedaliaFilmFestival

09/25/2026

Check out this snippet from The Sedalia Singers Project's first rehearsal 2 weeks ago! Interested? JOIN US TOMORROW for rehearsal!

events are happening all across the country to encourage folks to engage with historic places in interesting ways all weekend! Feel free to stop by our rehearsal to show your skills or listen in. We'll see you tomorrow!

Looking for a way to bring unique experiences to your students this school year? CHB staff can come to you! Students and...
09/21/2026

Looking for a way to bring unique experiences to your students this school year? CHB staff can come to you! Students and educators will have the chance to learn more about Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Palmer Memorial Institute, and more through in-class education programs and activities! Enhance the classroom visit with a follow-up field trip to campus to tour Dr. Brown's home, Canary Cottage, and experience unique on-campus programming. We can't wait to engage with you and your students!

Contact April Finley, our Education Coordinator, if you are interested in crafting an experience for your students and bringing a little Palmer Spirit to you!

email: [email protected]
phone: 336-449-3310

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will be opening at 12pm on Tuesday September 22nd!
09/19/2026

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will be opening at 12pm on Tuesday September 22nd!

‼️Schedule alert: On Tuesday, September 22, several NC Historic Sites are closed or will open at 12 pm for staff development. All sites will resume a normal operating schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Opening at 12 pm:
🔵Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum
🔵President James K. Polk

Closed:
🔴Vance Birthplace
🔴Thomas Wolfe Memorial
🔴Fort Dobbs
🔴Reed Gold Mine
🔴Horne Creek Farm
🔴Town Creek Indian Mound

TONIGHT!! Have you wondered what other 20th century Black-led institutions existed in the U.S.? Come on over to another ...
09/18/2026

TONIGHT!! Have you wondered what other 20th century Black-led institutions existed in the U.S.? Come on over to another installment of Palmer Presents: Salon Conversations TONIGHT Friday, September 18, 2026 at 6 pm to learn about one!

We will explore the life and work of Doris Allen Anderson, founder and leader of the Howalton Day School in Chicago, IL. This school and its progressive curriculum was a haven for Chicago's Black community from 1946 to 1999. Dr. Worth K. Hayes, author of Schools of Our Own: Chicago’s Golden Age of Black Private Education and a coming biography of Doris Allen Anderson, will lead this conversation.

We are excited to host you in our salon!

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/PalmerPresentsSept2026

Feel free at give us a call at (336) 449-3310 or email us at [email protected] if you have questions about this event!

Address

6136 Burlington Road
Gibsonville, NC
27249

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13364493310

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