Thomas Day State Historic Site

08/29/2026

Like with Thomas Day, we can’t manage all our work alone! Meet our two part time Historical Interpreters who have helped our site accomplish so much!

Don-nisha Johnson is a former homeschool teacher from Rocky Mount, NC. She holds a degree in sociology from NC State, combining this with her passion for history, Don-nisha is interested in understanding how past events inform the present.

Ethan Wilson has always had a passion for learning about North Carolina history ever since he was young. He is a graduate of the UNCG Museum Studies Masters Program, and has previously volunteered at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and the Museum and Archives of Rockingham County. He hopes to broaden his knowledge of the history of Thomas Day’s time and continue his career with North Carolina State Historic Sites.

We are so excited to have Don-nisha and Ethan as part of the team!

08/28/2026

Goats have arrived!

For the next three weeks, goats from our friends will be behind the Thomas Day House, munching on brush and leaf litter to clean up the area.

Be sure to stop by, take a tour, and say hello to our fuzzy landscapers while they're here. And stay tuned as we check in on their progress! 🐐🐐
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08/25/2026

Happy back-to-school from Thomas Day State Historic Site! We hope your year is off to a great start. As you're planning learning experiences for your students, don't forget you can easily request a field trip at Thomas Day by scanning the QR code or following the link: https://forms.gle/dHypwbdjp5rBuRhj6

We look forward to welcoming educators and students this school year!
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08/22/2026

Come see our site as we participate in the annual Milton Porch Ramble on September 26! We will be open 11am-5pm. Admission is free with donations encouraged!

08/21/2026

08/16/2026

Some visitors have asked us what veneer is when we discuss furniture styles of Thomas Day’s lifetime. In the furniture-making world, veneer is the almost-paper-thin strip of expensive wood glued on top of cheaper wood. This creates a fancier look while keeping production and retail prices relatively low. It was also a common and fashionable practice in furniture making by the 18th century.

By the mid-19th century cabinetmakers like Thomas Day were professionals not only at using veneers on their work, but using veneer pieces with different grain patterns and colors to create new designs on furniture pieces. Day was particularly skilled at this, creating patterns that are easy to miss at first glance but add a whole layer of interest to the appearance of his creations once they are spotted.

08/12/2026

Thomas Day State Historic Site isn't the only historic property in Milton, and now you can learn about them all at your own pace!

Visit the site for a tour and grab a copy of our new Historic Milton Walking Tour, made possible by the Friends of Thomas Day and Historic Milton. Inside, you can discover the 18th and 19th century homes, churches, and businesses that make the town a "museum without walls".
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08/08/2026

The mid-19th century was the dawn of the era of stylistic choice in furniture and architecture. Instead of just one look dominating design inside and out, the rise of mechanized industry also allowed for the popularity of multiple styles at once. This was a perfect stylistic period for cabinetmakers like Thomas Day, who were known to mix and match styles in their creations.

This meant that Rococo Revival shared the spotlight with Gothic Revival style, despite (or perhaps because of) the stark differences in their designs: Instead of the flowing lines and ballooned shapes of Rococo, Gothic style reflected previous styles by using square frames with detailed ornamentation. Gothic decoration on furniture was inspired by medieval cathedrals: Pointed arches, three and four-leaf floral window patterns, and heavy use of finials (decorative elements on top of posts and columns). Among the few similarities it held with Rococo was the use of rosewood and dark finishes in its construction.

While Thomas Day is best known for the Empire style discussed in a previous post, some of his more distinctive pieces make free use of the pointed arches, decorative finials, and dark finishes of Gothic style. Ever a fan of graceful curves, he even appeared to still use them in pieces like the bedframe pictured here.

07/25/2026

The machinery of the industrial revolution allowed Thomas Day to produce furniture more quickly, and influenced furniture design and other aspects of everyday life. By the 1840s intricate details were much easier to produce, and cabinetmakers mass produced furniture for the masses as well as fine furniture for the wealthy. Around the same time, European and American designers started looking towards more recent history than ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration, leading to a swath of “revival” styles that remained popular for decades.

The most popular of these styles in the United States was “Rococo Revival,” based on 18th century French designs. These featured serpentine “S” curves, curved “cabriole” legs, decorative feet, carved floral elements, and detailed upholstery. This style was especially popular in the South. Ever the man of fashion, Thomas Day added Rococo designs to furniture like the pieces pictured here, even advertising the use of rosewood that was often used with the style.

Rococo Revival remained popular until about 1870, almost a decade after Thomas Day’s death.

Thomas Day newspaper ad from 1858 credit to DigitalNC.

07/22/2026

Hey, educators! There is still time to sign up for Friday's virtual workshop.

If you're not familiar with Caswell County's story of school desegregation and would like to take a look at some of the history's primary sources while earning CEU credits, now is a great time to do it!

Registration link: https://forms.gle/gWciZzuxhDA6PQiY9
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