Historic Burke Foundation

05/28/2026

Dr. Sonny Kelly, (Capt. USAF Veteran), founder of Legacy Heirs Productions, will give a one-man presentation telling the stories of NC Black veterans whose service began more than 250 years ago and continues to the wars and conflicts of today.
Monday, June 1 6:30 pm
Burke Arts Council Theater - Morganton, NC 28655
Free and Open to the Public.
For more information, contact Historic Burke Foundation (828) 437-4104

05/09/2026

Our Local Author Spotlight and Open House at Quaker Meadows is TODAY from noon to 4pm! Come to the Captain Charles McDowell Jr. House this afternoon to meet local authors, write with a quill pen, explore the McDowell house, and more! Last but not least, we wanted to introduce you to Dr. John von Rohr.

Dr. John von Rohr has a doctoral degree in Educational Administration & Supervision from Fordham University in New York and is a twenty-two-year veteran of the U.S. Army. Von Rohr's military assignments include serving as Provost Marshal, on the Staff & Faculty a the U.S. Military Academy, where he authored research on the teaching of leadership and overseeing security at a TOP SECRET military installation. He is a member of the Sons of the American Revolutionary War (SAR), the Scottish American Military Society (SAMS) and is a Founding Member of the National Museum of the U.S. Army, the National WWII Museum and the National Medal of Honor Museum. He currently resides in South Carolina.

We hope you'll come to Quaker Meadows this afternoon to meet Dr. von Rohr and the other authors and experience a little bit of early American history in Morganton!

05/08/2026

Our Local Author Spotlight and Open House at Quaker Meadows is this Saturday from noon to 4pm! Our next author that we would love to introduce to you is Dr. Leslie McKesson!

Dr. Leslie Dula McKesson is a historian, educator, and community engagement consultant whose work centers on Appalachian history, storytelling, and the lives of the enslaved. A retired North Carolina Community College System instructor and dean, she teaches as Affiliate Faculty at Appalachian State University and serves on organizations including Burke County America 250 and the North Caroliniana Society. She previously served as a commissioner for the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission and as president of the Historic Burke Foundation. She has authored two award-winning short books on enslavement in Burke and Caldwell counties, recognized by the North Carolina Society of Historians. Her book Black and White: The Story of Harriet Harshaw and Squire James Alfred Dula, drawn from her family history, inspired the PBS documentary Dulatown. Her research on two surviving Appalachian plantations is also featured in exhibits at the Historic Burke County Courthouse and Fort Defiance. Through writing, public history, and community partnerships, McKesson uses history to foster understanding, honor enslaved people, and strengthen connections across communities.

We hope you'll come meet Dr. McKesson and our other local authors at the Captain Charles McDowell Jr. House tomorrow afternoon!

05/07/2026

Our Local Author Spotlight and Open House at Quaker Meadows is this Saturday from noon to 4pm! As the event approaches, we're giving you quick introductions to the authors you can meet at the Captain Charles McDowell Jr. House, and Dave Dowdy is up next!

Dave Dowdy began to write professionally around 2015 and over five years published four Sparrow & Haynes murder mysteries. Smitten by history, he published Zebulon's Oath, a novel about the Revolutionary War in North Carolina in 2023. In 2025, he turned that word novel into a graphic novel, Zebulon Takes On Everybody, to make his work more accessible to younger readers. Dave lives in Morganton and attends or participates as often as possible in events that commemorate the founding of our great American republic.

Make sure to come to Quaker Meadows on Saturday afternoon to meet Dave and explore early American history right here in Burke County!

05/06/2026

Our Local Author Spotlight and Open House at Quaker Meadows is this Saturday from noon to 4pm! As the event approaches, we thought we should share a little more about the authors you will meet at the Captain Charles McDowell Jr. House, starting with Patricia Cooper Baker!

Historical fiction was the foundation of Patricia Cooper Baker’s writing career. So far the North Carolina Society of Historians has judged eight of her works as Books of Excellence, and in 2026, they also presented her with a Lighthouse Award for
preserving North Carolina heritage.

Her Freedom Tavern Series consists of fictional tales of the family of her Revolutionary Era ancestors in Burke County, and that led to other fiction and non-fiction historical works. The current project will be Book 3, in Top Shelf Tales, which involves time-traveling to meet the citizens of Roanoke’s Lost Colony.

Trish’s career began in education as a teacher and consultant for the NC State
Department of Education. Those roles often included writing as a go-to tool. She now
devotes her efforts to writing full-time and looks forward to works of fantasy, science
fiction, and, of course, more history.

Follow her progress at www.cooperspeak.com, and say hello in-person on Saturday afternoon!

02/16/2026

02/03/2026

Please join us for a birthday celebration!

10/29/2025

09/10/2025

Don't miss this opportunity to visit Historic Sites in Burke County that are not regularly open to the public.

Step into Burke County’s past with access to 4 historic sites not usually open to the public. Fully Guided Tour. Buffet lunch included.