Johnston County Heritage Center

08/03/2026

The Heritage Center will be closed next week, August 10-14, while we take inventory of our collections and do some reorganizing. If anyone has an urgent request for information, please send an email to [email protected].
The Johnston County Museum, located at 329 E. Market Street, will remain open.
Be sure to check out the searchable databases on our website, johnstonnc.gov/heritage.

We provide online access to over half a million Johnston County records including census data, newspapers, obituaries, soldier records, marriages, and more. Find much more by visiting us in person.

12/14/2025

The Johnston County Heritage Commission will meet Monday, December 15, at 1 pm in the Heritage Center's 2nd floor conference room.

Send a message to learn more

10/30/2025

Please mark your calendar for our 21st Annual Historical Ghost Walk in and around Riverside Cemetery and St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Smithfield, corner of Church and Second Streets.

This year's line-up includes a Tuscarora Bear Clan Elder from pre-colonial Smithfield, physician and Renaissance man Dr. Calvin Jones, socialite and activist Mattie Pou, preservationist Dr. Eula Powell Kyle, and aviatrix Myrtle Thompson Cagle.

An added bonus: the Brotherhood of St. Andrew will sell barbecue sandwiches and hot dogs at the event.

Other added features: organ music inside St. Paul's Church and a book signing by James M. Parker, author of GHOSTLY NORTH CAROLINA, in the Hastings House.

08/22/2025

Join us at Camp Flintlock tomorrow and have your picture taken with Smithfield’s founding father.

Come and join us for our annual Colonial Faire! 10 AM - 4PM. Grab a meal and enjoy a day in 18th Century America! Adults $10, Kids 6-16 $7, Under 6 FREE! Buy tickets at the gate! 218 Hickory Grove Church Road, Four Oaks, NC 27524

04/17/2025

"Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere..." How many of us had to memorize that poem by Longfellow in the lower grades?

From our director: "My grandmother was held back in 6th grade at the two-room Pleasant Hill School near Benson because she couldn't memorize the whole poem. Thankfully, I had a more lenient teacher, because I couldn't do it either!"

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of that famous ride, the Heritage Center will hang lanterns in the 3rd floor window tomorrow night (one if by land, two if by sea). If you come through Historic Downtown Smithfield, NC and happen to "see the light," let us know by liking or commenting.

03/17/2025

At Celebrate Smithfield on Saturday, March 15, the Johnston County Museum celebrated Tuscarora history and culture as members of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina told stories, shared family oral history, sang songs, and performed ceremonial dances. Johnathan Chavis is shown here as he explained one of the dances. The turnout was great--sometimes standing room only. Our sincere thanks to the Johnston County Arts Council, the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, and our Tuscarora friends for helping to make this a special day!