Experience
History is all around us and is constantly being made. It is easy to pass by without even recognizing it. The Historic Rolesville Society has worked to broaden the ways to experience history by making it easier to see. One place where you can have one of the most indepth experience is at the Little House Museum & Gallery where several displays and stories of artifacts are available for viewing. Another, rather innovative and unique, way to experience history is on the Town of Rolesville's Greenway System where you will find various Outdoor Museum Stations which highlight all sorts of interesting nuggets of history right on or near the related location. Lastly, we gained great support from various local business whoo feature our "History Hutch" - an antique display of artifacts and merchandise. So, when you're not actively engaged in experiencing the area's extensive history, you could be wearing it.
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Little House Museum & Gallery
Little House LLC operates Little House Museum and Gallery, an historic home museum and gallery venue in Rolesville, NC. Two gallery rooms focus on the artistic process inherent in both antique and contemporary art and craft. Two history rooms interpret local history with exhibits of artifacts, documents, period furnishings, images and items of local interest. Hourly tours are offered Sundays by appointment. Modified summer hours and extended hours are posted on the website. You are encouraged to plan your visit at a time that is convenient to you. Appointments to visit the museum are made easily by calling or texting 919-271-0923.
MISSION: to provide a local venue to explore history, art and craft
GOAL: to increase awareness, appreciation and preservation of local history, art and craft
Little House goals are achieved though:
- Weekly guided tours to view rotating art gallery and history room exhibits and to explore the historic site
- Special events at new exhibit openings
- Featuring local artists in history and art exhibits
- Hosting HRS quarterly meetings and special fundraising events
- Scheduled tours and use of the venue as arranged by appointment
Little House supported the establishment and nurtures the growth and perpetuation of the Historic Rolesville Society (HRS), a community-based 501(c)(3). In 2023, Quarterly meetings will be held at the museum on the third Sunday of each month, from 4-6pm, and will include short powerpoint presentations that explore the history of Wake County's second oldest township.
To learn more about the Little House Museum & Gallery, visit their website.
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Outdoor Museum
The Rolesville Outdoor Museum (ROM) is a collection of outdoor sites located throughout the Town of Rolesville that highlight specific artistic, archeological, and geological points of interest. Using the town's Public Greenway Network the Outdoor Museum is easy to access, provides a unique opportunity for a variety of recreation programming, and creates a connection between the user and the history of the town.
The Outdoor Museum has three different types of features called Outdoor Museum Elements which are featured in Outdoor Museum Stations. The elements are categorized as follows:
Historical Artifact
As an Outdoor Museum Element a historic artifact is defined as an object made by a human being with some cultural or historical interest. The piece can range from a coin to a cowbell or a button from a civil war jacket. Alternatively, property owners can submit a historical narrative of the property. The Historic Rolesville Society serves as the primary source for determining what locations qualify for the designation of this type.
Geological Feature
A geological feature, as an Outdoor Museum Element, is any natural feature that has not been disturbed and has some local significance or is simply an impressive natural occurrence to be preserved and treasured. Most common features in the area are small waterfalls or large granite outcroppings that are part of the Rolesville Diorite Batholith. Members of the Open Space and Greenway Committee will identify these and determine which qualify for the designation of this type.
Outdoor Art
A sculpture or any form of outdoor art available for public display can be defined as an Outdoor Museum Element. The piece can be temporary, on loan, or ideally a permanent asset of the town. Members of the Open Space and Greenway Committee will identify locations where geological and historical features are not present and therefore warrant the consideration of the designation of this type.
The Outdoor Museum is a collection of Outdoor Museum Stations. These are designated areas on or near the location of an Outdoor Museum Element. Visitors can rest, explore, and/or learn more about the significance of the site by reading the Outdoor Museum Monument. Outdoor Museum Stations are found along soft surface or hard surface trails and the presentation of content differs slightly between the three types and roughly take up about 50 square feet of space.
Soft Surface
Contains a plaque with a picture and/or description detailing the relevance of the location, such as a historical relic, geological feature, or outdoor art piece.The plaque is located at or very near the point of interest, as for example in the woods or open field and will be accessible by a natural trail.
Hard Surface A hard landscaped site serves as a trailhead to a soft trail or can be a station in itself. Whether it is a trailhead or its own site, each has an Outdoor Museum Monument installed which has a description of the relevance of the location. The trailhead will outline features found on the natural trail, will have a bench, a bike rack, and in some cases even a remote bike repair station.
The "centerpeice" of all of this are each of the Outdoor Museum Monuments. These carved and engraved granite monuments include text descriptions of the Outdoor Museum Element that is being featured at that specific location. The text might describe the rock formation near by, describe the artifacts that were recovered in the area, or credit the artist of the sculture erected in that location. Each momument, each station, is like a mini-museum scattered throughout the town that allows your to connect directly with the element and challenges your imagination to consider just how different things were many decases ago.
The monuments are roughly 48 inches tall, 30 inches wide, and about 8 inches deep and set in a concrete base making them virtually indescructable and maintenance free. The value they bring to the greenway experience and the town experience is priceless. Get out and enjoy - here is a map of the locations where these can be found.
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Merchandise
The Historic Rolesville Society has a few items available for purchase. The selection includes stickers, lapel pins, and t-shirts (available in both youth and adult sizes. Although our primary source of support is from donations, the merchandise is another way to help support the work we do. All proceeds go towards various expenses related creating displays, equipment purchases and maintenance, and other miscellaneous fees like charter and insurance fees.
Luckily, we have great partnerships like the one we have with the Creative Exchange who is the first local business to allow us to install a "History Hutch" in their place of business. When the Little House Museum & Gallery is closed, you can still get a doze of history at the Creative Exchange in Downtown Rolesville.