The Greensboro History Museum, consisting of the former
First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro
First Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located in the Fisher Park Historic District of Greensboro, North Carolina.
History
First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1824 and was the first chartered Presbyterian church in th ...
and Smith Memorial Building, is a historic
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
building located at 130 Summit Ave. in
Greensboro
Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
,
Guilford County, North Carolina
Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population is 541,299, making it the third-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat, and largest municipality, is Greensboro. Si ...
. The former Presbyterian church was built in 1892 on the site of a former
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
hospital, and is a
Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
style brick building with a cross gable roof and tower. The semi-circular, 11 bay, Smith Memorial Building was built in 1903. It features four octagonal sides and a tower. The memorial building was designed by the architect
Charles Christian Hook
Charles Christian Hook (1870–1938) was an American architect. He was also the founder of FreemanWhite, Inc. a Haskell Company (1892), the oldest practicing firm in North Carolina and currently the 11th oldest architecture firm in the United Stat ...
(1870-1938). The church and memorial building were connected and the older structures modified and renovated in 1938. Also located on the property is the First Presbyterian Church cemetery, established in 1831, after the first church was built on land that was donated by Jesse H. Lindsay.
The church vacated the property in 1929, and in 1937-1938 it was renovated and enlarged as the Richardson Civic Center and donated to the city of Greensboro. It subsequently housed the Greensboro Public Library, the Greensboro Historical Museum, and the Greensboro Art Center.
The historic building functions as one part of the current, larger Greenboro History Museum.
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1985.
[
]
Notable burials
* Attorney and justice Robert P. Dick
Robert Paine Dick (October 5, 1823 – September 12, 1898) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Education and career
Born on October 5, 1823, in Greensboro, North C ...
(1823-1898)
* Representative and Confederate senator John Adams Gilmer
John Adams Gilmer (November 4, 1805 – May 4, 1868) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina.
Gilmer was born in Guilford County, North Carolina near Greensboro. His parents were Robert Shaw Gilmer and Anne Forbes. He was the br ...
(1805-1868)
* North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead
John Motley Morehead (July 4, 1796 – August 27, 1866) was an American lawyer and politician who became the 29th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina (1841 to 1845). He became known as "the Father of Modern North Carolina."
Early and ...
(1796-1866)
Gallery
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 14.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 2.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 22.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 29.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 33.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 40.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 5.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 53.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 54.jpg
File:Greensboro Historical Museum 7.jpg
References
External links
Greensboro History.org Official web site
American Civil War hospitals
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
Romanesque Revival architecture in North Carolina
Churches completed in 1892
1812 establishments in North Carolina
Museums in Greensboro, North Carolina
History museums in North Carolina
Churches in Greensboro, North Carolina
North Carolina in the American Civil War
Former Presbyterian churches in the United States
Former churches in North Carolina
National Register of Historic Places in Guilford County, North Carolina
Museums on the National Register of Historic Places
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