The Rowan Museum is located in a 19th-century courthouse in

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

that survived Stoneman’s Raid. The building is considered to be one of the finest examples of antebellum architecture in North Carolina. The museum is dedicated to the history of Rowan County. Listed on the National Register of National Places in March 1970. The courthouse was built and completed by Conrad and Williams contractors between 1855 and 1857. The courthouse is a two-story building with a hexastyle colossal Doric portico along the front facade. A new courthouse was built in 1914 and is now located next door. The courthouse was transformed into the Community Building and has housed the Rowan Museum since 2001, when it moved from the Utzman-Chambers House. Among the museum's holdings is the Old Stone House, a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

two-story structure built in 1766 near present-day Granite Quarry by Michael Braun, a wheelwright, printer and carpenter. The house is the oldest in Rowan County and one of the State's few remaining stone houses. Descendants or Braun and the Fisher family worked to preserve the house in the 1950s, when there was the possibility of it being torn down so its rock could be used for roads. The families donated the restored house to the museum in 1966. Other historic properties managed by the museum include the Utzman-Chambers House located in Salisbury and the

China Grove Roller Mill China Grove Roller Mill is a historic roller mill building located at China Grove, Rowan County, North Carolina. It was built in 1903, and is a three-story, rectangular brick building, with several later additions. It retains the intact origin ...

China Grove, NC China Grove is a city in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,434 at the 2020 census. The city is located just north of Landis and south of Salisbury. It was one of the first towns in the United States to have Rura ...

. On the first floor are exhibits that display the history of Rowan County. The second floor of the museum features th
Messinger Room
which displays the remnants of a 19th-century courthouse. It is often rented for business and private events during the year. Throughout the year the museum hosts an Antique Show, Germafest, Spring Frolic, summer camps, and Old Stone Christmas.

References

External links

Rowan Museum
- official site History museums in North Carolina Museums established in 1953 Museums in Rowan County, North Carolina {{NorthCarolina-museum-stub