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This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. Copyright © 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

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Museum of the Albemarle

by Angelyn H. Patteson, 2006 Museum of the Albemarle. Image courtesy of NCCulture.

See also: Museums

The Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City chronicles the story of the people of the first region of North Carolina opened to European settlement through permanent and changing exhibits, presentations, and programs. This state museum is operated by the North Carolina Museum of History as one of its three regional branches. In addition to interpreting the history and culture of northeastern North Carolina, the Coast Guard exhibit at Museum of the Albemarle. Image courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard. museum furnishes technical assistance and services to local historical agencies and museums in the ten-county Albemarle Sound region.

The Pasquotank Historical Society conceived the idea for the Museum of the Albemarle in the 1950s, but the facility did not open until 1967, when the county donated the old highway patrol building south of Elizabeth City to function as its home. Susan Stitt served as its first director. A twenty-fifth anniversary celebration in 1992 featured a gala event sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of History Associates and the installation of a remodeled permanent gallery. The museum moved to a new 50,000-square-foot facility on the Elizabeth City waterfront in 2006. Visitors to the museum can enjoy permanent exhibits that include "Inez," a steam-pump fire engine from the 1880s, the museum's signature artifact; rotating exhibits on specialized topics; "Hands on History" presentations; lectures; audiovisuals; and a gift shop.

Reference:

Museum of the Albemarle, Marking Time (1994).

Additional Resources:

Museum fo the Albemarle: http://www.museumofthealbemarle.com/

Image Credits:

Museum of the Albemarle. Image courtesy of NC Culture. Available from https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncculture/4404255584/ (accessed August 24, 2012).

Coast Guard exhibit at Museum of the Albemarle. Image courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard. Available from https://www.flickr.com/photos/coast_guard/5586842749/ (accessed August 24, 2012).

Subjects: 
21st Century (2001-present)
Culture
Museums
Places
Post War 20th Century (1946-2000)
Authors: 
Patteson, Angelyn H.
Origin - location: 
Elizabeth City
From: 
Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press.

1 January 2006 | Patteson, Angelyn H.