Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site

Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site North Carolina’s first State Historic Site to honor an African American and a Woman. Our site offers tours, activities, and private rentals.

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is North Carolina’s first and only official State Historic Site to honor an African American and a woman. The site is the former Palmer Memorial Institute, an African American preparatory school established by Brown in 1902. The historic site opened to the public in 1987 and has as its mission to preserve and interpret the history and cultural legacy of Dr. Charl

otte Hawkins Brown, Palmer Memorial Institute and African American education. Visitors can explore and learn about a unique environment where many African American boys and girls lived and learned during the greater part of the 20th Century. Call today to set something up! Additional links to uncover more about the legacy of Dr. Brown:
http://ncpedia.org/biography/brown-charlotte-hawkins -1344
http://www.biography.com/people/charlotte-hawkins-brown-206525
and a selection from a fantastic PBS documentary, "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow"
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_people_brown.html

06/14/2026
06/13/2026

We are ready for you! See you at 10!

Thank you to all our wonderful colleagues who came to help us get the site ready for the event!

06/12/2026

Join us at 10 am for a wreath laying ceremony at Dr. Brown's gravesite with the keynote given by Ms. Angelique Stallings from NCCU, the premiere of Joyemovment's "Delicate Territory", and a second line led by Too Phat Brass Band! You don't want to miss the beginning of Black Heritage Day!

Check out the full program here: https://www.tinyurl.com/bhd2026info

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On this day in 1883, Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown was born in Henderson, North Carolina. We are proud to keep Dr. Brown's...
06/11/2026

On this day in 1883, Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown was born in Henderson, North Carolina. We are proud to keep Dr. Brown's story and legacy alive at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum every single day!

Be sure to join us in celebration of Dr. Brown's birthday at our fourth annual Black Heritage Day THIS SATURDAY June 13th from 10am-2pm!

"...he who expresses his soul in the beauty of rhythm and tone, who through this medium calls out the finesse and joys of human emotions, has done far more than any other artist can do, for music is truly the language of the whole wide world."

-Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, 1943.

Happy 143rd Birthday, Dr. Brown! See less

Have you checked out our featured performer yet? The dance company will be premiering their new piece, "Delicate Territ...
06/10/2026

Have you checked out our featured performer yet? The dance company will be premiering their new piece, "Delicate Territory", at Black Heritage Day 2026! This piece examines how ancestral memory can be discovered through movement and lead us through tumultuous times. Suites of the full piece will be performed in various spaces across the grounds of historic Palmer Memorial Institute throughout the day. You DO NOT want to miss this premiere!

See you Saturday!

We have an action-packed lineup for this year's Black Heritage Day at CHB!! Take a look at the performers and activities...
06/10/2026

We have an action-packed lineup for this year's Black Heritage Day at CHB!! Take a look at the performers and activities available for Saturday's event. Don't forget your sunscreens, handheld fans, lawn chairs and water!

If you would like to check out which vendors and community resources will be present, head over to: https://www.tinyurl.com/bhd2026info. Learn about vendors and resources by clicking their underlined name.

See you Saturday!

06/06/2026

Black Heritage Day 2025 recap! Join us for year 4 on June 13, 2026 from 10 am to 2 pm!!

06/04/2026

Black Heritage Day 2025 was a good time! Check out a little more about how the event flows with this overview from last year.

T Minus 14 days to Black Heritage Day 2026! Join us for a morning full of honoring the past with a special wreath laying...
05/30/2026

T Minus 14 days to Black Heritage Day 2026! Join us for a morning full of honoring the past with a special wreath laying ceremony at Dr. Brown's gravesite and an afternoon full of celebrating the present with our "Community in Full Color". We hope to see you in our future!

P.S. Check out our full participant list at this link or by scanning the QR Code on this flyer: https://tinyurl.com/BHD2026Info . Check back to see new vendors and performers added as well as an event schedule.

Black Heritage Day 2026 details:
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026
Time: 10 am to 2 pm
Location: Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (6136 Burlington Road, 27249)
Cost: Event is FREE. Bring money though to shop with local vendors and food trucks.
Featured Performer: Joyemovement
Find Additional Performers and Vendors here: https://tinyurl.com/BHD2026Info
Additional Information: Feel free to bring water, sunscreen, tents, handheld fans, lawn chairs, tents, and other items to be comfortable in the weather.

On this day 35 years ago, Wilhelmina Crosson passed away in Massachusetts. Ms. Crosson was the second President of Palme...
05/28/2026

On this day 35 years ago, Wilhelmina Crosson passed away in Massachusetts. Ms. Crosson was the second President of Palmer Memorial Institute and spent 14 years leading the school. Learn more about Ms. Crosson and her life with our blog post "Wilhelmina Marguerita Crosson - Remembering Palmer's Second President" at the link below!

April 26, 1900 — May 28, 1991

Address

6136 Burlington Road
Gibsonville, NC
27249

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13364493310

Website

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