Historic Halifax State Historic Site will host the annual Halifax Resolves Day event on Wednesday, April 12 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., to commemorate the 247th anniversary of the adoption of the Halifax Resolves. The day’s activities are free and open to the public.
In the spring of 1776, delegates from across North Carolina met in Halifax to take part in the 4th Provincial Congress, the forerunner to the modern legislature. On April 12, 1776, the 85 delegates to the Provincial Congress unanimously approved the Halifax Resolves. It was the first official act by any of the 13 colonies calling for independence from Great Britain.
The site’s historic buildings will be open for guided and self-guided tours. Guided tours will be led by costumed interpreters from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. At 10:30 a.m., the North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of the first Halifax County Courthouse where the 4th Provincial Congress met. At noon, local actor Jackie Ruffin-Pittman will portray Piety, a freedom seeker with ties to Halifax and the Roanoke River.
The Historical Halifax Restoration Association, Inc., (HHRA) will sponsor the annual Halifax Day Program in the garden of the site’s Visitor Center at 2 p.m. North Carolina’s First Lady, Kristin Cooper, and Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources Reid Wilson plan to attend and bring welcoming remarks. This year’s keynote speaker is Sarah Koonts, State Archivist of North Carolina. A reception will follow. Nearby historic buildings also will be open.
The Bradford-Denton House, operated by HHRA, will be opening a new blacksmith shop and working kitchen, as well as unveiling a historical marker placed by the Colonial Dames of the 17th Century. The marker unveiling and dedication of the kitchen and blacksmith shop will take place between the afternoon program and reception.
The Royal White Hart Masonic Lodge, No. 2 will be open to the public from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Edward Cheek House will offer a “Meet the Expert” program featuring Preservation Specialist Reid Thomas, also from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
For more information, please call Historic Halifax State Historic Site at (252) 583-7191.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the N.C. Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.