Museum Director:
Rodney Harris, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of History
Williams Baptist University
Advisory Board:
James Damon, John Allen French, Becky Lindner, Eric Moffett, Allison Schaechtel
Museum building about 1907
The Randolph County Heritage Museum was created by Five Rivers Historic Preservation, Inc., as part of the Pocahontas sesquicentennial celebration in 2006.
When your family and out-of-town friends come to visit, what do they want to do? Chances are, if they grew up in this area, they want to return to places they remember from their youth. After that, if you’re like most of us, you are eager to show off the progress our wonderful community has made. Our beautiful Historic Court Square and the Randolph County Heritage Museum generally top the list.
The Museum didn’t happen by accident—it was only through generous donations and the hard work of volunteers that the doors opened in 2006. The museum building was purchased by Joe Martin, one of the founders of Five Rivers Historic Preservation, and donated to Five Rivers. Located in this beautiful, historic landmark, and a newly acquired building next door, the museum houses permanent displays as well as some artifacts that are temporarily on loan, and it hosts shows and exhibits which showcase specific treasures from our heritage and the long history of Randolph County. In addition, the newly established archives room will enable the Museum to properly preserve and store documents, photographs, and other non-displayed artifacts for generations to come.
Museums are excellent resources for education. Future plans for the Randolph County Heritage Museum include making the Randolph County Oral History Archives accessible to any researcher or student—from the local public schools to college-level or beyond. Additionally, events such as lectures, slide shows of historical photographs, book readings, and much more are slated for the future.
Community spirit and pride of place have made Pocahontas and Randolph County a wonderful place to live. Our volunteers and donors include folks who have always lived in this area, as well as many who had no ties to Pocahontas, but rather discovered this place and decided to call it home while they raise a family or enjoy the retirement years.
Thank you for supporting this great addition to our community!