November - April

Mon - Fri 10 AM - 4 PM

In case of inclement weather,

call for open/closed status

May - October

Mon - Fri 10 AM - 4 PM

Other hours available

by appointment

The home of the Macon County Historical Museum is the 100 year old commercial store building built by the Rev. Jesse R. Pendergrass on Main Street in 1904, and was immediately considered the finest commercial building in Macon County.  Over the next seventy years, the store was a hub for the community.  The many items offered for sale in the store included grocery staples, dry goods, notions, school supplies, and other necessities of everyday life in early 20th century Macon County.  (Many examples of these items are among the artifact holdings of the Museum, and are exhibited on a rotating basis in Museum displays.)  The store was also a community gathering place, with lively checker games ongoing daily on the street outside in the summer and by the wood stove in the winter.  It also served as a wedding parlor for many of the couples who were married by the Rev. Pendergrass.   The top floor of the building served as the living quarters for the Pendergrass family.

The building was purchased by the Macon County Historical Society in 1988, ("We Have a Home At Last, a scanned copy of the October 4th, 1988 edition of Echoes") The building was remarkably well preserved and required little renovation and restoration. It was opened in 1990 as a museum of local history and heritage.  In 1991 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Museum is a perfect example of a local historically important structure housing and sharing the cultural, social, religious, and family history and heritage of the area. 

Above: first floor from entrance

 Above: Museum from Mezzanine Area

The focal point of the Museum's collection is the building itself with its interesting architectural details and the original fixtures from the old store.   The recessed center entryway, the long twin counters of heart of yellow pine, and the suspended mezzanine supported by iron piers are examples of the detail that made this building one of the finest in Macon County.  One truly steps back in time when entering the building, as it is little changed from its days as one of the mainstays of the community.

The Museum's collection includes artifacts from the earliest civilization of the area to through the mid twentieth century.  The Society makes every effort to preserve the rich history and heritage of the Cherokee who were the true first citizens of Macon County.  Arrowheads and other implements of everyday Cherokee life prior to European contact found in Macon County are displayed on a regular basis at the Museum.

Above: Cherokee implement display

Above: Medical instruments of the past

The exhibit of the past medical history of Macon County is one of the most popular in the Museum.  Angel's Drugstore was a mainstay on Main Street for many years.  The Society is proud to have the original sign from this store.  Beneath the sign is a most interesting display of medical instruments and supplies from the past.  Included are pictures, brief biographical sketches and medical bags of several of the  local doctors in Macon's past (note the old saddle bag!) 

Other medical supplies from our local drugstores of thepast are displayed in the next exhibit.  The medicine bottles, prescription labels, and  apothecary jars and mortar & pestle are just a few of the artifacts which the Museum is proud to hold.  Plan to spend several minutes in front of these two exhibits, and you will be carried back in time to the days when doctors made house calls and prior to today's antibiotics  and "miracle drugs."

Above: Medical Supplies of the Past

Another facet of the Macon County Historical Museum is its collection of rare books, publications, and letters.  Many of these were donated to the museum by the descendants of the pioneers who used or wrote them.  An example is the Bible (left) of Jacob Fouts, Sr., a pioneer who settled in the Iotla area of Macon County in 1835.  The Bible is printed in German.

Above:  early 1900s clothing

The Museum is justifiably proud of its collection of period clothing.  The women and children's clothing show at left would have been typical of any ready-made clothing (including the shoes) that the J.R. Pendergrass store might have offered during its first years of business.  Most women still made all the clothing for their families, and material by the yard would have been offered as well. 

The clothing at the left is typical of that worn by  women in the mid 1800s.  One must visit the Museum and observe the intricate details of the design of clothing such as this to truly appreciate the style and the effort that went into the construction of each garment. The displays of period clothing are rotated on a regular basis to enable the public to view the full collection.

Above: dresses from the mid 1800s

Testamentary Bequests

The Macon County Historical Society would like to remind its members, and others, that donations for the Society can easily be included in the estate planning documents of donors. Bequests can be made by provisions incorporated into a Last Will and Testament and/or trust instruments, such as a donor's Testamentary Trust or Living Trust. The information to be provided to the lawyer preparing such documents should include the amount of the bequest and language directing that the bequest is made to "Macon County Historical Society, 36 West Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734, Tax Identification Number 58-1474825." All bequests, large and small, will be greatly appreciated and will benefit all who are interested in preserving the rich history of Macon County, NC