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About the Program ...
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1935 the General Assembly authorized the establishment of the North Carolina Highway
Historical Marker Program (Public Laws, Chapter 197). From that time forward, the
program has been administered as a cooperative venture among state agencies. It
is presently the joint responsibility of the Research Branch, Office of Archives
and History, Department of Cultural Resources, and the Traffic Engineering Branch,
Division of Highways, Department of Transportation. The North Carolina Highway Historical
Marker Program is one of the oldest such programs in continuous operation in the
United States.
Prior to 1935 the North Carolina Historical Commission (established in 1903) and
private organizations (such as the Daughters of the American Revolution) sponsored
a small number of historical markers and plaques. The state program, modeled after
one begun in Virginia in 1926, was an effort to standardize the practice of marking
sites of statewide historical significance. The silver and black markers have become
a familiar part of the state's landscape since the first one was put in place in
Granville County on January 10, 1936. To date over 1,400 state markers have been
erected. At least one stands in every county.
For young people the markers may spark a curiosity that leads to further study of
and appreciation for the historical development of the region. For visitors the
signs may be their only exposure to the history of the Tar Heel State. For native
North Carolinians the presence of a state marker in their community can be a source
of pride, a signal that an event of historical significance took place close to
home. The Department of Cultural Resources and the Department of Transportation
remain committed to the program in its second half-century.
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The first marker erected under the
program (above) was dedicated alongside U.S. 15 in Stovall, Granville County,
in 1936. (Marker District G)
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