COURTLAND
Recently, the Hicksford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented the Historic Preservation Recognition Award for 2018 to Southampton County Historical Society’s Agriculture and Forestry Museum. This was approved by the National DAR Society in Washington, D.C.

In 1991, the Southampton County Historical Society was approached about opening a museum to house the growing collections of farm machinery owned by William Howell and William Simmons. With the generous support of a core group, the Southampton Agriculture and Forestry Museum was established.

Twenty-seven years later the museum is now comprised of four buildings of farm equipment, tools and machinery — and 14 original buildings brought in from around the county — all on a 10-acre site.

The chapter is pleased to present this award to this museum for the following reasons:

1. The volunteers act as docents for visitors and school groups, teaching the history and culture of the county and surrounding region.
2. The hard-working museum volunteers raise funds through the sale of craft items and through two festival days a year that attract thousands of visitors. In addition, they also sell and serve two fund-raising dinners a year.
3. Among the 14 buildings brought in, one of the most important is the Rebecca Vaughan house, which was the last house on the Nat Turner Rebellion trail in 1831, and the only one left standing.

The committee would like to thank those who wrote letters of recommendation, to Anne Bryant who furnished the required pictures, and to Bill Vick who helped with application information.