Upcoming events

Switch to Calendar View

• February BOOK CLUB ~ Soul City

  • When
    21 Feb 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Historic Chatham County Courthouse, Pittsboro
  • Registered
    3 registrants

  Register

   “NC History Between the Lines”- A Local History Book Club

  FEBRUARY 2026 ~ BLACK HISTORY

  

  Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia by Thomas Healy (2021)

  This book tells the little-known story of an ambitious 1970s project to build a majority black, economically self-sustaining city in rural Warren County, NC. Backed initially by the federal government, “Soul City” was envisioned as a place where black Americans could thrive free from discrimination and economic exclusion. The hopeful beginning, political and racial backlash, and economic challenges are explored with the larger lessons about race, opportunity, and the limits of reform in America.

  The Chatham County Historical Museum invites you to join NC History Between the Lines, a monthly book club exploring our local area’s rich past through engaging reads that connect with historical themes. We’ll meet on the third Saturday of each month at 9:30 am at the museum for lively discussion and conversation.

  Each month’s selection will reflect our rotating historical focus. Whether you’re a lifelong history lover or simply curious about the people and events that shaped our area, we would love for you to join us. Come read, learn, and share your perspectives as we connect our local stories to the larger sweep of American history.

  Sign up here for the Saturday, February 21, 2026 session where we will discuss Soul City. Participation is free and you are welcome to bring friends.   

  Questions: Volunteers@chathamhistory.org

  Show details
• The Regulator Movement and the Revolution in the North Carolina Backcountry

  • When
    1 Mar 2026
  •  
    2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  • Location
    Historic Chatham County Courthouse

  
  

  The Chatham County Historical Association continues its celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Join us on Sunday, March 1, at 2:00pm in Pittsboro’s Historic Courthouse as Carole Troxler, Professor Emerita at Elon University discusses “The Regulator Movement and the Revolution in the North Carolina Backcountry.” In the years leading up to the American Revolution, yeoman farmers in North Carolina’s Piedmont farmland became increasingly angry about the corruption and dishonesty among the colonial officials who collected their taxes and enforced their laws. A wave of popular support for stricter regulation of these laws slowly spread throughout the Piedmont, resulting in years of minor clashes between the farmer ‘Regulators’ and the royal militia. Although the militia finally defeated the Regulators at the Battle of Alamance in 1771, the seeds of revolt were planted. This little-known rebellion in North Carolina highlighted the growing discontent with colonial rule among American colonists, and helped to set the stage for the American Revolution.

  When: Sunday, March 1 , 2:00pm

  Where: Pittsboro’s Historic Courthouse, 9 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro 27312

  All are welcome. Admission is free.
  

  Our presenter will be Carole Troxler, Professor emerita of Elon University, where she taught history for 33 years. She is the author of five books, including the 2011 work, Farming Dissenters: The Regulator Movement in Piedmont North Carolina. The North Carolina Society of Historians has honored Professor Troxler with a 2017 Historical Book Award for her newest book and first work of fiction, The Red Dog: A Tale of the Carolina Frontier (Lizzy’s Yarn), a work also set in the 1760s in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina. Dr. Troxler delights in the study of “obscure people”--people who left little in the way of letters and private papers and who haven’t been considered “important people.” 

  

  This program will be the first in CCHA’s 2026 Gene Brooks lecture series, which honors the contributions to Chatham history of the late Gene Brooks through his teaching and advocacy for the preservation and sharing of Chatham history.
  

  Show details
• Siler City History Club ~ March 5 2026

  • When
    5 Mar 2026
  •  
    10:30 AM
  • Location
    First Baptist Church, 314 North Second Avenue, Siler City

  We have a new schedule and new location for meetings of the Siler City History Club. In 2026, the Siler City History Club will meet every other month on the first Thursday of the month from 10:30-11:30.

  Our Next Siler City History Club Meeting will be held on

  Thursday, March 5, 2026

  at the First Baptist Church, 314 North Second Avenue, Siler City

  
  

  Everyone is invited to listen and learn or share at these informal meetings intended to help us preserve Siler City’s colorful history. Bring a friend!

  Questions?  Contact Museum@chathamhistory.org

  
  

  
  

  Show details
• Museum Volunteer Orientation 2026

  • When
    14 Mar 2026
  •  
    10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Chatham Historical Museum - Historic Chatham County Courthouse
  • Registered
    5 registrants

  Register

  Museum Volunteer Orientation

  Saturday, March 14, 2026

  10:30AM

  Chatham Historical Museum

  09 Hillsborough Street

  Historic Chatham County Courthouse, Pittsboro

  Interested in local history? Looking for a fun and meaningful way to give back to the community? Join us at the Chatham Historical Museum for our Introductory Volunteer Orientation on Saturday, March 14, 2026. 

  Whether you are a new volunteer or simply curious about helping with greeting visitors, elementary school field trips, giving tours, or supporting special programs, this session will give you an overview of our mission and the many ways you can become involved.

  Come meet fellow history enthusiasts, learn about activities and projects, and discover how you can play a part in preserving and sharing the Chatham County story. We would love to have you on the team! Bring a friend!

  Reserve your spot by registering here by March 10.

  If you have any questions or need further information, please reach out to us at volunteers@chathamhistory.org. We look forward to seeing you!

  
  

  Show details
• March BOOK CLUB ~ Proud Shoes

  • When
    21 Mar 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Historic Chatham County Courthouse, Pittsboro
  • Registered
    4 registrants

  Register

   “NC History Between the Lines”- A Local History Book Club

  MARCH 2026 ~ WOMEN'S HISTORY

  

  Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family by Pauli Murray (1956)

  In this classic family memoir, Durham born civil rights leader Pauli Murray explores her maternal grandparents’ lives: from slavery, war service, and Reconstruction into the Jim Crow era, revealing a personal history deeply rooted locally in Chatham, Orange, and Durham counties. Proud Shoes is a particularly meaningful read for anyone interested in our region’s complex past.

  The Chatham County Historical Museum invites you to join NC History Between the Lines, a monthly book club exploring our local area’s rich past through engaging reads that connect with historical themes. We’ll meet on the third Saturday of each month at 9:30 am at the museum for lively discussion and conversation.

  Each month’s selection will reflect our rotating historical focus. Whether you’re a lifelong history lover or simply curious about the people and events that shaped our area, we would love for you to join us. Come read, learn, and share your perspectives as we connect our local stories to the larger sweep of American history.

  Sign up here for the Saturday, March 21, 2026 session where we will discuss Proud Shoes. Participation is free and you are welcome to bring friends.   

  Questions: Volunteers@chathamhistory.org

  Show details
• April BOOK CLUB ~ Naked Genius

  • When
    18 Apr 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Historic Chatham County Courthouse, Pittsboro
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

   “NC History Between the Lines”- A Local History Book Club

  APRIL 2026 ~ POETRY AND THE ARTS

  
  

  
  

  Naked Genius by George Moses Horton (1865)

  Naked Genius is the third book of poetry written by George Moses Horton, an enslaved poet from Chatham County whose extraordinary literary talent brought him national attention in the 19 th century. This is Horton’s third book, written after obtaining his freedom. The book includes patriotic poems and a few describing conditions in the area right after the war. Discussion will include review of his autobiography, revealing the brilliance of his intellect and the injustice of slavery.

  The Chatham County Historical Museum invites you to join NC History Between the Lines, a monthly book club exploring our local area’s rich past through engaging reads that connect with historical themes. We’ll meet on the third Saturday of each month at 9:30 am at the museum for lively discussion and conversation.

  Each month’s selection will reflect our rotating historical focus. Whether you’re a lifelong history lover or simply curious about the people and events that shaped our area, we would love for you to join us. Come read, learn, and share your perspectives as we connect our local stories to the larger sweep of American history.

  Sign up here for the Saturday, April 18, 2026 session where we will discuss Naked Genius. Participation is free and you are welcome to bring friends.   

  Questions: Volunteers@chathamhistory.org

  Show details
• May BOOK CLUB ~ Like a Family

  • When
    16 May 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Historic Chatham County Courthouse, Pittsboro
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

   “NC History Between the Lines”- A Local History Book Club

  MAY 2026 ~ MAKING A LIVING

  
  

  Like a Family: The Making of a Southern Cotton Mill World

  by Hall, Leloudis, Korstad, Murphy, Jones and Daly (1986)

  
  

  Like a Family explores life in Southern cotton mill villages, with a strong focus on the North Carolina Piedmont textile region (and many accounts from the mill in Bynum). Using local histories, the book reveals insight into the close knit communities shaped by work, faith, and resistance.

  The Chatham County Historical Museum invites you to join NC History Between the Lines, a monthly book club exploring our local area’s rich past through engaging reads that connect with historical themes. We’ll meet on the third Saturday of each month at 9:30 am at the museum for lively discussion and conversation.

  Each month’s selection will reflect our rotating historical focus. Whether you’re a lifelong history lover or simply curious about the people and events that shaped our area, we would love for you to join us. Come read, learn, and share your perspectives as we connect our local stories to the larger sweep of American history.

  Sign up here for the Saturday, May 16, 2026 session where we will discuss Like a Family. Participation is free and you are welcome to bring friends.   

  Questions ~ or to borrow a copy of the book contact: Volunteers@chathamhistory.org

  Show details