Roanoke-Chowan Heritage Center & Museum

Architectural fragments from both Hope and the King-Bazemore House are also exhibited here, along with a massive salt box, or trough, formerly located in Hope Mansion’s above-ground basement. Carved from a 500-year-old tree, the trough was used to salt fresh meat for preservation.

Hanging above the trough are several works by Francis Speight, a prominent North Carolina artist and Bertie County native.

The Roanoke-Chowan Life Gallery & Museum can accommodate approximately 80 guests and is available for lectures, presentations, meetings, and other programs. A large projector screen, television, and Wi-Fi access are available.

Jenkins Exhibition Hall

The second of the two museum rooms, the Jenkins Exhibition Hall explores the long and diverse history of Bertie County and the surrounding region.

Among the earliest objects on display is a fossilized brain coral discovered in a Bertie County field and estimated to be approximately five million years old. The hall also contains an extensive collection of Indigenous material culture, including stone tools, axes, shell beads, a soapstone elbow pipe, and a deer-antler flaking tool from the Archaic and Woodland periods.

Objects from the colonial and early American periods include women’s clothing, furniture, and archaeological fragments. Also on display is a beaded smoking cap, dated 1808-1810 and made by the Tuscarora for the Stone family.

The collection also includes a historic coverlet. According to the Cowan family of Bertie County, this textile was made by an unidentified enslaved person.

Events & Rentals

The Roanoke-Chowan Heritage Center & Museum is available for weddings, private events, meetings, and other gatherings. For additional information about rental spaces and included amenities, please visit our Weddings and Events pages.