The Caldwell County America 250 Committee will open the “Our Story: The History of Caldwell County” exhibit on Monday, January 26, with a reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. The permanent exhibit is located at the Alden Starnes County Office Plaza, 905 West Avenue, Lenoir.
In 2024, Caldwell County received an America250 NC grant from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to create an exhibit as part of the state and national celebration of 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The idea for the exhibit came from a few framed picture collages hanging in the hallway of the county office building. “We noticed people stopping to enjoy those collages and felt visitors would take the same interest in a larger display,” said Public Information Officer and Caldwell America 250 Chair Paige Counts.
A committee of local historians, educators, and public officials spent more than a year working alongside the Caldwell County Public Information Office to create a timeline of key events and photographs presented in story form. The exhibit, which encompasses both the upstairs and downstairs hallways in the county office building, traces the county’s journey from pre-Revolutionary War times to the present day.
“While this display only scratches the surface of Caldwell County’s rich history, it offers a glimpse into the stories, achievements, and everyday lives of our neighbors—reminding us that our local history is an important part of the larger American story,” said Counts.
