NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction hosts topping-off ceremony

By Stephanie Meador, posted Mar 31, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

Mary Lynn Bryan, vice chair of the board of the NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction, signs the beam before it is hoisted into place. Photos by GFBJ.

Today, Tuesday, March 31, the final steel beam was hoisted into place atop the NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction building by Balfour Beatty LLC, the construction company that is building the 60,000-square-foot building, which will house the Center.

This latest project will be the last of three planned phases of the full Center. The first was the three-building VanStory History Village, the second was an outdoor pavilion and classroom and in this, the third and final stage, a 60,000 square foot main building is being built. The beginning of the building’s construction was celebrated last July.

Once complete, the building will house classrooms, an auditorium, state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and galleries to host traveling exhibits. Following completion, the Center will be turned over to the state's North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, where it will join the state’s museums division.

“We’re so excited about this because it really presents a unique opportunity. It in particular, will be the first museum in North Carolina that tells the story of reconstruction, and so that's super exciting. As a Fayetteville native, I'm super excited about the economic impact that it will have on this area. I mean, when you look at the size of this and knowing what is going to be in there, and the opportunities for events there and for education for children, people will come from across North Carolina and outside of North Carolina to visit this site, and that's going to bring people who will visit restaurants in Fayetteville and hotels and all the things. So that is just so important and really, really exciting,” shared DNCR Secretary Pam Cashwell at the ceremony.

While this is a significant milestone in the construction project, much remains to be done, from fitting out the interior, to include floors, walls, ceilings, electrical outlets and lighting and plumbing fixtures, to installing exhibits. The museum is expected to open in the spring of 2028.

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