Explore the historic homes, buildings, and landmarks that tell the story of one of North Carolina’s oldest and most architecturally significant communities.
When: Saturday, November 14 | Ramble 12 – 4 pm | Reception 4 – 5 pm
What: Preservation North Carolina Rambles give you the chance to explore the historic homes and buildings of an NC community inside and out — and at your own pace! For each one, our organization partners with property owners and community leaders to share beautiful and interesting historic properties in a single day, many not often open to the public. The Fayetteville Ramble will include a diverse collection of historic residential, institutional, religious, and cultural sites spanning the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. Initially settled by Scots Highlanders in the mid-eighteenth century, Fayetteville was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1783 and emerged as a primary trading center for the backcountry. By the 1810s and 1820s, the village’s wealth attracted commissions by architect William Nichols and engineer Ithiel Town, and traces of their contributions to our state’s architectural legacy remain today. The city’s Market House was built in 1832, and the city’s position linking Cape Fear riverboat trade to the Fayetteville & Western Plank Road to Bethania remained central to trade until supplanted by the Goldsboro to Charlotte NC Railroad in 1856. The establishment of Fort Bragg in 1918 began a new era of prosperity and challenges in the city. Today, Fayetteville is enjoying renewal and growth as a popular retirement location while offering an emerging food and arts scene with its historic architecture as the backdrop.Â