Saturday, May 12th, from 10 am – 2 pm is “Learn About 350 Years of History in the Albemarle Region Day”. Merchants Millpond State Park as well as Roanoke Island Festival Park will be at the museum. Join us on Saturday, May 12th, and learn about our regional history, as well as view the rare showing of the 1663 charter, which will be on display until 5:00 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2018.

In 2018, the Albemarle region will celebrate the 350th anniversary of its founding through a variety of commemorative activities including a passport stamp book and special events in each of the counties. The Museum of the Albemarle will host a rare viewing of the original 1663 Carolina Charter, which rewarded eight Lords Proprietors with lands that now make up North Carolina. Additional letters and maps from N.C.’s Proprietary Period (1663-1729) will also be on display from the N.C. Office of Archives and History and East Carolina University.

In 1668, four precincts were formed out of the County of Albemarle, the first governmental unit of what would become North Carolina. These four precincts (now counties)- Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Chowan – were later subdivide further, giving rise to what we now think of as northeastern North Carolina, the Albemarle Region.

The charter will be on display Friday, May 11 and 12, 2018 and may be viewed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Two special events are planned for the celebration. May 11 is a designated student day. School Day: Celebrate 350 Years of Albemarle History from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Students from surrounding counties will have the opportunity to view the original charter and related documents. Along with viewing these documents students will visit with several county representatives who will be offering hands-on learning activities including historic games, characters of history, and much more. Chowan, Currituck, Tyrrell, Dare, and Perquimans, and Pasquotank are some of the counties that will be represented.

Call (252) 335-1453 or visit Museum of the Albemarle’s Facebook page for more information and details.