Rowan Museum

The Rowan Museum is located at 202 North Main Street in the 1854 Courthouse which survived Stoneman's raid. It is one of the finest examples of pre-civil war architecture in the state. Housing the collections of the Museum, its grand old rooms including the beautiful second floor courtroom and public gathering place, reflect the life and history of Rowan County through displays and interpretive exhibits. It is open to the public, Thursday through Sunday, 1 - 4 pm with a charge for admission. The museum also sponsors an annual Antiques Show the second Friday and Saturday in November, featuring 20 fine dealers from across the country.
THE MUSEUM'S OTHER TWO HISTORIC SITES:UTZMAN-CHAMBERS HOUSE-This 1819 Federal townhouse was built by Jacob Stirewalt, master builder of the period, and reflects the lifestyle of the more affluent citizens of the early 1800's with its unique curved staircase and exquisite interior moldings and details. One of the few surviving Federal period townhouses in piedmont North Carolina, it features period rooms with Hepplewhite and Chippendale furniture as well as furniture made by Rowan County craftsmen. The house and garden are open to the public, April thru' December, Thursday through Sunday, 1 - 4 pm with a charge for admission. It is located at 116 South Jackson Street.
OLD STONE HOUSE-When Michael Braun completed his stone house in 1766, the site was virtual wilderness. The two-story Georgian house is indeed stately for its time with the stones on the front carefully shaped and matched, creating an impressive face to visitors. Climb to the second floor and you'll discover high up in the end walls next to the chimneys, openings that some believed to be gun ports for fighting off hostile Indians (actually they were ventilation holes for bringing cool air onto the second floor). The Old Stone House is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays 1 - 4 pm with a charge for admission, April through November. Every year on the weekend following Christmas, there is an 18th century Folk Christmas celebration featuring trades, customs, cooking and decorations of the period. The Old Stone House is located on Old Stone House Road in Granite Quarry.
For more information or to schedule group tours, call the Rowan Museum, Inc. at 704-633-5946.