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Glencoe School in New Bethel Township, Rockingham County; photograph taken in 1980.
200 more slides from Rockingham Community College’s architecture slide collection have been digitized and added to DigitalNC. The slides show early architecture around Rockingham County, including houses, barns, farms, schools, banks, mills, and tobacco factories. Taken in the early 1980s, these photographs include multiple exterior as well as interior views of the buildings. Some of buildings still stand today and others no longer exist, but location, owners’ names, and building dates are included in the descriptions of the photographs.
You can learn more about these slides and the architecture depicted in the Guide to the Early Rockingham County Architecture Slide Collection. See more from Rockingham Community College on the contributor page and learn more on their website.
Gentry Brothers Dog and Pony Show circa 1924
Several items are now available on DigitalNC.org from Rockingham Community College. Many of the items come from RCC’s special collections. These items include:
1887 Advertisement for Woman’s Heart Tobacco
- Images of checks, receipts, and advertisements — including the Woman’s Heart Tobacco advertisement (pictured right), which depicts the diverse terrain of a woman’s heart such as the “Volcano of Fury,” the “Ocean of Love,” and the “Mountains of Pride”
- Souvenir Postcards from a variety of small towns in Rockingham County
- Photographs featuring several mills and surrounding areas in Rockingham County, including the Lily Mill, Nantucket Mill, and Rhode Island Mill
- Photographs of Rockingham County residents and visitors, including portraits of Rev. Fenner S. Stickney and the brothers Samuel Hill and John Hill Boyd as well as the Gentry Brothers Dog and Pony Show parade (pictured above).
- Photographs depicting residents, workers, historical sites, and the mill in and around Avalon, N.C.
- Wright Tavern Guest Registers and Receipt books
Ten student yearbooks from Rockingham Community College are
now available on DigitalNC. The volumes date from 1967 to 1976.
Students from the 1974 yearbook
Thanks to our partners at Rockingham Community College, the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center has digitized and made The Journal of Rockingham County History and Genealogy publicly available for research and general viewing as well.
Initially, the journal was published semi-annually (1976-2005) but is currently being published annually. When viewing the collection you can see the shift in publishing frequency. Inside the covers of this journal you will find the history of historical landmarks, maps, funeral and cemeteries along with general connections among families in and around the Rockingham County, NC area.
To view more genealogy journals from across North Carolina, click here!
Newnam Tenant House, front 1982
Pritchett House, side 1982
DigitalNC has added the last set of slides from the Early Rockingham County Architecture Collection. This collection of slides, provided by Rockingham Community College, was taken in the 1980s and includes images of homes, schools, businesses, factories, mills, farms, churches, and many other historic buildings in Rockingham. While some of these buildings have since been demolished, many are standing today and information on dates of the buildings as well as location are included in the image descriptions. The new set of slides focuses mainly on images of historic homes and plantations like the Thomas Ratliffe House, Willow Oaks, and the Lower Sauratown Plantation. While most of the slides show the exteriors of buildings, there are also many interior shots of architectural details, like stairways and fireplaces. To learn more about previous sets we have put online, view blog posts here and here.
Check out the newly added and previous slides in the Early Rockingham County Architecture Collection, and learn more about Rockingham Community College on the contributor page or by visiting their website. If you are interested in Rockingham County history, also take a look at the Rockingham County Legacy exhibit.
Butler Tobacco Factory
Featured in the latest batch of architecture slides from Rockingham Community College to be digitized by DigitalNC are several well known homes, including the Hermitage, Chinqua-Penn Plantation, and the David Settle Reid house. Also included are mills, barns, and even a saloon. Taken in the early 1980s, these photographs include multiple exterior as well as interior views of the buildings. Some of buildings still stand today and others no longer exist, but location, owners’ names, and building dates are included in the descriptions of the photographs.
Crafton House, interior view
David Settle Reid House
You can learn more about these slides and the architecture depicted in the Guide to the Early Rockingham County Architecture Slide Collection. See more from Rockingham Community College on the contributor page and learn more on their website.
Corn Crib at Locust Point, 1980
Rockingham Community College has shared part of a unique collection of slides that document early architecture in Rockingham County. There are large plantation houses as well as kitchens, barns, and other small buildings found on homesteads. Most of these slides are exterior views of buildings, but interiors and shots of specific architectural details seem to have been taken when the opportunity presented itself. Some of the buildings are still standing and have even been renovated, like the Spray Mercantile Building (before, after). Others have been demolished, making these images both poignant and valuable for research. Family names and locations are included for many as well.
We’d like to share the description from Rockingham Community College’s website about the creators, origin, and extent of this collection:
This collection developed from an interest in the early architecture of Rockingham County, North Carolina by Reidsville native Siler Rothrock, who had grown up working in his family’s building supply business. While completing his master’s degree, he engaged in the antique and refinishing business. Developing an interest in local architecture, he enrolled in the fall of 1978 in Dr. Lindley Butler’s local history class at Rockingham Community College where he met local historian Bob Carter. They agreed to travel the rural sections of the county and photograph the early houses still standing. From 1978 until 1986 they photographed most of the pre-Civil War structures in the county. Bob Carter did the deed research and interviews to identify the builders and occupants of the houses. With this background in architecture, Siler Rothrock established his own construction firm specializing in old home restoration. He has since developed a statewide reputation in the restoration field.
We hope to share additional slides from this collection during the new year. If you’re interested in Rockingham County history, definitely check out the Rockingham County Legacy exhibit. You can view other items shared specifically by Rockingham Community College on their contributor page.
Aiken Pratt House, Exterior View, 1981
Photographs from Rockingham Community College, recently added to DigitalNC, tell the story of a North Carolina town that is no more.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the mill village of Avalon in Rockingham County was home to more than 450 people. More than half of the population worked at Avalon Mills, which was the community center for the town, providing housing for residents social events. Images in the collection include a photograph of the Avalon baseball team, as well as the first picnic at the Avalon picnic ground.
In June of 1911 a massive fire swept through the mill, destroying it completely. Although there was some hope that the mill might be rebuilt, the village was eventually abandoned. Many of the residents moved to Mayodan, a nearby mill town. Interestingly, they moved not only themselves but their houses as well, by hitching them to horses.
Three additional issues of The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle are now available to view on DigitalNC thanks to our partner, Rockingham Community College.
The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle provided Spray, North Carolina residents with a community newspaper and also doubled as a source of information for Fieldcrest Mills employees. Fieldcrest Mills was a textile mill that produced items such as blankets, towels, and bed sheets.
To view more material from Rockingham Community College, click here, or for the entire issue catalog of The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle, click here.
