Step back in time with Historian Georgena Duncan for an engaging exploration of the homes and building practices in and around Fayetteville through the 1870s. Together, we’ll examine the few homes that still survive, study photographs of those long gone, and discuss the styles and materials that defined this era of local architecture. Rather than simply reading about the past, participants will actively compare building features, trace how housing styles changed over time, and discover what daily life looked like within and around these homes.

We’ll explore kitchens, outhouses, barns, and other outbuildings—imagining where families kept their livestock, horses, and carriages, how they stored food and furniture, and whether closets even existed. Participants will gain insights into how builders and homeowners adapted to their environment, what their choices reveal about community life, and how construction costs shaped design. Learn from expert interpretation, shared discussion, and the chance to connect Fayetteville’s history to what still stands today.

In the second session, participants will possibly tour Ridge House, the oldest house in Fayetteville, the Walker-Stone House, and the Rieff House, currently Moore’s Funeral Chapel. If there is terrible weather or other unforeseen problems, the fallback tour will be of Headquarters House, which is the Jonas Tebbets House. Travel to the tour sites will be up to the student, with further information on parking to follow.

Activity Level: 1