Person County is gearing up for an exciting start to 2026 - and we’re officially the final North Carolina stop for a traveling Smithsonian exhibition that shines a spotlight on creativity, progress, and the power of small-town ideas.
The Person County Museum of History (PCMH) has been selected as one of only six North Carolina communities to host Spark! Places of Innovation, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit presented in partnership with North Carolina Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) Museum on Main Street Initiative. After touring the state since May 2025, the exhibit will make its last stop right here in Roxboro.
What the Exhibit Is All About
According to Melanie Moore Richeson of North Carolina Humanities, the exhibit “highlights how innovation in rural America has shaped small towns across the country from the perspective of the people who have lived it.”
Visitors can expect to explore innovation across four main themes:
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Social
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Artistic
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Technological
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Cultural
Using photographs, hands-on interactives, historic objects, and multimedia storytelling, the exhibition brings to life the real leaders, challenges, and achievements behind small-town innovation — and invites guests to imagine what comes next.
Igniting the Spark: Innovation and Invention in Person County
This curated experience will highlight the many ways innovation has shaped our community for more than two centuries. From inventors and makers to artists and problem-solvers, Person County has long embraced the mindset: “See a problem, fix a problem.”
Whether it was the early push to bring the railroad to Roxboro or generations of creative thinkers who built solutions with their own hands, innovation here has always been rooted in necessity, resourcefulness, and community spirit.
Local Stories Needed
PCMH is currently gathering stories about Person County innovators - past and present.
If you know of a local creator, artist, inventor, engineer, or entrepreneur who deserves recognition, the museum wants to hear from you.
Community members are encouraged to share information or artifacts by contacting:
📧 personcountymuseumofhistory@gmail.com
📞 336-597-2884
Your story could become part of this exciting exhibit!
Exhibit Dates & Visitor Information
Spark! Places of Innovation
📍 Curtis Long House, Person County Museum of History
📅 January 21, 2026 – February 21, 2026
🕒 Open Wednesday–Friday • 10 AM – 4 PM
Special Saturday hours will be announced on the museum’s website and social media pages.
Field trips and group tours are also available. To schedule, contact the museum directly.
Important Acknowledgment
Spark! Places of Innovation has been made possible in Roxboro, North Carolina by North Carolina Humanities. Spark! is a Museum on Main Street exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution and inspired by Places of Invention, an exhibition developed by the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of North Carolina Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
