Wake Forest Historical Museum

Wake Forest Birthplace Society

Photograph Collection (Original Campus)

Mission

To preserve, share, and support the full unique history and culture of Wake Forest – College, Town, and University; and in cooperation with Wake Forest University to create a living laboratory of academic inquiry into civic, community, and institutional history.

Vision

To preserve, interpret, and share the unique history and culture of Wake Forest College and its interwoven growth with the Town of Wake Forest; to nurture in the spirit of Pro Humanitate, the highest values of the College, the Town, and the University for current and future generations who care deeply about the importance of the past and place to what lies ahead; and to offer programs that enrich the lives of the communities served by the Wake Forest Historical Museum.

To cooperate with Wake Forest University to become a center for research and academic activity, leveraging the University’s capabilities to make the Museum a vibrant place of activity and inquiry in the areas of community engagement, community and institutional evolution, and exploration of all aspects of Southern history.

Society Beginnings

Eleven women of the Wake Forest Garden Club began a campaign in 1956 to raise funds to save the building where Wake Forest College was begun, the Calvin Jones house. They were successful in raising $2,500 and obtaining a matching donation from the College to move the house. Within months, the old structure had been carefully transferred six blocks up North Main Street to four acres given by the College.

Interview with Ed Morris about Historical Museum Exhibits (May 2023) (Forthcoming)