Biennial Report of the North Carolina State Department of Archives and History

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA THE COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINIANA C906 N87h2 V.35 1972/74 UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL I ^^^ 00033953829 ^^^^F FOR USE ONLY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION I Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2009 witii funding from Ensuring Democracy tiirougii Digital Access (NC-LSTA) http://www.archive.org/details/biennialreportof197274nort THIRTY-FIFTH BIENNIAL REPORT THE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY 4 19724974 COVER— Jewelry made from copper taken from the old roof of the State Capitol was handcrafted by Stuart Nye of Asheville. Two of several designs sold by the Division of Archives and History are pictured on the cover. (This photograph by the News and Observer; all others in this report by the Division of Archives and History. ) THIRTY-FIFTH BIENNIAL REPORT OFTHE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY July 1,1972 through June 30, 1974 Raleigh Division of Archives and History North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources 1974 DIVISION OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES NORTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL COMMISSION T. Harry Gatton, Chairman, Raleigh Miss Gertrude Sprague Carraway, New Bern Gordon S. Dugger, Chapel Hill Frontis W. Johnston, Davidson J. C. Knowles, Raleigh Hugh T. Lefler, Chapel Hill Edward W. Phifer, Jr., Vice-chairman, Morganton For list and terms of office of members of the North Carolina Histori- cal Commission, see Appendix I, p. 77. : STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Department of Cultural Resources Raleigh 27611 To His Excellency James E. Holshouser, Jr. Governor of North Carolina Dear Governor Holshouser I have the honor to transmit herewith the Thirty-fifth Biennial Report of the North Carolina Division of Archives and History for the period July 1, 1972, to June 30, 1974. Although a biennial report for the Division of Archives and History is no longer required by the General Statutes of North Carolina, the series of reports beginning in 1904 is a signifi- cant record of archival and historical matters within North Carolina. For this reason, it was decided to continue them, with this report as the most recent addition to a distinguished series. Respectfully sxibmitted. Grace J. Rohrer Secretary Raleigh, North Carolina June 30, 1974 CONTENTS Division of Archives and History 1 Archives and Records Section 9 Historic Sites and Museums Section 31 Historical Publications Section 57 Archaeology Section 65 Tryon Palace Section 71 APPENDIXES: ADMINISTRATION I. The North Carolina Historical Commission 77 II. Appropriations and Expenditures, 1972-1974 78 III. List of Employees, Showing Name and Title (and Period of Service if Less than the Full Biennium) 79 IV. Publications of Staff Members 88 ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SECTION V. Archives Accessions, July 1, 1972-June 30, 1974 95 VI. Local Records Program Microfilm Operations 157 VII. Records Disposition and Servicing in the State Records Center 158 VIII. State Records Microfilm Project Production 160 IX. Newspapers Microfilmed During Biennium 163 HISTORIC SITES AND MUSEUMS SECTION X. Capital Improvements at State Historic Sites (State Appropriations) 165 XI. National Park Service Preservation Grants, 1972-1974 . 167 XII. Status of North Carolina Properties with Respect to National Register of Historic Places 169 XIII. Legislative Grants-in-Aid for Special Restoration and Construction Projects, 1972-1974 178 XIV. New Highway Historical Markers Approved 181 XV. Smith Richardson Foundation Challenge Grants, 1973-1974 . 184 XVI. Museum of History Accessions 186 XVII. Attendance at State Historic Sites 191 HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS SECTION XVIII. Publications Issued by the Division of Archives and History, 1972-1974 193 BIENNIAL REPORT DIVISION OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY July 1, 1972-June 30, 1974 Thornton W. Mitchell, Acting Director The keynote of this biennium was "reorganization." Following approval of the Executive Organization Act of 1971, the Department of Archives and History became a part of the Department of Art, Culture and History when it was established in February, 1972. At that time, managerial and executive responsibilities were transferred to the secretary of the new department. Effective July 1, 1972, the former department became the Office of Archives and History, a name under which it operated for a year. On May 14, 1973, further reorganization legislation was ratified, and the statutory responsibilities formerly vested in the Department of Archives and History came under the jurisdiction of the renamed Department of Cultural Resources on July 1. The former Executive Board of the Depart- ment of Archives and History became the North Carolina Historical Commission with advisory powers, and all statutory authority was granted to the secretary of cultural resources. At the same time and as a result of reorganization, administrative and facilitative functions passed to and became the responsibility of the department. Budget and personnel are controlled by the secretary, and administrative services are handled by departmental staff. There have been, not unexpectedly, some problems resulting from centralized functions; but these problems have not been insuperable, and most of them have been solved with a minimum of effort. Membership of the North Carolina Historical Commission (formerly the Executive Board of the State Department of Archives and History) remained unchanged un..il February 28, 1974, although Mr. Josh Home retired as chairman October 17, 1972, and was succeeded in that capacity by Mr. Harry Gatton. Although their terms of office expired March 31, 1973, Dr. Fletcher M. Green and Mr. Josh L. Home continued to serve until February 28, 1974, when they were succeeded by Dr. Frontis W. Johnston of Davidson College and Mr. J. C. Knowles of Raleigh, respectively. The division was saddened by Mr. Home's death March 15, 1974. Mr. Harry Gatton continued to serve as chairman of the Historical Commission by appointment of the governor. 2 Thirty-fifth Biennial Report There were, in addition, a number of changes in the staff of the division. Mr. C. F. W. Coker resigned as state archivist, effective August 17, 1973, to accept a position with the National Archives and Records Service, Washington, D.C., and was succeeded by Dr. Thornton W. Mitchell who served as head of the State Records Branch, 1961-1970, and as records management consultant in the Department of Administration, 1970-1973. Mr. John G. Zehmer, Jr., who became historic sites and museums administrator August 1, 1972, resigned effective January 31, 1974, to accept a position as architectural historian for Richmond, Virginia; he was succeeded as acting administrator by Mr. Bruce MacDougal. Mrs. Joye E. Jordan, formerly administrator of the North Carolina Museum of History and later historic sites and museums administrator, became assistant director of the division August 1, 1972, and retired after more than thirty years of service on June 30, 1974. Mr. Fred F. Harbin, assistant director, who became chief of the Historical and Commemorative Commissions Section on August 1, 1972, transferred to the W. W. Holding Technical Institute effective June 13, 1973. Dr. Stephen Gluckman, formerly on the faculty of Howard University, Washington, D.C., became state archaeologist upon creation of the Archaeology Section September 1, 1973. Dr. H. G. Jones, division director, resigned effective January 31, 1974, and was succeeded by Dr. Mitchell as acting director. The work of the division during the biennium was marked by increasing workload and by the effects of inflation. The inflationary spiral hit hardest those programs of the division dependent on outside supplies and services. The cost of microfilm, an essential element of state and local records programs administered by the division, increased sharply by more than 16 percent, with further increases anticipated. Folders and record containers used in the State Archives increased in price. Supplies used by the Museum of History in building and installing interpretive exhibits moved sharply upward in cost and became increasingly difficult to obtain. Delivery time on Plexiglas required for an exhibit, for example, was 360 days. Perhaps the most seriously affected by inflation was the Historical Publications Section as the result of increases in the cost of printing and paper. Publication of the North Carolina Historical Review on Permalife paper was discontinued, for example, because of uncertain quality and high cost. Cost of documentary volumes escalated to the degree that merely to recover printing costs the books had to be almost priced out of the market. Continued inflation without appropriations adjusted accordingly can only result in curtailed and reduced programs. In regard to workload, requests for assistance in the North Carolina State Archives, both in person and by letter, increased; all aspects of operations in the State Records Center moved sharply upward; the Museum of History faced the task of Director's Report 3 designing, building, and installing four major interpretive exhibits in the next two years; five state historic sites were in various stages of development at the end of the biennium; reviews of environmental assessments and environmental impact statements approximated 100 per month; the number of archaeo- logical surveys increased beyond the capability of the archaeology staff. In many respects, it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain work of high quality in the face of increasing quantity. The continuing interest in historic preservation,

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