Preservation Siler City, Inc.

06/07/2026

ATTENTION DONATIONS NEEDED!

Preservation Siler City is seeking financial support to assist with establishing a local history museum in downtown Siler City. As many of you know we have been in talks for several months in regard to a location downtown. We were informed yesterday that we may be able to take possession of the building in as little as two months. This isn't a done deal until the ink dries, and we are not publicly disclosing the location until the papers are signed. That being said we need to begin securing funds so that we are prepared to take over carrying costs and other associated expenses. In addition, the building will require lots of work in order to become suitable for a museum. That being said, if you appreciate the history of Siler City, call the town home, or just like to contribute to good causes we ask that you consider supporting this project and our mission. We have a donation page located on our website at https://preservationsilercity.org/donate or if you prefer you can contribute via our Patreon account (link in our Facebook bio).

THANK YOU!

05/30/2026

Preservation Siler City would like to thank Walmart store #3182 in Chapel Hill for the generous Spark Good grant in the amount of $500! We are very excited as this grant helps to bring us even closer to our goal of establishing a local history museum in downtown Siler City!

Pharmacy Phone: 919-357-9173

Pharmacy Hours:
Monday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM


Services at this Location:
• Grocery Pickup
• Pharmacy
• Vision Center
• Walmart Fuel Station
• Wireless Services
• Pickup
• Garden Center
• Photo Center
• Bakery
• Deli
• Grocery
• liquor


When Sam Walton opened the doors to the first Walmart in 1962, his goal was to save people money so they can live better. Sam was a firm believer in listening to what his customers had to say. That tradition continues today. But now, it doesn’t have to end when you leave the store. Through Facebook, we’re able to talk to you, find out what’s on your mind and let you know what we’re up to. It’s just another way we’re working to give the millions of families who shop at Walmart more of what they love—ways to save money and live better.

05/21/2026

Preservation Siler City is working hard to make as many items as possible from our collection viewable by the public on our website. This letter from J.A.W. Thompson (superintendent of the Thompson School) is just one of many recent additions to our collections page. This letter was sent in 1891, is on the school letterhead, and still retains the original envelope it was sent in! Focus is being given to getting titles and images on the site. Eventually we plan to add additional information about each item to the site as well and improvements to the layout. As always if you would like to support our efforts in any way feel free to reach out directly or visit our website at www.preservationsilercity.org

05/12/2026

Did you know that Siler City's first movie theater was the Gem Theater? The theater opened in December of 1913 by WS Durham at what is now 127 N Chatham Ave (John F. Lambe Building). The theater utilized a Simplex projector that cost at the time $275 and an electric piano. The piano had actually been ordered in Washington DC just prior to the opening date, but it was a shipping delay regarding the Simplex projector that delayed the opening of the theater by around a week. The Gem although small compared to today's movie theaters provided the public with regular screenings of silent movies as well as hosting vaudeville performances. The theater remained at 127 N Chatham until around 1924 at which time it moved to a new location at what is now the right-side portion of 135 N Chatham Ave (currently occupied by Twin Birch & Teasel). This new location contained a balcony and a recessed entrance with ticket counter. This would become the theaters final home. By the late 1930's Belk Yates had combined the theater building with the building to the left to create a large enough space for their new department store.

04/15/2026

Preservation Siler City is regularly seeking out items for our local history collection. This real photo postcard (RPPC) of the Siler City depot is one of several items that can be viewed on our website. If you have items you would like to donate, would like to contribute financially, or just want to view items in our collection, feel free to visit our site at www.preservationsilercity.org

03/13/2026

Thanks to a generous donation by Whitney Schmidt, Preservation Siler City is excited to announce that we are now in possession of a small albeit very heavy piece of Siler City's history. The item you see in the pictures is a Herring Hollow Block Machine. This machine was invented by J.C. Herring who was a builder based out of Charlotte. In 1906, in addition to expanding his operation to Greensboro, he submitted the patents for his hollow block machine and began to manufacture them for sale to other builders but also for use in his own business. It was also around this time that Cadmus Bray came into possession of the hollow block machine pictured here. This machine was used in connection to Bray's brick business as the blocks produced from this machine were used in his home built in 1906, the Hotel Hadley which opened in 1908, and in a home formerly located at 310 W Second St. Although there were several brands of hollow block machines produced during the early part of the 20th century, the Herring machine is the only one that uses the molded pattern that we see in the Bray house and the Hotel Hadley. Considering it spent several decades in the log cabin that was formerly located on the Bray House property this machine is in remarkable condition. It is missing a couple of parts but given time they could be replicated and if needed this machine could be used to make hollow blocks once again!

03/13/2026

Thanks to a generous donation by Whitney Schmidt, Preservation Siler City is excited to announce that we are now in possession of a small albeit very heavy piece of Siler City's history. The item you see in the pictures is a Herring Hollow Block Machine. This machine was invented by J.C. Herring who was a builder based out of Charlotte. In 1906, in addition to expanding his operation to Greensboro, he submitted the patents for his hollow block machine and began to manufacture them for sale to other builders but also for use in his own business. It was also around this time that Cadmus Bray came into possession of the hollow block machine pictured here. This machine was used in connection to Bray's brick business as the blocks produced from this machine were used in his home built in 1906, the Hotel Hadley which opened in 1908, and in a home formerly located at 310 W Second St. Although there were several brands of hollow block machines produced during the early part of the 20th century, the Herring machine is the only one that uses the molded pattern that we see in the Bray house and the Hotel Hadley. Considering it spent several decades in the log cabin that was formerly located on the Bray House property this machine is in remarkable condition. It is missing a couple of parts but given time they could be replicated and if needed this machine could be used to make hollow blocks once again!

03/05/2026

Preservation Siler City is working on a few important preservation projects related to Siler City's history. One of those projects is planning for a local history museum in downtown Siler City. This project alone won't happen overnight, and it won't happen without community support. At this time having cash on hand will be critical to moving the project forward. If you are able to contribute financially it would be a huge help. Our website is currently setup with the ability for you to contribute whatever you can in order to support our mission. We appreciate all contributions and as a reminder your donation is tax deductible. If you are unable to donate at this time we completely understand and only ask that you, please share this post. In addition, if you would like to follow our progress, feel free to like our page. Thanks in advance for any and all support and we look forward to sharing more of Siler City's history with everyone!

Want to support our mission or have items you would like to donate to our collection?

02/16/2026

Preservation Siler City's new website is up and running! Feel free to check it out and leave feedback. Do keep in mind that the site is a bit light on content at the moment but that will change over the coming weeks and months. Also, as a side note we have also launched a Patreon account for anyone who prefers to support using that platform. There are currently no benefits but that may change in the future so stay tuned!

WELCOMEPreservation Siler City, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and preserve Siler City’s historical artifacts and architectural heritage through education, stewardship, and advocacy. Please feel free to look around. You will find links to many valuable resea...

01/30/2026

Hello friends, neighbors, and fellow Siler City history enthusiasts!
First of all, I want to thank everyone who has followed this page. I also want to say thank you for your patience as I know it has been a few months since this organization was announced and no additional posts have been made to this page. I know many people have been waiting patiently for an update and maybe even a bit of information about what Preservation Siler City will be doing in the future. The good news is I have some items that I can share.
To begin with Preservation Siler City did receive its determination letter from the IRS a couple of weeks ago and we are now a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit. What that means for those unfamiliar is that if you donate to our organization your contribution can be tax deductible (contact a tax professional if you have questions).
Secondly, Preservation Siler City does plan to eventually establish a local history museum in Siler City. It is hoped that this museum will provide the community with a combination of permanent displays, rotating exhibits, as well as become a one stop for researchers looking into the towns past. Although nothing is set in stone we are actively involved in discussions behind the scenes and should things work out for all parties involved, we may have an exciting announcement in the coming months.
Next, we are in the process of building a website to provide not only information about the organization but also to act as an online resource for those researching the town and its history. Our plan is to get the basic site up and running within the next two weeks and add information over time. The idea is that the site will act as an online museum until a physical one can be established. Eventually you should be able to see many of the items in our collection online.
Finally, I know many people are interested in supporting the organization through financial donations or donations of historical items to our collection. On our website we will have links to a donation button for those interested in doing one-time contributions, a link to a Patreon for those looking to support us on a more long-term basis, and an entire page about how you can contribute local history items to help build our collection.
All that being said Preservation Siler City isn't going to be just another museum, we will be advocates for our shared history. We hope to work with residents, businesses, property owners, and the town to promote preservation. “Our mission is to protect and preserve Siler City's historical artifacts and architectural heritage through education, stewardship, and advocacy.”

Thanks again for your support and stay tuned!

Jonus Nobles
Preservation Siler City, Inc.