Historic Places in Haywood County, NC
If you want to see and experience what life may have been like for your ancestors, you are in luck! Haywood County has numerous properties and locations that offer a glimpse into the past. In addition to these historic places, Haywood County has several museums that are open to the public.
The National Register of Historic Places
Several of these historic locations are listed on The National Register of Historic Places. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to support both public and private efforts to identify and protect our historic resources. Properties listed in the National Register include historic districts, sites, buildings, structures, and various objects of significance in American history. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the United States Department of the Interior.
The registered places in Haywood County include three Historic Districts: Canton Main Street Historic District, Frog Level Historic District, Waynesville Main Street Historic District, and Waynesville Spread Out District.
The Historic Preservation Commission
The Town of Waynesville’s Historic Preservation Commission is a commission approved by the Board of Aldermen that was created to perform the duties of regulating historic landmarks and historic districts in Waynesville, NC. One of the functions of this commission is to recommend to the Board of Aldermen individual properties and areas for Local Landmark Designation. Properties that have received this designation include:
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Additional information and a complete list of properties to receive this Local Landmark designation is available through the Town of Waynesville website.
Civil War Trail Markers in Haywood County
North Carolina’s Civil War Trails are part of a series of trails that meander through the states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The markers identify and offer an interpretive narrative of locations ranging from great campaigns to lesser known Civil War sites.
Haywood County is home to five of these interpretive markers:
- Waynesville Engagement: located in front of Town Hall, 16 S Main Street, Waynesville
- Thomas’s Last Resting Place: located in Greenhill Cemetery, Hillview Circle and Main Street in Waynesville
- Battle House: located in Sulphur Springs Park on North Main Street near Church Street, Waynesville
- Locust Field Cemetery: located at Locust Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, across from the Library in Canton
- Kirk’s Raid: located in the parking lot of Ghost Town amusement park in Maggie Valley / Soco Gap
NC Highway Historical Marker Program
In 1935, the General Assembly authorized the establishment of the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program. It is the joint responsibility of the Research Branch, Office of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources, and the Traffic Engineering Branch, Division of Highways, Department of Transportation. The North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program is one of the oldest such programs in continuous operation in the United States. The silver and black markers along our roadways have become a familiar part of the state’s landscape since the first one was put in place in Granville County on January 10, 1936. Haywood County is home to fifteen of these markers.