Places to Visit

Sampson-Clinton J.C. Holliday Public Library

217 Graham Street
Clinton, NC 28328
910-592-4153

Hours:  8am-6pm Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm Saturday; Closed Sunday

“Cultivate your curiosity” at the Sampson-Clinton “J.C. Holliday” Public Library!  The J. C. Holliday Memorial Library was brought to fruition by the efforts of several people.  In 1942, Mrs. Holliday gave approximately $40,000 to build a library in memory of her husband, Jesse Claude Holliday, and the money was placed into a trust until such time as land could be obtained and sufficient funds could be raised to build.  After many years, Mrs. Mildred Powell donated the land on which the library presently sits in 1978.  Five years, later, the library was opened at the cost of just over $530,000, funding for which came from the Holliday trust, the State of North Carolina, the City of Clinton, savings and earnings on investments made by previous library boards, and Sampson County local government.  By the terms of the Holliday will, the library was constructed in downtown Clinton and offered 9,600 square feet of space for its patrons.  The library is still the headquarters of the library system and houses the administrative office and technical processing department. The largest collection of materials is located here, including research materials, a specialized local history and genealogy collection, audiobooks, and DVD’s. There is a free public wireless Internet connection, 10 public access computers with black and white printing for 20¢ each, and a copy machine for 20¢ for black and white and 50¢ for color.   This branch also provides reference and children’s services including afterschool story time for children ages 5-12 on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 5pm.

http://www.sampsonnc.com/departments/library_services/

Sampson Farmer’s Market & Tree Park

215 Lisbon Street

The Sampson Farmer’s Market is held at the beautiful Clinton City Market in downtown Clinton from May-October every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday morning from 10am-2pm.  The Farmer’s Market is a great place to support local farmers and buy locally grown produce and other locally made crafts. Anyone interested in participating in the Farmer’s Market or who would like more information about the Market should contact Betty Holland at (910) 299-4904.

This year the market will not only include fresh and organically grown produce but also some selected processed foods and craft items.  The Sampson Farmers Market is a venue for these individuals to sell their handmade and home grown goods directly to consumers, to educate consumers about local farming and seasonal eating, and to encourage businesses to use and promote the use of locally-grown ingredients and locally-made products.

The Farmer’s Market may only operate three times a week, but that should not stop you from enjoying a picnic on the brand new picnic table donated to the city by the Downtown Dash 5K Committee.  After your picnic, sit in the sun or go for a stroll through the tree park located just behind the market pavilion!

Sampson Community Theatre

115 Fayetteville Street

(910) 592-8653

Housed in a facility constructed in the 1939 Art Moderne style, the Sampson Community Theater has operated for over 40 years. Its productions have been highly varied and well received and have induced such popular plays as The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Harvey, The Boys Next Door, Bye-Bye Birdie, The Sound of Music, The King and I, The Odd Couple, To Kill a Mockingbird, Oklahoma, Annie, Oliver, and Alice in Wonderland. Each production features local talent. The theater is renowned within the state’s arts community.  Tickets are reasonably priced at $10.00 ($8.00 for seniors and students) and shows typically run for two weekends with performances on Friday and Saturday evening and a Sunday matinee.

https://www.facebook.com/SampsonCommunityTheatre

“Milling Around” Artwork

In 2009, the Sampson Arts Council in partnership with the City of Clinton appointed a Public Art Project Committee to study and develop a plan for Sampson County’s first public art project. In 2010, the committee selected artist Heidi Lippman and landscape architect Kofi Boone, to study the community, its history, and its downtown revitalization project in order to present proposals for a public art project that would exemplify the community and its heritage. The team proposed a glass art installation as the centerpiece for a new park in the historic downtown district.

In 2011, Lippman received a commission to create the art   piece “Milling Around”. Lippman provided her original  a   artwork images to Mayer of Munich, the world’s premier   stained glass and mosaic-art glass fabricator. A silk screen   template was created to provide a skeletal structure for   the intricate hand painting on glass, which was then fired   to 1,100 degrees creating a vibrant, light fast and durable   finish. Combinations of transparent and opaque colors   were applied to the interior glass surface of the laminated panes to create the final millstone depiction.

For more than 10,000 years, millstones have provided a way to grind grains, nuts, and corn. Prior to 1900, there were at least two hundred water-powered mills in Sampson County. Because of the mills’ importance in creating flour for food, they became essential to the life and growth of a community. In the pre-Revolutionary era, John Sampson, Sampson County’s namesake, owned a gristmill along the Beaver Dam Branch. The mill became a focal point of the community, and a town that would become Clinton began to grow around it. The millstone represents hard work, community, cooperation, and innovation – all qualities exemplified by the people of Clinton and Sampson County.

Funding for the project was provided by the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and private donations.

http://sampsonarts.net/Public_Art.html

Sampson County History Museum

313 Lisbon St.
Clinton, NC 28328
Phone: 910-590-0007

Email: schm@intrstar.net

Hours:  Thursday-Saturday 10am-4pm and open during other special events

http://www.sampsonhmc.com/

Through collections and historical interpretation of the county’s unique heritage, the Sampson County History Museum offers eight buildings to tell the story of the land and its inhabitants since the mid 1740s.  Located within walking distance of the courthouse square, the museum is one of Clinton’s best kept secrets.  With your first step in the door of the historic home that serves as the gateway to the museum grounds, you are instantly transported back in time.  The staff and volunteers of the museum have dedicated themselves to ensuring no story of life in Clinton and Sampson County’s history goes untold.  The beautiful grounds of the museum are home to several cabins and buildings including the following:

The Holmes House: A young Lieutenant in the Confederate Army, Frank Carroll, built the three-room house for he and his new bride. Lt. Carroll had planned to build a large house in front of it and use the this three-room house as a kitchen. The project was never finished and was later purchased by Lynn Watkins Holmes who used it for his home.

The Cabin Museum: Built in 1770 by Austin Beasley, and English immigrant, it’s original location was just east of the Town of Turkey. The stairway in the cabin was located in the George Morisey House when Gen. Cornwallis spent the night.

The Bunting Log Cabin: Believed to be built in 1750, the cabin sat on a small hill on land known as the David Bunting Plantation. The cabin was also home to Dr. Thomas Bunting, who married Elizabeth Holmes, the daughter of NC Gov. Gabriel Holmes, a native of Sampson County.

Downtown Clinton Commercial Historic District

The Downtown Clinton Commercial Historic District is located in the heart of Downtown Clinton and is Nationally recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.  The District is bordered by Vance Street to the North, Elizabeth Street the South, Fayetteville and Wall Streets to the West, and Sampson Street to the East.  The buildings in the District were all generally constructed in the early 20th century after a devastating fire burned most of the commercial district in 1902.   The Downtown Clinton Commercial Historic District is like a time capsule of historic pre-war architecture and it’s continued use and investment shows the pride the people of Clinton and Sampson County have in their history.

Please see ‘http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/nr/SP0660.pdf‘ for the official Historic Preservation Office documentation of the Downtown Clinton Commercial Historic District, including historic descriptions of each property within the District.