Burke County America 250 Committee wins $30,000 grant, finalizes Revolutionary War Week plans for Sept. 26–27

Ed Phillips, chairman of the Burke County America 250 Committee, told members at their April 14 meeting that the committee has received two grants from the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources: $10,000 for pole banners and brackets already ordered and distributed to sites, and $30,000 designated for Revolutionary War Week programming in late September. He said the committee will receive half the $30,000 up front, with the remainder paid after the event, and that funds will be handled through the Burke County Tourism office.

The committee plans to center the event on Sept. 26–27 at the Charles McDowell House, with a living-history encampment, reenactors, docent-led historic-site tours and an open house. The program will invite all Burke County fourth graders for a field-trip learning opportunity and will include confirmed sites such as Historic Gilboa Methodist Church, Quaker Meadows Cemetery, the Southern Railway Freight Station and the Avery Somersette House. Ed Phillips said the owner of adjacent property, Rodney Causby, has approved use of land for overflow parking, and the committee plans to use a trolley shuttle and two motor coaches for transportation.

Program elements discussed included living-history groups, an evening entertainment component, a lunch with a potential guest speaker, docent and student training (committee members discussed involving NCSSM students), heavy-duty festival tents stored by the Burke Arts Council, and printed and digital marketing promoted via the committee's new Facebook page 'America 250, Burke County, N.C.' The committee considered charging a tour fee in the $20–$25 range for historic-site tours.

Attachment C, a draft event budget reviewed at the meeting, lists projected income of $31,500 (including the $30,000 grant and an estimated $1,500 from tour fees) against projected expenses of $33,400, producing a projected net shortfall of $1,900. Noted expense categories include entertainment and sound, living historians, motor coach rental, street banners and yard signs, portajons, festival tents, docent training and marketing. The agenda and progress report also record that $10,000 in banner materials has been delivered and should be installed at local sites.

Committee members discussed additional fundraising options. Robert Patton suggested pursuing charitable grants such as from NC Humanities and sponsoring a lecture series; other members flagged recently awarded funds to the Historic Burke Foundation for stage lights and sound that might support programming at courthouse spaces. Leslie McKesson proposed featuring historical quilts or weavings as part of programming. The meeting also recorded interest from the Historic Carson House and the Overmountain Victory NC State Trail in related outreach activities.

Procedurally, Phil Smith moved to approve the March 10 minutes as corrected; Waits Gordon seconded, and the minutes were approved by those present. The minutes noted that only six of the committee's 15 members attended, so a quorum was not present. The next committee meeting was set for Monday, May 12, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at the Burke Tourism Office. Linda Lindsey moved to adjourn; Phil Smith seconded and the meeting was adjourned.