North Carolina Rural Heritage Center

Please Note: The John Blue House is currently closed for renovations. 
Heritage Village and the Two museums are open.  Please call ahead to to confirm hours:
910-277-2456

The North Carolina Rural Heritage Center is a presentation and celebration of the cultures and heritages that have shaped Scotland County and the Piedmont of North Carolina.

The centerpiece of the Center is the John Blue House.  Born in 1861 as the country was in the midst of the Civil War, John Blue grew up to be an inventor and manufacturer of farm equipment,  Thirty years later, in 1891, he built his home that has become the centerpiece of the North Carolina Rural Heritage Center.  Now approaching 130 years in age, the house is currently under renovation, but the grounds and museums remain open.

Located behind the House is the Heritage Village.  This area presents homesteads from the 1800s and complements these structures with commercial endeavors that fueled local rural communities including a cotton gin, a tobacco barn, and a general store.

Across the street you will find two museums:
The Museum of Agriculture and History – which presents an array of inventions and products that often married the industrial revolution and the agricultural commerce of rural North Carolina; And the Indian Museum of the Carolinas which offers exhibits on the life  and homes of Native Americans through the centuries.