North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Construction reached a major milestone this week at the future Balfour Beatty-led development of the North Carolina History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction, as crews lifted the final steel beam into place during a topping-out ceremony marking the near completion of the project’s main building.
The event brought together about 30 participants, including construction teams, partners, and community stakeholders, who signed the beam before it was hoisted by crane onto the 60,000-square-foot structure. The milestone signals the final phase of construction on a project that has been more than 15 years in planning and development.
“This achievement is a testament to the collaboration of our partners and the shared vision to deliver a meaningful space for the community,” Balfour Beatty said in a social media post. “We’re thankful for everyone who helped make this moment possible and energized for the progress still ahead.”
The main building represents the last stage of a three-part development plan that began with the VanStory History Village and continued with an outdoor pavilion and classroom spaces. Construction on the final facility began in July. Once complete, the center will include classrooms, an auditorium, a library, a café, a community meeting room, and 16,000 square feet of exhibition space. Officials expect the museum to open in spring 2028.
The project sits on a hill overlooking downtown Fayetteville near the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, on land that once housed a federal arsenal that changed hands between Confederate and Union forces during the Civil War. It is located adjacent to the Museum of the Cape Fear and the historic E.A. Poe House.
The site is designed to interpret a broad and complex history of the Civil War era, including slavery, emancipation, and Reconstruction. Organizers say the goal is to provide educators and visitors with a more detailed, data-driven understanding of the period at a time of continued national debate over how the era is remembered.
“It will be the first museum in North Carolina that tells the piece of the story of Reconstruction,” Pamela Brewington Cashwell, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said at the ceremony.
She added that the project is expected to attract visitors from across the state and beyond, bringing both educational and economic benefits to the Fayetteville area. The estimated $87 million project is funded through a combination of contributions from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, the state of North Carolina, private donors, and philanthropic foundations.