Levine Museum of the New South
The Levine Museum of the New South, is a history museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina whose exhibits focus on life in the North Carolina Piedmont after the American Civil War. The museum includes temporary and permanent exhibits on a range of Southern-related topics.[1] Founded in 1991 as the Museum of the New South, it was renamed after museum patron and Family Dollar founder Leon Levine in 2001.[2][3]
 Crowd gathers at the museum in 2010 | |
| Established | April 25, 1991 |
|---|---|
| Location | 401 South Tryon Street Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 35°13′28″N 80°50′48″W |
| Type | Local history museum |
| Public transit access |  3rd Street/CC |
Overview
Originally opened in 2001 at Seventh and College streets, the museum's permanent exhibit is called "Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers: Charlotte and the Carolina Piedmont in the New South", and features period displays that reflect regional history. The displays include a one-room tenant farmer's house, a cotton mill and mill house, an African-American hospital, an early Belk department store, and a civil-rights era lunch counter. Changing exhibits focus on local culture, art and history.[4]
In 2019, the museum had an exhibit "The Legacy of Lynching: Confronting Racial Terror in America", prepared in collaboration with the Equal Justice Initiative, who created the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.[5]
Relocation was considered in 2020 because the site had no room for expansion and was worth $7.7 million according to county records. The COVID-19 pandemic was one reason for considering more virtual options.[6] On June 16, 2021, the museum announced it would sell the downtown location and look for a new home. This news comes as the museum adds virtual activities such as the digital walking tour starting in August 2021. These changes come with the help of a $600,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.[3]
In March 2022, the museum announced the sale of its building for $10.75 million to Vela Uptown LLC, which planned a high-rise apartment building. The museum closed in May to prepare for the move. On June 16, 2022, the museum announced it would reopen in Fall 2022 in 6000 square feet in the Levine Center for the Arts at Three Wells Fargo Center, in space donated by Wells Fargo.[7]
Gallery
Entrance of Levine Museum of the New South
Entrance of "Cottonfields to Skyscrapers"
Cotton-Machine
Model of plantation
Welcome-Sign for President Roosevelt
Explanation-Sign
Model of Bank of America Corporate Center
References
- An Enigmatic Land of Great Expectations, Edward Rothstein, New York Times, Feb. 12, 2012.
- "Levine Museum of the New South | NCpedia".
- "Levine Museum of the New South selling uptown Charlotte facility, embarking on digital transformation". WBTV. June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- Archived 2016-10-22 at the Wayback Machine Levine Museum: Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers. From 1865 to today.
- Arrowood, Maddy (May 31, 2019). "Exhibit traces legacy of lynching in North Carolina through the stories of victims". The Charlotte Observer.
- Chemtob, Danielle (August 12, 2020). "Big changes for Levine Museum, as it weighs move and rethinks use of its uptown site". The Charlotte Observer.
- Kramon, Charlotte (June 16, 2022). "Levine Museum finds a new home in Charlotte, with an assist from Wells Fargo". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
External links
