Lloyd Bailey Building

Dr. Carolyn Cort, a local pediatrician, gifted YHA with the Lloyd Bailey Building in 2006.  The building is named in honor of Dr. Bailey, a retired Duke professor of theology, and local historian.  This building houses the association office, rotating exhibits, a genealogy room, collections, and a meeting room.  

The Lloyd Bailey Building is open:

• Wednesday – Saturday:   10 am. – 4 pm

• Hours may change during the winter months or during inclement weather.

The Lloyd Bailey Building currently houses the following:

• an exhibit on the Appalachian Patriots in the American Revolution.  This includes the area settlements in 1776; the frontier response to the British threats; the Overmountain Men and the Battle of Kings Mountain; North Carolina Ladies of Liberty; area Loyalists; a Liberty Tree; and a Hall with biographies of area Patriots and their contributions.

• a collection of Native American artifacts from the Lawrence Wilson family, the Cane River Middle School (1989-1990), the Cullom family, and local surveyor John Young.

• Moonshine stills confiscated by Sheriff Terry Hall; It also items used by the sheriff’s department including the “new technology” of finger-printing, etc.

• A room dedicated to items found in the “old general store”

• The Snap Dragon display

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• This ship was originally built in 1808 and named the Zephyr.  It was purchased by Otway Burns as a privateer for service during the War of 1812, renamed the Snap Dragon, and captured 42 British vessels and their cargo valued at more than $4 million.  Over 300 British officers and sailors were taken prisoner.

• This scale model was given to YHA in 2023 by Walter Francis Burns, III – great-great grandson of Otway Burns.  It was his grandfather who dedicated the statue of Otway Burns in 1909.  The town of Burnsville is named in honor of Otway Burns since he cast the deciding vote to establish this county in the NC legislature in December 1833.  The sea captain never visited this area. 

Genealogy Room

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This room is furnished with census records, marriage records, death records, property records, and histories of local places and families.  

The museum also maintains Ancestry.com as a resource for people who are beginning their research.

This room also contains primary material on the Civil War- including a complete set of The War of the Rebellion series for serious researchers.