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 Rush Wray, the last Wray owner of the NuWray Hotel; 

• an archaeological exhibit of artifacts found locally entitled - Digging Up the Past:  Archaeology in the Toe River Valley.  This includes the collection of Lawrence Wilson, both digs at the Cane River Middle School (1989-1990 and 2013-2014); an exhibit of Brush Creek artifacts; Smith Farm rock cliff artifacts; Blue Rock soap stone bowls; and other local Native American finds.  Also included in this exhibit are items from the digs on museum property – including the McElroy cistern.

• 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.