Come tell us what it's all about! Complementing the houses’ physical preservation, the CCHA is currently engaged in an oral and written history project to preserve the community’s memory of the Harper House and Lyerly House. Recollections about the houses—your visits to them, for example—and the families who lived in them will form a sizeable portion of an eventual “coffee table” history book devoted to the Harper House/Hickory History Center.

We need your stories on Colonel Thornton. Tell us what is was like to visit the Harper House and Lyerly House. Continue to help us identify the silhouettes in the Harper House attic.There are no insignificant memories! Even the slightest detail is of the greatest benefit, since each detail helps develop a clearer overall picture.

Send in your written memories to the Harper House/Hickory History Center / 310 N. Center St. / Hickory, NC 28601 or email at historicharper@bellsouth.net.

Or stop by for a chat and guided tour. Oftentimes your seeing the house can nudge a stubborn recollection. As you walk through the house, a harmless audio device will record your recollections—harmless because nothing you say will be used without your express permission: without fail, we will obtain your approval of exact quotations before the book is published.

Call the Harper House/Hickory History Center for more information or to arrange a visit: 828.324.7294