2013 Meeting Programs

March 7th Program Details
Featured Speaker: Mrs. Pam Thornton
"Soap Opera 1864, Continued"

Pam Thornton, Director of the Granville County Historical Society Museum, will be the featured speaker for the March 7 meeting of the Granville County Genealogical Society at 6:30 p.m. in the large meeting room of the Richard H. Thornton Library. Her presentation will be an update on an 1860's Granville County murder previously discussed in a June 2009 program by GCGS member Dick Taylor. Since then, Thornton has uncovered new information about the case and the museum has recently acquired photographs of some of the principals involved.

Born and raised in Winston-Salem, Pam Thornton attended Wingate Junior College. She married Tom Thornton, also of Winston-Salem. After collecting antiques for a number of years, the couple entered the antiques business full-time. Tom still sells antiques but is also the owner of Thornton Displays (working with antique show promoters in setting up the walls and paper for shows). In 1978, Pam and Tom restored an 1830's house in Wake Forest. Later they came to Granville County in 1988 to restore Oaklawn Plantation.

After moving to Granville County, Pam became involved in the Granville County Historical Society. She was serving as President when the Society opened the first museum in the "old jail" in 1996. Pam became Interim Director of the Granville County Historical Society Museum in 1998 when that position became available. She was subsequently hired as Director and has served in that capacity ever since. Under Pam's leadership, the museum has attained many significant milestones. The Historical Society opened the Harris Exhibit Hall in 2000. The jail was renovated again and a permanent exhibit of Granville County's history was installed, opening in 2006. The Harris Hall has rotating exhibits pertaining to science, art and history. Pam is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the N.C. Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative which includes the Granville County Museum as one of 27 funded in North Carolina promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

The meetings of the society are open to the public. Guests are cordially invited to join with the society members to hear this presentation, to be given at 6:30 P.M. on March 7, 2013 in the large conference room at R. H. Thornton Library in Oxford.

 

---

Questions or comments send to: GCGS.office@gmail.com